ESD claim denied after quitting job that required serving alcohol against my religious beliefs - can I appeal?

I'm in a really tough spot and don't know what to do. I was on unemployment for about 8 weeks when I found what seemed like a perfect job at a retirement community as an activities coordinator. Nothing in the job description or interviews mentioned alcohol service. On my FIRST DAY, my supervisor handed me the schedule showing I'd be required to serve alcohol at resident happy hours and help coordinate casino nights (both against my religious beliefs). When I explained my religious restrictions, they basically said 'that's part of the job' and wouldn't accommodate me. I resigned immediately since this violated my religious principles. Now ESD has denied my claim saying I voluntarily quit without good cause. But I never would've accepted the position if they'd been honest about the job duties! The denial letter says I should have 'tried to resolve the situation before quitting' but how could I when it was a direct religious conflict from day one? Has anyone successfully appealed something similar? I have documentation showing the original job description and can get a letter from my religious leader confirming these restrictions. My benefits have stopped and I'm getting desperate.

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16 comments

Sophia Nguyen

•2M

Yes, you absolutely should appeal this! I went through something similar (though not religion-related) where job duties were significantly different than advertised. What you're describing is a classic case of "quit for good cause" because of misrepresentation of job duties. For religious accommodations, employers are required to make reasonable accommodations under law unless it creates undue hardship. For your appeal: 1) Get that letter from your religious leader 2) Find the original job posting that doesn't mention alcohol service 3) Write down exactly what happened on that first day with timeline and who said what 4) File your appeal within 30 days of the denial letter. Religious discrimination is protected under Washington state law, and ESD should recognize this on appeal.

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Maya Patel

•2M

I work in HR (not in your company) and this does sound like a failure to provide reasonable accommodation for religious beliefs, which is covered under both state and federal law. Document everything. In your appeal, focus on: 1. The job description never mentioned alcohol service or gambling activities 2. You immediately requested accommodation on religious grounds 3. The employer refused to make any accommodation By law, they should have explored alternatives like having someone else handle those specific duties. ESD should recognize this as good cause to quit if you frame it properly.

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Emma Garcia

•2M

I recently went through the ESD appeals process and it was a nightmare trying to get through to anyone who could help me. I was calling 50+ times a day and either got hung up on or couldn't get past the automated system. I finally discovered Claimyr (claimyr.com) which got me connected to a real ESD agent in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 It was super helpful for my appeal situation because I actually got to talk to someone who explained exactly what documentation I needed and how to submit it properly. Just sharing since the appeal process is confusing and getting actual guidance from a real person made a huge difference.

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Sophia Nguyen

•2M

Make sure you specifically use the term "misrepresentation of job duties" in your appeal letter as well as "failure to provide reasonable religious accommodation" - these are specific legal terms that the ESD judges will recognize. Also, when you file your appeal, request a phone hearing rather than in-person if possible (easier to manage), and continue to file your weekly claims during the entire appeals process even though they'll show as "denied" - if you win the appeal, they'll pay all those weeks retroactively.

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