I put my two weeks' notice and got fired can i get unemployment - Washington ESD question
So I gave my two weeks notice at my retail job last Friday because I found something better, but my manager said they didn't need me for the notice period and told me not to come back. Basically fired me on the spot. Now I'm wondering if I can file for unemployment with Washington ESD since technically I got terminated? The new job doesn't start for another 3 weeks so I'm looking at no income for a while. Has anyone dealt with this situation before? Do I qualify since I was planning to quit anyway?
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StarSailor
This is actually a gray area with Washington ESD. You voluntarily resigned, but they terminated you before your notice period ended. You might qualify because the employer chose to end your employment immediately rather than allowing you to work through your notice.
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Zainab Ibrahim
•That's what I was hoping! Should I mention both the resignation and the immediate termination when I file my claim?
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StarSailor
•Yes, be completely honest about the timeline. Washington ESD will review both your resignation and their decision to terminate you early.
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Connor O'Brien
I had the exact same thing happen to me last year. Filed for UI benefits and got approved after a short adjudication period. Key is that THEY chose to end your employment early.
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Zainab Ibrahim
•How long did the adjudication take? I'm worried about the gap in income.
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Connor O'Brien
•About 2 weeks for me. Make sure you file right away and keep documenting everything.
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Yara Sabbagh
You should definitely file but be prepared for some back and forth with Washington ESD. They'll want to determine if you were discharged for misconduct or if it was just their business decision to release you early.
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Zainab Ibrahim
•There was no misconduct - they just said they didn't need me for the two weeks. Is that enough?
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Yara Sabbagh
•That should work in your favor. Document exactly what was said when they let you go.
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Keisha Johnson
If you're having trouble reaching Washington ESD to clarify this situation, I used Claimyr recently and it was super helpful. They have agents who can get you through to ESD quickly - there's a demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ. Way better than sitting on hold for hours.
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Zainab Ibrahim
•I haven't heard of that before. Is it legit?
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Keisha Johnson
•Yeah, check out claimyr.com. I was skeptical too but it actually worked when I couldn't get through the normal way.
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Paolo Rizzo
In Washington state, if an employer accepts your resignation but then immediately terminates you, you may still be eligible for benefits. The key question is whether you were discharged with or without good cause attributable to you.
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Zainab Ibrahim
•What counts as 'good cause attributable to me'? I just gave standard notice.
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Paolo Rizzo
•Things like poor performance, policy violations, etc. Standard resignation notice followed by immediate termination usually isn't misconduct.
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QuantumQuest
ugh this happened to my friend too, these employers are so petty about notice periods
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Zainab Ibrahim
•Right? I was trying to be professional about it and they just kicked me out.
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Amina Sy
•At least you might get unemployment out of it. Silver lining I guess.
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StarSailor
Make sure when you file your initial claim you select 'discharged' as the reason for separation, not 'quit.' Even though you planned to quit, they made the final decision to end your employment.
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Zainab Ibrahim
•Good point. I was going to put 'quit' but you're right - they discharged me.
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StarSailor
•Exactly. The final action determines the separation reason for UI purposes.
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Connor O'Brien
Did they pay you for the two weeks you were supposed to work? That might affect your claim timing.
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Zainab Ibrahim
•No, they just said don't come back and that was it. No pay for the notice period.
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Connor O'Brien
•That definitely supports your case then. They terminated you without compensation.
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Yara Sabbagh
Be prepared for them to contact your former employer during the adjudication process. Washington ESD will want to verify the circumstances of your termination.
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Zainab Ibrahim
•Will my employer try to fight it? They seemed pretty annoyed when I gave notice.
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Yara Sabbagh
•They might, but if you have documentation of giving proper notice and them choosing to terminate you early, you should be okay.
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Oliver Fischer
File ASAP. Even if there's some back and forth during adjudication, you want to get your claim date established as early as possible.
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Zainab Ibrahim
•Good advice. I'll file this weekend and see what happens.
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Keisha Johnson
If you need to speak with someone at Washington ESD about your specific situation, definitely check out Claimyr. I used it when I had questions about my own claim and got through in minutes instead of hours on hold.
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Natasha Petrova
•How much does that cost? I'm already tight on money.
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Keisha Johnson
•It's worth checking their site claimyr.com for current info. For me it was worth it to get answers quickly.
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Paolo Rizzo
Keep all documentation from this - your resignation email/letter, any texts or emails about them releasing you early, witness statements if coworkers saw what happened. This will help if your claim gets disputed.
