If terminated can you get unemployment benefits through Washington ESD?

Yes, you can definitely apply for unemployment even if you were terminated. Washington ESD will determine if your termination was for 'misconduct' or not. Performance issues usually don't qualify as misconduct unless it was willful or deliberate. The key is whether you were fired for something you did wrong intentionally or if it was just not meeting expectations.

been through this myself last year. got fired for being late too many times but still got approved for benefits. took about 3 weeks for them to decide but they said it wasn't misconduct since i had transportation issues

Here's what you need to know about misconduct in Washington state: It has to be willful disregard of employer's interests, deliberate violation of workplace rules, or criminal acts. Poor performance, inability to do the job, or personality conflicts don't count as misconduct. Since you mentioned safety complaints, that might actually be considered whistleblower protection.

I had trouble getting through to Washington ESD when I needed to discuss my termination situation. Spent hours on hold and kept getting disconnected. Someone on here recommended Claimyr (claimyr.com) and it actually worked - they got me connected to an agent who could explain my options. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Saved me so much frustration.

THE SYSTEM IS RIGGED!!! They'll find any excuse to deny your claim. Employers lie all the time about why they fired people and Washington ESD just believes them. I got denied three times before I finally won my appeal. Don't trust anything they tell you!

omg this is exactly what happened to my sister except she got fired for asking about overtime pay. she filed anyway and got approved. definitely apply because the worst they can do is say no

File your claim immediately. In Washington, you have to file within a certain timeframe after losing your job or you could lose benefits. Don't wait to see if you'll find another job quickly - you can always stop claiming if you find work.

depends what kind of performance issues. if you were stealing or showed up drunk thats misconduct. if you just couldnt meet quotas or made mistakes thats not misconduct

Make sure when you file your claim that you explain the circumstances clearly. Don't just say 'terminated' - explain it was for performance and that you believe it was actually retaliation for reporting safety concerns. The more context you provide, the better.

this reminds me when i got fired from my restaurant job for dropping too many plates. manager said it was costing them money but i still got unemployment because they never trained me properly on carrying multiple plates

You absolutely can get benefits after termination. I work in HR and see this all the time. Unless there's clear evidence of willful misconduct, most terminations for performance result in approved claims.

just file the claim and see what happens. i wasted weeks worrying about whether i qualified and could have been getting benefits that whole time

Had a similar experience with Claimyr when I needed to talk to Washington ESD about my disqualification. Their phone system is impossible but Claimyr got me through in like 10 minutes. The agent was able to explain exactly what I needed to do to get my benefits reinstated.

Make sure you're actively looking for work while your claim is processing. Washington requires job search activities and they check up on it. Don't want to get your benefits stopped for not meeting the work search requirements.

whatever you do dont let them intimidate you. employers try to scare people out of filing by threatening to contest the claim. even if they contest it you can still win

Check if your state has any whistleblower protections too. If you were fired for reporting safety violations that could be illegal retaliation and you might have grounds for more than just unemployment benefits.

i got fired for attendance issues and still got unemployment. had to go through adjudication but they approved it because i had medical reasons for some of the absences

The key thing to remember is that unemployment insurance is there for situations exactly like yours. You lost your job through no fault of your own and need temporary income support while you look for new work. That's literally what the system is designed for.

One more thing - if Washington ESD does initially deny your claim, don't give up. You have the right to appeal and many people win their appeals even after being denied initially. The appeals process gives you a chance to present your side of the story.

Update us on how it goes! Always curious to hear how these situations turn out. Sounds like you have a strong case based on what you've described.