How soon can you file for unemployment after being fired in Washington state?

You can file immediately - there's no waiting period to submit your initial claim. I filed the day after I got let go and had no issues. The sooner you file, the sooner your benefit year starts. Don't wait around thinking you need to.

File as soon as possible but be prepared for potential issues with the attendance thing. Washington ESD will look at whether your termination was for 'misconduct' which could include excessive absences. You'll need to provide your side of the story during the adjudication process if they flag it.

Been trying to get through to Washington ESD for weeks about my own claim issues. Their phone lines are absolutely impossible. If you run into problems reaching them, I just found this service called Claimyr that actually got me through to a real person at https://claimyr.com. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works.

file right away but gather all your documentation first - termination letter, any warnings you got, evidence of your car problems (repair receipts, tow bills, etc). You might need all of this if your claim goes to adjudication

I got fired for attendance too and still got approved for UI benefits. The key is showing that you weren't just skipping work for fun. Medical issues, transportation problems, family emergencies - these can all be valid reasons that don't count as misconduct.

Make sure you file online through the Washington ESD website, not by phone. The online system is much more reliable and you'll get confirmation that your application went through.

Don't let them intimidate you about the attendance thing. Employers always try to claim misconduct to avoid paying into the unemployment fund. Half the time they don't even show up to the hearings.

Whatever you do, don't lie on the application. They'll ask about the reason for separation and you need to be honest. It's better to explain your situation truthfully than try to hide why you got fired.

I filed the same day I got let go and it was fine. The Washington ESD system asks for your last day of work, not when you decided to file. You're not gaming the system by filing immediately.

Been there with car trouble causing work issues. The key is documentation - keep those repair receipts, towing bills, anything that shows your absences were due to genuine emergencies. I got approved even though I missed work for similar reasons.

File today! I made the mistake of waiting a week thinking I needed time to 'process' getting fired. That was a week of potential benefits I lost for no reason. There's literally no benefit to waiting.

Just as a follow-up on the Claimyr thing - I used them again yesterday when I had questions about my job search requirements. Much easier than trying to navigate the phone system yourself. Worth checking out if you hit any snags with your claim.

attendance issues don't automatically disqualify you especially if you had legitimate reasons and followed proper procedures for calling in. worst case scenario you might have to do a phone interview or appeal but don't assume you'll get denied

The Washington ESD adjudication process can take a while if your claim gets flagged, but they're pretty fair about legitimate situations. Transportation issues that prevent you from getting to work aren't usually considered misconduct if you made good faith efforts to resolve them.

File immediately and start your job search activities right away too. Even if your claim is under adjudication, you'll need to show you're actively looking for work once benefits start.

honestly the whole system is designed to help people who lose jobs through no fault of their own. car problems causing attendance issues falls into that category most of the time. just be honest and provide documentation

One more thing - when you file, make sure you have all your employment information ready (dates, wages, reason for separation). The application asks for a lot of detail and it's easier if you have everything organized beforehand.

I was in almost the exact same situation last year - fired for attendance due to car problems. Got approved after about a month of adjudication. The key was showing that I had legitimate reasons and wasn't just unreliable.

File now and don't stress too much about the attendance thing. Washington ESD sees these cases all the time and they understand that sometimes people have legitimate reasons for missing work. Your car breaking down isn't misconduct.

Just wanted to add that I also used Claimyr when I had issues getting through to Washington ESD about my claim status. Really saved me time and frustration when I needed to speak with an agent about my adjudication. The service at claimyr.com was worth it for me.