Fired from my job - am I eligible for Washington ESD unemployment benefits?

Yes, you can potentially get unemployment benefits even if you were fired, but it depends on WHY you were fired. Washington ESD looks at whether you were terminated for 'misconduct' or not. Performance issues usually don't count as misconduct unless it was willful or you ignored repeated warnings.

File your claim immediately! Don't wait. Washington ESD will investigate and make a determination. If your employer claims misconduct, you'll have a chance to tell your side during the fact-finding process. Performance issues alone rarely disqualify you unless there's evidence of willful negligence.

I was in a similar situation last year. Got fired for 'attitude problems' but Washington ESD approved my claim because my employer couldn't prove actual misconduct. The key is being honest in your application about why you were terminated, but also explaining your perspective.

Just went through this nightmare myself. Trying to reach Washington ESD by phone is absolutely impossible - I called over 200 times and kept getting hung up on. Finally found Claimyr (claimyr.com) which actually got me through to speak with an agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Totally worth it when you need to check your claim status or get answers about eligibility.

MISCONDUCT is the key word here. Washington ESD defines misconduct pretty narrowly - it has to be willful disregard of employer's interests, violation of company policy, or criminal acts. Poor performance, inability to do the job, or personality conflicts usually don't qualify as misconduct.

dude just file asap, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. even if they initially deny it you can always appeal

One important thing - be completely honest about the reason for termination when you file. Don't try to make it sound better than it was. Washington ESD will contact your employer anyway and if your stories don't match, that could hurt your case.

The Washington ESD system is so broken. They make it nearly impossible to get through on the phone and their online system crashes constantly. It's like they want people to give up and not collect benefits they're entitled to.

I got fired for being late too many times (totally my fault) and still got approved for benefits. The hearing officer said being habitually late was poor performance, not misconduct. Don't assume you're disqualified just because you were terminated.

Make sure you file within the first week of being unemployed. There's no waiting to file and the sooner you apply, the sooner your weekly benefit amount gets established. Even if it takes time to approve, your effective date starts from when you first file.

been there - got 'laid off' but really they just wanted me gone, called it performance. took about a month to get approved but did get it eventually

Remember that you'll need to start doing job search activities right away too. Washington ESD requires 3 job search activities per week, so keep track of applications, networking, interviews, etc. Don't let that part slide while waiting for your claim to be approved.

Your employer will probably contest your claim since they fired you. Don't panic if that happens - it just means Washington ESD has to investigate both sides before making a decision. Most 'performance issue' firings end up getting approved for benefits.

I actually had to use one of those phone services too when my claim got stuck in adjudication hell. Claimyr was pretty helpful - got me through to someone who could actually see what was holding up my claim. Sometimes you just need to talk to a real person instead of guessing what's wrong.

The fact that you weren't given formal warnings or write-ups is huge in your favor. Washington ESD expects employers to follow progressive discipline before terminating someone for performance. If they skipped straight to firing without documentation, that suggests it wasn't really about performance.

File online at esd.wa.gov - it's way easier than trying to call. The online application walks you through everything step by step. Just be honest about the termination reason and provide your perspective in the comments section.

Bottom line - getting fired doesn't automatically disqualify you from unemployment benefits. Performance issues rarely rise to the level of misconduct unless there was willful wrongdoing or repeated policy violations. File your claim and let Washington ESD make the determination.