How long do you have to wait to file for unemployment after leaving job in Washington?

You can file your unemployment claim immediately with Washington ESD - there's no waiting period to submit your initial application. However, there is a one-week waiting period before you can receive benefits, meaning your first payable week will be your second week of unemployment. The key thing is to file as soon as possible after your last day of work to avoid any delays in processing.

Just to add - since you mentioned you quit, Washington ESD will need to determine if you had good cause for leaving. This might put your claim into adjudication which can add weeks to the process. Make sure you have documentation about the workplace issues you mentioned.

If you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD to check on your claim status or ask questions, I discovered this service called Claimyr that helped me reach an actual person. They have a website at claimyr.com and there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Super helpful when you can't get through the regular phone lines.

The waiting period confusion comes from the fact that there are actually two different things: 1) When you can FILE (immediately after job separation) and 2) When you can receive BENEFITS (after a one-week waiting period). Most people mix these up. For voluntary quits, there may also be additional waiting periods if Washington ESD determines you didn't have good cause.

ugh the whole system is so confusing. I waited like 3 weeks before filing because I thought I had to and then found out I could have filed right away. Lost those weeks for nothing.

For quit situations, Washington ESD has to investigate whether you had 'good cause' which usually takes 2-4 weeks minimum. They'll send questionnaires to you and your former employer. The sooner you file, the sooner this process starts. Don't wait thinking it will help your case.

File immediately but be prepared for a long wait if you quit voluntarily. I'm going on week 5 of adjudication and still no decision. At least if you file now you'll be in the queue.

The one week waiting period applies to everyone, even people who get laid off. It's not punishment for quitting, it's just how the system works. But quitters do have the additional hurdle of proving good cause which can add weeks or months to the process.

Whatever you do, don't wait to file thinking it will look better. Washington ESD doesn't care when you file relative to when you became unemployed, but filing late just delays everything. I learned this the hard way.

Since you quit, make sure you have a really detailed explanation ready for why you left. They'll ask for specifics and 'my boss was mean' won't cut it. You need dates, incidents, documentation if possible.

I filed the day after I got laid off and still had to wait the one week waiting period plus another 2 weeks for processing. Can't imagine how much longer it would be if I had waited to file the initial claim.

The Washington ESD website actually has a tool that walks you through whether you should file immediately or not, but honestly the answer is almost always yes, file immediately. I can't think of any situation where waiting would help you.

One thing to keep in mind - even if your claim gets denied initially because of the quit situation, you can appeal that decision. But you still want to file as soon as possible to get the process started. Appeals can take months.

Just want to echo what everyone else is saying - file immediately. There's literally no benefit to waiting and it just delays everything. I see people make this mistake all the time and regret it later.

For what it's worth, I used that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier when I was stuck in adjudication hell for my quit situation. Took about 3 weeks but they finally got me connected to someone who could actually explain what documents I needed. Saved me months of waiting around wondering what was happening.