ESD denied my claim for 'hostile work environment' quit - isn't this good cause?

did u talk to ur former employer before quitting? ESD usually wants to see that u tried to resolve the issue before leaving. they're super strict about that part

There's an important distinction here between a true 'hostile work environment' as defined in unemployment law versus a difficult/unpleasant workplace. For ESD purposes, a hostile work environment typically needs to involve discrimination based on a protected class (race, gender, religion, disability, etc). Was your harassment related to any of these protected categories? If not, that might explain the denial. The good news is you can absolutely appeal this decision! Make sure to highlight in your appeal: 1. Any discrimination based on protected status (if applicable) 2. Your attempts to resolve the issue before quitting (HR complaints) 3. Documentation of the harassment (texts, emails, etc.) 4. How the situation affected your physical or mental health You have 30 days from the date on your determination letter to file the appeal.

THE SAME EXACT THING happened to me last summer!!! ESD denied me even tho my boss was literally screaming at me everyday!!! The system is RIGGED against workers!!!!!

I had a similar situation in 2024 and initially got denied. I appealed and won because my case involved discrimination based on my age (I'm over 50). The key was having documentation - I had emails where my manager made comments about "old dogs not learning new tricks" and text messages where he said he wanted "young fresh talent" on the team. Make sure to include in your appeal: 1. The SPECIFIC nature of the harassment (gender-based comments) 2. ALL documentation you have (emails, texts, witness statements) 3. Timeline of events (when you reported to HR, what happened after) 4. Evidence you tried to resolve it before quitting Also, I found it impossible to reach ESD by phone to discuss my appeal until I used Claimyr (claimyr.com). They connected me to an actual ESD agent in less than 30 minutes who helped me understand exactly what I needed to include in my appeal. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 Good luck with your appeal!

not to be a downer but my cousin had something similar happen and her appeal got denied too. they said she should of tried harder to fix the situation before quitting. unemployment is really hard to get these days.

I handled several of these cases as an employee advocate. Here's what you need to know: 1. The terminology matters tremendously. In unemployment law, "hostile work environment" specifically refers to harassment based on protected characteristics (gender, race, religion, etc). If your harassment was gender-based as you mentioned in comments, definitely emphasize this. 2. Appeal within 30 days (critical deadline). The appeal form is on the ESD website under "Submit an Appeal." 3. Gather ALL evidence of: - The gender-based nature of comments - Your attempts to resolve through proper channels - Any medical documentation if the stress affected your health - Witness statements if possible 4. In your appeal statement, use phrases like "gender-based harassment" and "discrimination based on sex" rather than just "hostile work environment." 5. Timeline is important - show that the harassment continued after you reported it. The standard is whether a "reasonable person" would feel compelled to quit under the same circumstances. Gender-based harassment that continues after being reported usually meets this standard. You have a good chance of winning on appeal with the right documentation and terminology!

wait i thought the rules changed in 2025? my friend told me ESD is more strict now about what counts as good cause to quit

Thanks everyone for your advice! Update: I filed my appeal yesterday emphasizing the gender-based nature of the harassment, included all my documentation (emails, texts, HR complaint copies, doctor's note about anxiety/insomnia), and submitted a statement from a coworker who witnessed some of the incidents. I also got through to ESD using that Claimyr service someone mentioned (it actually worked!), and the agent was really helpful. She explained that the initial adjudicator might have missed the gender discrimination aspect of my claim. She also said my appeal looks strong based on what I described. Fingers crossed the appeal works out. I'll update when I hear something!