Do you still get unemployment if you get fired - Washington ESD eligibility question

Yes, you can definitely get unemployment if you're fired in Washington state. The key is WHY you were fired. If it was for misconduct (like stealing, fighting, or willful violation of company policy), then you'd be disqualified. But if it was for performance, not being a good fit, or company downsizing, you should be eligible. File your claim ASAP.

The Washington ESD will investigate the reason for termination. Your employer has to provide documentation showing misconduct if they want to contest your claim. Performance issues usually don't count as misconduct unless you were deliberately not doing your job.

I was in a similar situation and had trouble getting through to Washington ESD to check my claim status. After weeks of busy signals and dropped calls, I found this service called Claimyr at claimyr.com that actually got me connected to a real person at ESD. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Saved me so much stress!

Wait, I thought if you get fired you can't get unemployment at all? That's what my manager told me when I was having issues at my last job.

The Washington ESD looks at whether you were fired for 'misconduct connected to work.' Things like tardiness, poor performance, or personality conflicts usually don't qualify as misconduct. Theft, violence, drug use, or willful policy violations do.

I got fired for attendance issues and still got approved for unemployment. Washington ESD said that being late or missing work occasionally isn't misconduct unless it's a pattern of deliberate disregard for work rules.

File your claim online right away at Washington ESD. Even if your employer contests it, you want to get the process started. The worst thing you can do is wait because you think you might not qualify.

One thing to watch out for - some employers will try to claim you were fired for misconduct even when it was really performance to avoid their unemployment insurance rates going up. Don't let them intimidate you.

The safety complaint angle is actually really important. If they fired you in retaliation for reporting safety violations, that's not misconduct at all. That's actually illegal retaliation.

Just to be clear - even if you were fired for cause, you might still be eligible after a waiting period. Washington has different rules than some other states.

I tried calling Washington ESD for weeks about my fired-for-cause situation and finally used that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier. Got through immediately and the agent explained everything. Totally worth it when you're stressed about money.

Pro tip: when you file your claim, be honest about being fired but emphasize it was for performance, not misconduct. Don't volunteer information that could hurt your case, but don't lie either.

I got fired from my last two jobs and got unemployment both times. First one was for not getting along with my supervisor, second was for making too many mistakes. Neither counted as misconduct according to Washington ESD.

The key thing is Washington ESD has to prove misconduct, not the other way around. If your employer can't provide solid documentation of willful wrongdoing, you should be fine.

Don't forget you'll need to do your job search requirements once you start getting benefits. Washington ESD requires 3 job search activities per week now.

If your claim gets denied initially, don't panic. You can appeal and often win on appeal, especially if it was really retaliation for safety complaints like you suspect.

Washington ESD usually sides with workers unless there's clear evidence of serious misconduct. Your situation sounds like you should be approved, especially with the safety complaint angle.

Update us when you hear back! I'm curious how it goes since your situation is similar to what happened to my brother last year.

One last thing - if you end up needing to call Washington ESD about your claim status, that Claimyr thing people mentioned really does work. I was skeptical at first but it got me through when I needed to talk to someone about my adjudication.

Bottom line: yes, you can get unemployment if you're fired. File immediately, be honest but strategic about how you describe the termination, and don't let your employer intimidate you. You've got this!