How to quit a job and still get unemployment benefits in Washington
I'm in a really bad situation at work and thinking about quitting, but I need to know if I can still qualify for Washington ESD unemployment benefits. My supervisor has been making my life hell for months - constantly changing my schedule last minute, giving me impossible deadlines, and making comments about my performance that aren't true. I've documented everything but HR won't do anything. I can't afford to just quit without having some income coming in. Does anyone know what constitutes 'good cause' for quitting in Washington state? I've heard you can still get UI benefits if you quit for the right reasons but I'm not sure what those are exactly.
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Jamal Wilson
Yes, you can potentially qualify for unemployment benefits even if you quit, but it has to be for 'good cause' as defined by Washington ESD. Some examples include unsafe working conditions, significant changes to your job duties or pay, harassment, or if your employer violated labor laws. The key is documenting everything and being able to prove that a reasonable person would have quit under the same circumstances.
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Zoe Papanikolaou
•I've been keeping notes on everything - dates, times, witnesses when possible. Do I need to file a complaint with my company first before quitting?
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Jamal Wilson
•It's generally recommended to try to resolve the issue internally first, but if you've already tried HR and they won't help, that shows you made a good faith effort. Make sure you have documentation of your attempts to resolve the situation.
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Mei Lin
I was in a similar situation last year - toxic boss, hostile work environment. I quit and was denied UI benefits initially because Washington ESD said I voluntarily left. Had to appeal and it took forever to get through to anyone to explain my side.
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Zoe Papanikolaou
•How long did the appeal process take? I'm worried about being without income for months.
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Mei Lin
•The appeal took about 6 weeks, but I eventually won. The key was having documentation of the harassment and showing I tried to resolve it first.
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Liam Fitzgerald
If you're having trouble reaching Washington ESD to discuss your situation, I used Claimyr.com recently and it was a game changer. They help you get through to an actual agent instead of sitting on hold for hours. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. Really helped me get clarity on my claim status.
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Zoe Papanikolaou
•Is that legitimate? I've never heard of a service like that before.
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Liam Fitzgerald
•Yeah it's legit - they basically call Washington ESD for you and get you connected to an agent. Saved me hours of trying to get through myself.
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GalacticGuru
•I was skeptical too but tried it when I couldn't reach anyone about my adjudication. Actually worked and the agent was able to explain what was holding up my claim.
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Amara Nnamani
Be very careful about quitting - Washington ESD is pretty strict about this. You need to have what they call 'good cause connected to the work' which means the reason for quitting has to be directly related to the job itself, not personal reasons. Harassment, unsafe conditions, significant changes to pay/hours, or violations of labor laws typically qualify.
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Zoe Papanikolaou
•The schedule changes are killing me - I have kids and can't just drop everything when they change my shift with 2 hours notice. Would that count as good cause?
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Amara Nnamani
•Significant changes to your work schedule without reasonable notice can qualify as good cause, especially if it affects your ability to maintain childcare arrangements. Document every instance.
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Giovanni Mancini
Whatever you do, don't just walk out. Give proper notice and try one more time to resolve it through proper channels. Washington ESD will look at whether you made reasonable efforts to keep your job before quitting.
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Zoe Papanikolaou
•I've already tried HR twice and they basically told me to deal with it. How many times do I need to complain before it's considered reasonable effort?
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Giovanni Mancini
•If you've documented your complaints to HR and they refused to address the issues, that should be sufficient. Keep copies of all your communications.
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Fatima Al-Suwaidi
I quit my job last month for similar reasons and filed for UI. Got denied initially but I'm appealing. The process is frustrating but don't give up if you have legitimate good cause.
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Zoe Papanikolaou
•What documentation did you provide for your appeal? I want to make sure I have everything I need.
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Fatima Al-Suwaidi
•I provided emails showing the harassment, my complaints to HR, witness statements from coworkers, and a timeline of events. The more documentation the better.
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Dylan Cooper
The system is so frustrating - they make it nearly impossible to get benefits even when you have legitimate reasons for quitting. I've been trying to get through to Washington ESD for weeks about my own situation.
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Liam Fitzgerald
•That's exactly why I ended up using Claimyr - the regular phone lines are impossible. Worth checking out if you're stuck.
