ESD claim at risk after getting job while pregnant - legal rights?

Congrats on both the job and the baby! I'm a former HR manager, so I can tell you that firing someone specifically because they're pregnant is illegal under both Washington state law and federal law (Pregnancy Discrimination Act). But you're right that WA is an at-will state, so they could technically fire you for other reasons. As for ESD benefits, if you get let go after working there, you would likely qualify for unemployment again, though your benefit amount might change based on your new earnings. Make sure to document everything during your employment in case you need to file a discrimination claim later.

i waited until i was 5 months to tell my work and it went fine. they legally cant fire u for being pregant but they cud make up some other reason. just do good at ur job and document EVRYTHING. save emails, take notes after meetings etc. congrats btw!!

I was in almost this exact situation last year! Got hired when I was 3 months along but didn't know it yet. I told my boss around 4.5 months when it started to show. Here's what helped me: 1. I researched the company parental leave policy first 2. I came with a plan for how work would be handled during my leave 3. I framed it as exciting news, not apologetically My boss was surprised but ultimately supportive. Remember, pregnancy discrimination is illegal even in at-will states. The tricky part is proving it if they try to fire you for "other reasons." For ESD purposes - if they did fire you (which I doubt they will), you'd likely qualify for benefits again since the job loss wouldn't be your fault. The qualification is based on your work history over the past 18 months, so your recent unemployment wouldn't disqualify you.

my sister worked hr for 10 years and she says ALWAYS tell HR first not ur boss! that way theres an official record and ur protected. also congrats!!!

I wanted to add some specific information about your ESD benefits question. If they were to terminate your employment after you disclose your pregnancy, you would need to file a new claim. Since you'd have new wages in your base year, your weekly benefit amount might actually be higher than before. However, there could be questions about the reason for separation that might temporarily hold up your claim during adjudication while they investigate if there was any misconduct. If it's determined the separation was due to discrimination (which is illegal), you'd definitely qualify for benefits. One important thing: document EVERYTHING from day one. Save emails, take notes after conversations, etc. This will help if you ever need to file a discrimination claim with L&I or if ESD needs to investigate the reason for separation.

I've been trying to reach ESD for weeks about a similar situation (though I was fired, not hired) and can't get through at all. Has anyone had luck getting a real person on the phone lately? I've tried calling 100+ times and always get disconnected.

OP be careful, lotta people giving advice here but at-will means AT-WILL!! they can fire you for almost any reason as long as they dont say its cuz ur pregnant. Happened to my cousin!! She told them she was pregnant and 2 weeks later they fired her for "performance issues" that never existed before. ESD denied her too saying she was fired for cause!!!

Thank you everyone for all the advice! I think I'm going to: 1. Start the job and document EVERYTHING from day one 2. Wait until I'm about 5 months along (so 3-4 weeks into the job) 3. Tell HR first with a written plan for my leave 4. Hope for the best but be prepared with documentation if things go badly It's such a relief to know I'd likely qualify for ESD benefits again if the worst happens. I'll definitely update this thread once I've had the conversation with them. Wish me luck!