How long after being fired can I file for Washington ESD unemployment benefits?

File as soon as possible! There's no waiting period requirement, and the sooner you file, the sooner your claim gets processed. Washington ESD recommends filing the week you become unemployed. Even if you were fired, you can still get benefits if the termination wasn't for misconduct. Safety complaints are actually protected, so that could work in your favor.

File right away but don't expect money immediately. My claim took 3 weeks to get approved after I was fired. They have to investigate whether it was misconduct or not, which takes time.

I had trouble getting through to Washington ESD when I needed to file after being terminated. Kept getting busy signals and their online system kept timing out. Finally used this service called Claimyr that calls for you - found it at claimyr.com. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Made the whole process way less stressful since I didn't have to keep trying to call.

wait you can file right after being fired??? I thought you had to wait like 2 weeks or something before you could apply for unemployment

Being fired doesn't automatically disqualify you from UI benefits. Washington ESD looks at whether it was misconduct or not. If you were fired for poor performance, not being a good fit, or business reasons, you can still qualify. Misconduct has to be willful and work-related violations.

File online at esd.wa.gov as soon as you can. Have your Social Security number, last employer info, and dates of employment ready. The system asks about reason for separation - just be truthful about what happened.

The safety complaint angle could actually help your case. Washington has whistleblower protections and retaliation for safety complaints can be considered wrongful termination rather than misconduct.

Just remember you'll need to do job searches every week once your claim is active. Don't slack on that part or they'll cut your benefits.

ugh the washington esd system is so frustrating when you get fired. took me forever to get someone on the phone to explain why my claim was under review. ended up using that claimyr thing someone mentioned above and it actually worked

One important thing - make sure you file for the week you were actually unemployed, not the week you file. So if you were fired Friday, that's still considered employed for that week. File for the following week as your first week of unemployment.

this whole system is confusing af. why cant they just make it simple - you lose your job, you get help right away

File immediately and be prepared for them to contact your former employer. They'll investigate the firing to determine if benefits should be approved. Keep documentation of everything related to your termination.

Been through this process twice. First time took forever, second time I knew to file immediately and it went much smoother. The key is getting your application in ASAP and being completely honest about what happened.

Don't overthink it - just file. Washington ESD will sort out the details during their investigation. Worst case scenario they deny it and you appeal. But you can't get benefits at all if you don't file.

Update on the Claimyr thing I mentioned earlier - they also helped me when Washington ESD needed additional information about my firing. Sometimes the automated system just isn't enough when you have a complex situation like yours with the safety complaints.

File online Sunday night or early Monday morning when the system is less busy. Weekdays during business hours the site gets overloaded and times out constantly.

whatever you do dont wait. i waited a week after getting fired and regretted it. every day you wait is potentially money lost even if you get approved later