How to get approved for unemployment if you quit - Washington ESD requirements?

Thank you! I did save screenshots of the discriminatory messages and I have a coworker who witnessed some of the incidents. Should I submit all of this with my initial claim or wait until they ask for it?

Submit everything right away when you file your claim. Include a detailed written statement explaining the situation and attach all your documentation. The more evidence you provide upfront, the better your chances of avoiding a lengthy adjudication process.

6 weeks?! That's terrifying. How did you finally get through to talk to someone? I'm already dreading trying to call them.

Honestly, I found this service called Claimyr that automatically calls Washington ESD for you and gets you connected to an agent. It was a lifesaver - check out claimyr.com. They even have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Saved me hours of calling and getting hung up on.

Never heard of that service but anything is better than sitting on hold for hours just to get disconnected. The Washington ESD phone system is absolutely terrible.

I did report it to HR twice but they basically brushed it off and said it was just 'personality conflicts.' I have emails showing their response was inadequate.

Perfect! That actually strengthens your case because it shows you tried to resolve it through proper channels before quitting. Make sure to include those HR emails in your documentation.

If you quit for unsafe working conditions and you can document it, that's absolutely good cause! Take photos, get witness statements, save any communication about the unsafe conditions. You won't have to pay back benefits if you legitimately qualify.

Thank you, that makes me feel a bit better. I have pictures of the hazardous equipment they wanted me to use without proper safety gear.

Oh no, I hadn't thought about them contacting my employer. What if my supervisor lies about what happened? This is so stressful.

That's exactly why you need that documentation! If you have emails, texts, witness statements, or other proof, it doesn't matter what your supervisor says. The adjudicator will see the evidence and make their decision based on facts, not just competing stories.

This gives me hope! How long did it take from when you filed to when you got your first payment? I'm trying to figure out how long I need to stretch my savings.

About 7 weeks total from filing to first payment. The adjudication took 4 weeks, then about 2-3 weeks for the system to process everything and start payments. It's a long wait but hang in there.

So true! I kept thinking my case was lost or something because I heard absolutely nothing for 5 weeks. Then boom - approved and backpay deposited.

Good to know! I was already worried about the silence meaning bad news. Thanks for the reassurance.

Wait, I have to keep filing weekly claims even though I'm not getting paid yet? That seems weird but I'll definitely do it if that's what's required.

Yes! It's called 'claiming weeks' and you have to do it to establish your ongoing eligibility. If you skip weeks during adjudication, you can't get backpay for those weeks even if you're approved.

That's a great tip! I'll definitely read through their guidelines before I file. Do you remember what section it's under?

I think it's under the 'Eligibility' section, but honestly their website is kind of a mess to navigate. Just search for 'good cause' and 'voluntary quit' and you should find it.

Absolutely! I'm only planning to report exactly what happened with the documentation to back it up. I'm not trying to embellish anything.

Constructive dismissal sounds similar to my situation. What made you decide that's what happened to you? I'm trying to figure out the best way to frame my situation.

They changed my job duties completely, cut my hours by 30%, and moved me to a different shift without my agreement. It was clearly designed to make me quit. I documented all the changes and how they violated my original job description.

Good to know there's a backup plan! How long do you have to file an appeal if you get denied?

I believe it's 30 days from the date of the decision, but don't quote me on that. The denial letter will have the exact deadline and instructions for appealing.

I've already started applying to jobs but I'm being selective since I want to avoid another toxic work environment. Is that okay or do I need to apply to everything?

You can be selective to some degree, but make sure you're applying to jobs that match your skills and experience. They want to see you're making a genuine effort to find suitable work.

Thank you for the encouragement! It's really helpful to hear from people who have been through this successfully. I'm trying to stay optimistic.

I'm definitely going to check that out if I need to call them. The horror stories about their phone system are making me dread having to contact them.

Yeah, I spent literally 6 hours over two days trying to get through to them before someone told me about Claimyr. Game changer for sure.

Thank you so much! This thread has been incredibly helpful and made me feel much more confident about filing my claim. I really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences.

I'm feeling much better about my chances after reading everyone's advice. Time to get my documentation organized and file that claim!

Will do! Thanks again to everyone who took the time to help. This community is amazing.