Got fired from my job - can I still collect Washington ESD unemployment benefits?

You can definitely apply for unemployment even if you were fired. Washington ESD will review your case to determine if the termination was for 'misconduct' or not. Simple attendance issues often don't qualify as misconduct unless they were willful or a pattern you were repeatedly warned about. The key is being honest on your application about why you were terminated.

I got fired last year and still got approved for benefits. Just apply online at esd.wa.gov and answer all the questions truthfully. The worst they can do is say no, but you won't know unless you try.

The tricky part is going to be reaching someone at Washington ESD if your claim gets held up. I spent weeks trying to call them with no luck. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Saved me so much frustration trying to call on my own.

APPLY IMMEDIATELY! Don't wait around wondering if you qualify. The sooner you file, the sooner your waiting week starts. Even if you get denied initially, you can appeal the decision. I made the mistake of waiting too long thinking I wouldn't qualify and lost out on benefits I could have received.

The attendance thing might actually work in your favor. Unless you were like no-call no-showing or something really bad, most attendance issues don't rise to the level of 'misconduct' that would disqualify you. Washington ESD looks at whether your actions were willful and substantial.

ugh the washington unemployment system is such a mess. took me forever to get through to anyone when i had questions about my claim status. hope you have better luck than i did

One important thing - make sure you start doing your job search activities right away even while your claim is being processed. You'll need to log at least 3 job search activities per week once you start receiving benefits. Keep detailed records of everything.

File online but also be prepared for your employer to contest the claim. Most companies do this automatically now to try to keep their unemployment tax rates down. If they contest it, your claim will go to adjudication and you'll need to provide your side of the story.

I was in almost the exact same situation - fired for attendance after 18 months at my job. Filed anyway and got approved after about a month. The key is being honest and showing that you weren't being deliberately defiant or anything.

Whatever you do, don't lie on the application. Washington ESD will find out the truth anyway when they investigate. Better to be upfront about what happened and let them make the determination.

Make copies of everything before you submit your application. If something goes wrong with their system or you need to appeal later, you'll want records of exactly what you submitted and when.

The whole system is designed to discourage people from applying. Don't let that stop you. You paid into this system with every paycheck, so don't feel bad about using it when you need it.

Just remember if you do run into issues reaching Washington ESD by phone, that Claimyr service I mentioned earlier really does work. I used it again last month when I had questions about my work search requirements and got through to someone within an hour instead of calling for days.

Also be aware that if you do get approved, your weekly benefit amount will be based on your wages from the past year. They use a specific formula but generally it's around 60% of your average weekly wage up to the maximum benefit amount.

One more tip - if your claim gets approved, you'll need to file weekly claims every week to keep getting benefits. Don't forget or skip weeks because you can't go back and claim those later.

Good luck with your application! The worst part is the waiting and not knowing what's going to happen. But based on what you described, I think you have a decent chance of getting approved.

Let us know how it goes! Always curious to hear about other people's experiences with the system.

Just saw this thread and wanted to add - don't be discouraged if your first attempt to call Washington ESD doesn't work. I tried for literally weeks before I discovered Claimyr and finally got through to resolve my adjudication issue. Sometimes you just need that extra help navigating their phone system.