Fired for 'not a good fit' after 5.5 years - 4 weeks in adjudication with no money

I got fired last winter for 'performance issues' that were never documented. It took ESD like 6 weeks to finish adjudication but they DID approve me! Your employer has to prove they fired you for actual misconduct, not just because they didnt like you anymore. 'Not a good fit' isn't misconduct. Hang in there!!

mine was same kinda thing. boss just decided to let me go after 3 yrs. no reason just bye bye. ESD took FOREVER but i got approved and backpay!!!! you should be fine but its the waiting that kills ya

I work in HR and can tell you that 'not a good fit' is often used when employers can't document actual misconduct. This usually works in the employee's favor for unemployment purposes. Under Washington law, the employer has the burden of proving misconduct, and vague statements about 'fit' rarely meet that standard. That said, adjudication is taking a ridiculously long time right now. I've seen cases going 6-8 weeks before resolution. Make sure you keep filing your weekly claims while waiting for the decision.

My brothers friend got denied after being fired for 'attitude problems' but it sounds different from your situation. Did you try calling ESD? Sometimes they can tell you whats happening

After struggling with the ESD phone system for weeks, I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an actual person at ESD. It's a service that basically calls ESD for you and then connects you when they reach an agent. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 The agent I spoke with was able to tell me exactly what was holding up my adjudication and estimated when it would be resolved. Totally worth it rather than spending hours getting disconnected and frustrated. Just FYI since you mentioned you can't get through on the phones.

Yes, it worked for me! Got connected to an ESD agent within about 30 minutes versus the days I spent trying on my own and never getting through. Just make sure you have your claim ID and all your info ready when they connect you.

WHATEVER YOU DO, keep filing your weekly claims even while in adjudication!!! I made the mistake of skipping a couple weeks because I thought 'what's the point if I'm not getting paid anyway' and it caused a HUGE mess that took months to fix. You'll get backpay for all those weeks IF approved, but only if you filed claims for them.

i got fired after 7 years cuz they said i wasnt "adaptable enough" whatever that means lol. took ESD almost 2 months but they approved me. had to eat through all my savings waiting tho. the system is broken!!!!!

Your situation is quite common. The good news is that unless your employer can provide documentation of actual misconduct (like policy violations, insubordination, etc.), you'll likely be approved. 'Not a good fit' is a subjective assessment, not misconduct. By law, ESD is supposed to complete adjudication within 21 days, but they've been consistently missing that target. If you need to escalate, try contacting your state representative's office. They often have ESD liaisons who can help move claims along that have been stuck too long. In the meantime, document any financial hardship this delay is causing - like late payment notices. If you do need to appeal anything, this documentation will be helpful.

did ur boss ever say WHY u weren't a good fit anymore after 5.5 YEARS??? seems crazy they just decided that after so long. my friend got fired for "not fitting company culture" and still got unemployment so ur probably fine

UPDATE: I finally got through to ESD this morning (after using the Claimyr service someone recommended) and got some answers. The adjudicator said they've contacted my employer twice for information but haven't received a response. They're going to make one more attempt, but if the employer doesn't respond within 48 hours, they'll make a determination based on my statement alone. The agent also noted that generally, being fired for "not being a good fit" without documented performance issues usually results in benefit approval. She couldn't guarantee anything but seemed optimistic about my case. I feel so much better just knowing what's happening! Will update once I get a decision.

FINAL UPDATE: My claim was APPROVED yesterday! Got a notice in my eServices account and the payment for all 6 weeks (including the adjudication period) is pending deposit to my account. Such a relief! Thanks everyone for the advice and support. For anyone else going through this - keep filing those weekly claims, try to get through to an agent if you can (the Claimyr recommendation was super helpful), and document everything.

Congratulations Nathan! This is such great news and gives me hope for my own situation. I was fired 3 weeks ago for "performance concerns" that were never documented or discussed with me before termination. Been in adjudication for 2 weeks now with no word from ESD. Your story makes me feel more confident that these vague termination reasons will work in our favor. Thanks for sharing your journey and all the helpful tips along the way!

Wow Nathan, congratulations on getting approved! Your story gives me so much hope. I'm currently in week 3 of adjudication after being let go for "restructuring" (even though they hired someone else for my exact role two weeks later). It's reassuring to hear that ESD does eventually get through these cases and that employers who can't provide solid documentation usually lose. The Claimyr recommendation several people mentioned here sounds like a game changer - I'm definitely going to try that this week since I haven't been able to get through to ESD at all. Thanks for keeping us updated throughout your process, it really helps those of us still waiting to know what to expect!

Nathan, this is such an inspiring update! Congratulations on getting approved - you must be so relieved after 6 weeks of stress. Your case really shows how "not a good fit" terminations usually work out in the employee's favor when there's no documented misconduct. I'm currently dealing with something similar - got let go after 4 years for "cultural misalignment" with zero warnings or write-ups. Been in adjudication for 3 weeks now and this gives me so much hope! Definitely going to try that Claimyr service you mentioned since I've had no luck getting through ESD's phone system. Thanks for sharing your whole journey with updates - it's exactly what people like me need to hear when we're panicking about bills and wondering if we'll ever get answers. Enjoy that backpay!

Nathan, congratulations on getting your claim approved! This is such great news and really gives hope to everyone else dealing with similar vague termination reasons. Your experience shows exactly why it's so important to keep filing weekly claims during adjudication - that 6-week backpay must be such a relief right now! I'm currently 2 weeks into adjudication after being terminated for "lack of alignment with company direction" following a management change at my workplace of 3 years. No warnings, no documentation, just suddenly not aligned anymore. Stories like yours help me stay optimistic that these weak employer justifications usually don't hold up under ESD's scrutiny. Thanks for taking the time to update everyone throughout your process - it's incredibly helpful for those of us still waiting to see how these cases typically play out. Enjoy having that financial stress lifted off your shoulders!

Nathan, huge congratulations on getting approved! Your story is exactly what so many of us needed to hear. I'm dealing with a very similar situation - got terminated last month after 4 years for being "no longer the right fit for the role" despite consistently good performance reviews. No warnings, no disciplinary actions, just a new supervisor who apparently wanted someone else. I've been in adjudication for 2.5 weeks now and your experience gives me so much hope that these vague termination reasons will work in our favor. The fact that your employer didn't even bother responding to ESD's requests for information really shows how weak their case was. I'm definitely going to try that Claimyr service - I've been trying to reach ESD for over a week with no luck. Thanks for sharing your entire journey with updates, it really helps those of us still in limbo to know what to expect and that there's light at the end of the tunnel. Enjoy that well-deserved backpay!