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Zainab Ibrahim
•I have the resignation email and a text from my manager. Should I print them out?
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Paolo Rizzo
•Yes, and keep digital copies too. Upload them to your Washington ESD account if there's an option to attach documents.
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Amina Sy
This is why I never give notice anymore. Too many employers pull this crap.
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Zainab Ibrahim
•I thought I was being professional but maybe you're right.
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StarSailor
•Two weeks notice is still the right thing to do professionally. This employer just handled it poorly.
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Javier Morales
Wait, so if I quit with notice but they fire me during the notice period, I can still get unemployment? That's interesting...
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Paolo Rizzo
•It depends on the specific circumstances, but yes - if they terminate you rather than let you work through your notice, you may qualify.
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Connor O'Brien
Update us on how it goes! I'm curious if Washington ESD processes these cases faster now than they did last year.
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Zainab Ibrahim
•Will do! Filing this weekend and hopefully it's straightforward.
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Yara Sabbagh
One more thing - make sure you're available for work during those 3 weeks before your new job starts. You'll need to be actively searching and available for the weekly claims.
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Zainab Ibrahim
•Even though I already have a job lined up? I need to job search anyway?
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Yara Sabbagh
•You need to be available for other work until your new job actually starts. Check the Washington ESD requirements for job search activities.
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Keisha Johnson
Honestly if you run into any confusion about the requirements or your claim status, that Claimyr service I mentioned earlier can really help explain things. They know Washington ESD inside and out.
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Zainab Ibrahim
•I might need that if this gets complicated. Thanks for the tip!
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Emma Davis
good luck with the claim, sounds like you have a decent case
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Zainab Ibrahim
•Thanks! Feeling more optimistic after reading everyone's responses.
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StarSailor
Remember to file your weekly claims even while your initial claim is in adjudication. You can't get benefits for weeks you don't file, even if your claim is eventually approved.
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Zainab Ibrahim
•Good to know! I would have probably waited until it was approved.
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StarSailor
•Common mistake. Always file weekly even during adjudication periods.
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QuantumQuest
Hope it works out! At least you have the new job starting soon even if UI doesn't come through.
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Zainab Ibrahim
•True, but those 3 weeks without income would be rough. Fingers crossed!
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Eloise Kendrick
I went through something similar about 6 months ago. Filed my claim as "discharged" since they made the decision to end my employment early, even though I had given notice. Washington ESD approved it after about 10 days of review. The key thing that helped my case was having documentation showing I gave proper notice and they chose to terminate me immediately. Make sure you mention in your application that you were willing and able to work the full notice period but the employer refused. Good luck!
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Freya Ross
•That's really helpful to hear from someone who went through the exact same situation! Did you have any issues with your employer trying to contest the claim during those 10 days?
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Aiden O'Connor
•This is exactly what I needed to hear! I have the resignation email and text messages from my manager telling me not to come back. Should I upload those documents when I file the initial claim, or wait until they ask for them during the review process?
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Monique Byrd
•Upload them right away when you file! I made the mistake of waiting and it just delayed my review process. Washington ESD wants to see all the documentation upfront if possible. Having that paper trail from the start really strengthened my case and probably helped speed up the 10-day approval.
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Jamal Brown
•This gives me so much hope! I was worried that giving notice first would automatically disqualify me, but hearing that you got approved in just 10 days makes me feel way better about filing. I'll definitely emphasize that I was ready to work the full two weeks but they chose to terminate me early. Thanks for sharing your experience!
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Edward McBride
I work in HR and see this situation fairly often. What happened to you is called "accepting resignation with immediate release" and it's actually pretty common in retail and food service. The good news is that Washington ESD typically treats this as a discharge rather than a voluntary quit, since the employer made the final decision about your employment end date. When you file, make sure to emphasize that you were ready, willing, and able to work through your full notice period but the employer chose to release you immediately. This shows you didn't abandon your job - they ended it early. Document everything and file as soon as possible!
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Genevieve Cavalier
•This is super helpful to know there's actually a term for this! "Accepting resignation with immediate release" - I had no idea that was a thing. It makes me feel a lot better knowing that HR professionals see this as a discharge rather than a voluntary quit. I'm definitely going to use that exact phrasing when I file my claim this weekend. Having the proper terminology might help Washington ESD understand the situation more clearly. Thanks for the professional insight!
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