ESD requesting termination details - How to explain being removed from lead position?

Don't panic! This is a standard fact-finding request that ESD sends out to verify eligibility. Your husband should definitely be honest about what happened. Being let go because he couldn't perform a new position he was recently promoted to is NOT misconduct and shouldn't disqualify him from benefits. Make sure he explains: 1) He was promoted to a new lead position 2) He was still learning the role when terminated 3) The company didn't offer an alternative position 4) There was no misconduct, just performance in a new role Yes, ESD will contact the employer to get their side. If both stories match up (not misconduct, just not meeting expectations in a new role), he should be fine.

i had something sorta similar happen back in 2023 and honestly it depends on what ur employer says. if they tell ESD it was cuz he couldnt do the job ur probably fine but if they say he did something wrong like broke rules or whatever then u might have issues. just be 100% honest

THIS EXACT THING HAPPENED TO ME!! ESD will ALWAYS side with employers so be VERY careful what you write!!! They denied me initially even though I was just "not a good fit" and it took 2 months to appeal!!

If you're getting stressed about reaching ESD to discuss this further, I found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual ESD agent in under 30 minutes when I had a similar issue. There's a video demo of how it works here: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 For your actual question - be direct and factual in your response. Explain he was promoted, tried his best to meet expectations, but was ultimately let go when he couldn't fulfill the new role requirements and no other positions were available. I went through something similar and was approved because it wasn't misconduct - just a mismatch in capabilities for a specific position.

Let me clarify something important here: Washington state unemployment law distinguishes between misconduct (which can disqualify you) and simple performance issues (which generally don't). Your husband's situation is a textbook example of what's generally covered - he was given a position that wasn't a good match for his skills, he attempted to do the job, and was let go because he couldn't perform the specific duties of that new position. On the ESD form, he should: 1. Stick to facts without emotional language 2. Include dates (when promoted, when terminated) 3. Mention he was willing to take another position if available 4. Note that there was no disciplinary action prior to termination 5. Avoid any language that suggests he knowingly couldn't do the job ESD will almost certainly approve this claim as long as your husband's explanation aligns with the employer's statement. Just make sure he files his weekly claims on time while this is being resolved.

Wait was he fired or laid off? Those are totally different things for ESD. If he was fired for performance thats one thing but if it was a layoff cuz they didnt have other spots that's different...

When I went through the adjudication process last year, I learned that being very specific about timeline matters a lot. Make sure your husband clearly states how long he was with the company overall versus how long he was in the lead position. This shows he was successful in his original role. Also, if his former employer provided any positive feedback at all during his time there (even if it was before the promotion), mention that too. ESD is mainly looking to determine if this was a case of someone simply not being suited for a specific role (covered) versus someone being negligent or willfully underperforming (not covered). Despite what some are saying here, I found ESD to be quite fair when evaluating these situations as long as you're honest and thorough in your explanation.

Am I the only one who thinks its CRAZY that they can just decide someone isnt "good enough" for a job they PROMOTED them to and then fire them?? The whole system is rigged against workers!!! At least document the issues and give people a chance to improve before cutting them loose!!

Update: We submitted the information to ESD yesterday explaining exactly what happened - that he was promoted to lead, tried his best for 3 months, but wasn't meeting expectations in that specific role, and there weren't other positions available. We emphasized that he had 3 years of good performance before the promotion. Now we're just waiting to hear back. Thanks everyone for your advice! I'll update again when we get a decision.