If someone resigns are they eligible for unemployment in Washington - confused about the rules

Generally speaking, if you quit voluntarily you won't be eligible for unemployment benefits unless you can prove you had 'good cause' for leaving. Good cause includes things like unsafe working conditions, harassment, or significant changes to your job duties or pay. You'll need to document everything if you're thinking about quitting.

i quit my last job and got denied for benefits. had to appeal and it took months. unless you have really solid proof of harassment or unsafe conditions, they'll probably deny you initially

I had a similar situation last year and ended up using Claimyr to get through to Washington ESD to discuss my case before I filed. Really helped me understand what documentation I needed. Their service at claimyr.com connects you directly with ESD agents without the usual phone runaround. There's a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows exactly how it works.

The key thing is you need to show you had no reasonable alternative but to quit. Harassment definitely can qualify but you need solid evidence. Have you tried talking to HR first? Washington ESD will want to know you attempted to resolve the issue before quitting.

Whatever you do, don't just quit without filing for unemployment immediately. You have to apply within a certain timeframe or you might lose your eligibility entirely. I think it's like 4 weeks but double check that.

The Washington ESD system is so frustrating to navigate. I spent literally hours on the phone trying to get answers about my eligibility after I quit my toxic job. Finally got through using that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier and it was totally worth it.

Make sure you understand the difference between being terminated and resigning. If your employer is creating a hostile work environment, sometimes it's better to let them fire you rather than quit. That way you have a stronger case for unemployment benefits.

been there done that. quit my job last year because of harassment and got denied for UI benefits. took forever to appeal and had to prove my case. wish i had known about better ways to contact ESD back then

THE SYSTEM IS RIGGED AGAINST WORKERS! They make it so hard to get benefits even when you have legitimate reasons for quitting. I swear they just want to deny everyone automatically.

Quick question - do you have to be actively looking for work while your claim is being processed? I remember having to do weekly job searches even during the appeal process.

I was in a similar boat and ended up staying at my job longer than I wanted to while I built my case. Started documenting everything, saved emails, got witnesses. When I finally did quit, my unemployment claim was approved pretty quickly because I had solid evidence.

Another option might be to see if you can get a reduced schedule or take leave while you figure things out. Sometimes that can help you qualify for partial unemployment benefits.

Whatever you decide, make sure you have a plan for health insurance too. COBRA is expensive and if you're not sure about getting unemployment benefits, you don't want to be stuck without coverage.

i tried that claimyr thing mentioned earlier and it actually worked great. got connected to an ESD agent in like 2 days instead of calling for weeks. really helped me understand my options before making any big decisions

The most important thing is to apply for unemployment benefits immediately after you quit, even if you think you might get denied. You can always appeal a denial, but you can't go back and apply later if you miss the deadline.

Just want to add that if you do end up appealing a denial, you might want to consider getting representation. The appeals process can be complex and having someone who knows the system can really help.

Bottom line - if you're dealing with harassment or unsafe conditions, you may have a case for benefits even after quitting voluntarily. But you need solid documentation and should be prepared for the process to take time. Don't let a bad situation get worse though - your mental health is important too.

I'm going through something similar right now and this thread has been incredibly helpful. One thing I learned from my research is that Washington does recognize "constructive discharge" - basically when working conditions become so intolerable that a reasonable person would feel compelled to quit. The key is showing that you made reasonable efforts to resolve the situation first and that quitting was your last resort. Document every incident with dates, times, witnesses if any, and keep records of any complaints you've made to HR or management. Even if HR was unhelpful, having that paper trail shows you tried to work within the system before leaving.