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Dylan Cooper
•I might have to try that. This is ridiculous that we need a service just to talk to our own state agency.
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Sofia Morales
Before you quit, have you considered talking to an employment attorney? Many offer free consultations and can advise you on whether your situation would qualify for good cause under Washington law.
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Zoe Papanikolaou
•I hadn't thought of that. Do you know if there are any free legal aid services that handle employment issues?
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Sofia Morales
•Yes, try Northwest Justice Project or Columbia Legal Services - they both offer free legal help for employment issues in Washington.
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StarSailor
Make sure you understand that even if you quit for good cause, you'll still need to meet all the other UI requirements - looking for work, being available for work, etc. It's not automatic approval just because you had good cause.
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Zoe Papanikolaou
•Right, I understand I'd still need to do the weekly claims and job search requirements. I just want to make sure I even qualify first.
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Dmitry Ivanov
Can you take FMLA leave instead of quitting? If the stress is affecting your health, you might be able to get protected leave while you figure out your options.
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Zoe Papanikolaou
•I work for a small company so FMLA isn't available. We don't have enough employees for them to be required to offer it.
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Dmitry Ivanov
•That's unfortunate. In that case, definitely document everything and consider the legal consultation before making your decision.
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Ava Garcia
I've seen people get approved for UI after quitting for harassment, but it's definitely not guaranteed. The burden of proof is on you to show that a reasonable person would have quit under the same circumstances.
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Zoe Papanikolaou
•That's what I'm worried about. How do I prove what a 'reasonable person' would do?
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Ava Garcia
•Document everything, get witness statements if possible, and show that you tried to resolve the issue through proper channels first. The more evidence you have, the stronger your case.
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Miguel Silva
Just quit already! Life's too short to deal with a toxic workplace. You'll figure out the unemployment stuff later.
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Jamal Wilson
•That's not good advice. Without proper documentation and good cause, they could be denied benefits and left with no income.
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Zoe Papanikolaou
•Yeah, I can't just quit without a plan. I have bills to pay and kids to feed.
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Zainab Ismail
Have you tried filing a complaint with L&I about the working conditions? That creates an official record that could help support your good cause claim.
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Zoe Papanikolaou
•I didn't know I could do that. What kind of situations would L&I handle?
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Zainab Ismail
•They handle workplace safety, wage and hour violations, discrimination, and other labor law issues. Filing a complaint creates documentation that could support your UI claim.
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Connor O'Neill
The whole system is broken. I had to wait 8 weeks just to get a hearing scheduled for my appeal. Meanwhile bills keep coming.
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QuantumQuester
•Same here. The adjudication process is a joke. I'm on week 6 of waiting for someone to review my case.
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Liam Fitzgerald
•This is exactly why services like Claimyr exist. The system is overwhelmed and regular people can't get through. Sometimes you need help navigating the bureaucracy.
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Yara Nassar
Keep in mind that if you quit and get denied benefits, you might not be able to collect UI from this employer even if you get fired from your next job. Be really sure before you quit.
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Zoe Papanikolaou
•Wait, really? I thought each job was separate for UI purposes.
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Yara Nassar
•It's more complicated than that. Washington ESD looks at your entire base period when determining benefits. If you quit without good cause, it could affect your entire claim.
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Keisha Williams
Document everything, try one more time to resolve it internally, then quit with proper notice if they won't fix it. That's your best shot at getting benefits approved.
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Zoe Papanikolaou
•That seems like the consensus. I'll give it one more shot with HR and document their response.
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Paolo Ricci
Whatever you decide, don't delay filing your UI claim after you quit. You want to get in the system as soon as possible even if you expect to be denied initially.
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Zoe Papanikolaou
•Good point. I'll file immediately if I do end up quitting.
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Paolo Ricci
•Exactly. And if you get denied, appeal right away. Don't wait around hoping they'll change their mind.
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Amina Toure
I'm going through something similar right now. The stress is affecting my health but I'm scared to quit without knowing if I'll get benefits. This thread has been really helpful.
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Zoe Papanikolaou
•I'm glad it's helpful for you too. It's such a hard decision to make when you're already stressed out from work.
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Amina Toure
•Exactly. And the uncertainty about benefits just adds to the stress. I think I'm going to try that Claimyr service to get some clarity on my situation.
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