If someone quits are they eligible for unemployment - Washington ESD rules?

What counts as good cause exactly? She never filed any formal complaints with HR because she was scared of retaliation.

Good cause includes things like harassment, unsafe working conditions, significant changes to job duties or pay, or discrimination. Without documentation it's much harder to prove, but not impossible. She should still apply and explain her situation in detail.

This is exactly right. I quit my job last year due to my boss creating impossible working conditions and I got approved for UI after they investigated.

How long did the investigation take? She needs to know if she should start looking for other income sources.

I found this service called Claimyr that helped me get through to Washington ESD agents. You can check it out at claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works. It was a lifesaver when I needed to sort out my adjudication issues.

Is it legit? I'm desperate at this point but don't want to get scammed.

Yeah it's real. They basically help you get through the phone system without having to redial constantly. I was skeptical too but it actually worked.

That's not necessarily true. If the work environment was genuinely hostile, that can be considered constructive dismissal under Washington law.

Sure, but proving it is the hard part. Without documentation, it's just her word against theirs.

Should she mention that she was having anxiety attacks because of the situation? She was starting to have panic attacks before work.

Absolutely. Medical documentation of stress-related symptoms can support her case. If she has any doctor visits or therapy sessions related to work stress, include that information.

Significant reduction in hours can qualify as good cause for quitting. That's actually a pretty strong case if your hours were cut substantially.

Yeah they went from 35 hours a week to like 8 hours. Hopefully Washington ESD sees it that way.

That's pretty cynical. Washington ESD does investigate these cases fairly. Yes, the system has issues, but they do approve claims when there's good cause.

Maybe you've had better luck than me. I've seen too many people get denied for legitimate reasons.

Good point. How long does she have to file after quitting?

You should file as soon as possible after becoming unemployed. There's no specific deadline, but benefits are calculated from when you file, not when you became unemployed.

She didn't email HR but she did text her sister about what was happening. Would that count as documentation?

It's not as strong as official complaints, but any contemporaneous records of what was happening can help. Text messages, diary entries, anything with dates.

This is why having witnesses or documentation is so important. It's not just he-said-she-said if you have other evidence.

Exactly. And even if the employer denies everything, if her story is consistent and detailed, Washington ESD might still approve the claim.

Of course she'll be honest. She's just worried about how to explain the situation properly.

Good. The application will ask specifically why she left her job. She should use that space to give a detailed explanation of the hostile work environment.

How detailed should she be? She's worried about writing too much.

Better to include too much detail than too little. Washington ESD needs to understand the full picture of why she felt she had no choice but to quit.

Yes, the appeal process is important. Sometimes cases that get denied initially get approved on appeal when you can present more evidence or explain things better.

Exactly. And she has 30 days to file the appeal after getting the denial notice.

That's exactly why I ended up using Claimyr. Saved me hours of calling and getting busy signals. Worth checking out if you need to actually talk to someone at Washington ESD.

I'll look into it. This is driving me crazy.

Thanks everyone. I'll tell her to file today and be as detailed as possible about what happened.

Good plan. And make sure she keeps copies of everything she submits to Washington ESD.

She's already started job searching, so that shouldn't be a problem.

Good. Just make sure she documents her job search activities properly for when she files her weekly claims.

That gives me hope for her case. Did you have to provide a lot of documentation?

I provided everything I could - photos of the unsafe conditions, emails to my supervisor, even statements from coworkers. The more evidence the better.

You're right. I'll make sure she applies today. Thank you everyone for all the helpful advice!

Good luck to her. Hope it works out.