How long do I have to work at a company to get Washington ESD unemployment benefits?

You can't just quit and get unemployment benefits. Washington ESD requires you to be unemployed through no fault of your own - like being laid off or fired for non-misconduct reasons. If you quit voluntarily, you generally won't qualify unless you have good cause like unsafe working conditions or harassment.

The work requirement isn't about how long you worked at one company - it's about your total earnings in what's called your base period. For Washington ESD, you need to have earned at least $1,685 in your base period and your total base period wages need to be at least 1.25 times your highest quarter earnings.

I had trouble getting through to Washington ESD when I needed to check my earnings history. Kept getting busy signals and when I finally got through, they hung up on me! Super frustrating when you're trying to figure out if you qualify.

WAIT - are you planning to quit just to get unemployment?? That's not how it works and honestly that's fraud if you're trying to manipulate the system. You need to have a legitimate reason for losing your job.

Actually there are some situations where you can quit and still get unemployment. If your employer changes your job significantly, cuts your hours drastically, or creates a hostile work environment, you might qualify. It's called 'good cause' but you'd need to prove it.

i quit my last job and got unemployment no problem. maybe it depends on the situation?? not sure why everyone is saying you cant

The earnings requirement is pretty low actually. If you've been working 8 months at a decent wage, you should easily meet the monetary requirements. The bigger issue is the reason for separation from your job.

Don't forget about the job search requirements too! Even if you qualify for benefits, you'll need to actively look for work and document your job search activities. Washington ESD requires 3 job search activities per week.

My sister tried to get unemployment after quitting her toxic job and got denied. She had to appeal and it took months to get approved. Even with good cause, it's not guaranteed and the process can be really stressful.

If you're thinking about leaving your job, definitely talk to an employment lawyer first if you think you have good cause. They can help you document everything properly and understand your chances of getting benefits.

The Washington ESD website has a good explanation of all the eligibility requirements. You should definitely read through that before making any decisions about your job situation.

Just want to add that even if you get fired, it depends on WHY you got fired. If it's for misconduct like stealing or constantly being late, you won't qualify. But if it's for performance issues or just not being a good fit, you probably will.

Another thing to consider is that unemployment benefits are only temporary - usually 26 weeks max in Washington. So even if you qualify, it's not a long-term solution. Better to have a plan for what comes next.

I used Claimyr when I was having trouble reaching Washington ESD about my claim status. Super helpful - they got me through to an agent in like 10 minutes instead of me spending hours trying to call. Worth checking out if you need to talk to someone about your eligibility.

Whatever you decide, make sure you understand the weekly claim requirements too. You have to file every week even if you don't get paid, and you have to report any work or income. Missing weeks can mess up your benefits.

The whole system is set up to help people who lose their jobs through no fault of their own. If you're just unhappy at work, your best bet is probably to start job hunting while you're still employed. That way you have income while you look and you don't have to worry about unemployment eligibility.

One more thing - if you do end up needing to file for unemployment in the future, do it as soon as possible after losing your job. There's a waiting period and benefits don't start immediately, so the sooner you file the better.

Summary for anyone else reading this: You need sufficient earnings in your base period (not just time at one job), you need to be unemployed through no fault of your own, and you need to actively search for work. Quitting usually disqualifies you unless you have documented good cause.