If you get fired do you get unemployment benefits in Washington?

Yes, you can still get unemployment benefits even if you were fired, but it depends on the reason. Washington ESD looks at whether you were fired for 'misconduct' or not. Performance issues usually don't count as misconduct unless you were deliberately not doing your job. If you were fired for things like attendance problems, not meeting performance standards, or personality conflicts, you should still qualify for UI benefits.

File your claim right away! Even if Washington ESD initially denies it, you can appeal. I got fired last year for 'attitude problems' and they approved my benefits after I explained the situation. The key is being honest about what happened but also explaining your side of the story.

I had the worst time trying to get through to Washington ESD when I had questions about my termination and unemployment eligibility. Spent literally hours on hold just to get disconnected. Finally found this service called Claimyr at claimyr.com that actually gets you connected to an ESD agent. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Saved me so much frustration when I needed to talk to someone about my claim.

The Washington ESD manual specifically states that misconduct has to be 'willful' or 'wanton' disregard of your job duties. Simple performance issues, personality conflicts, or not being a good 'fit' for the company don't usually qualify as misconduct. You should be fine to file for benefits.

ugh i got fired last month for being late too many times and they STILL approved my unemployment so you should be fine if it was just performance stuff. washington esd seems pretty fair about these things

When you file your claim, be prepared to provide details about your termination during the phone interview or in your application. Washington ESD will also contact your former employer to get their version of events. Just be honest and stick to the facts - don't get emotional or badmouth your employer.

I'm going through the same thing right now! Got fired two weeks ago for 'not being a team player' which is such BS. Filed my claim and I'm still waiting to hear back from Washington ESD. This whole process is so stressful when you don't know if you'll get approved.

If you do run into issues with your claim or need to talk to someone at Washington ESD about your specific situation, definitely consider using Claimyr. I used them twice when I had questions about my claim status and both times got connected to an agent within minutes instead of waiting hours on hold.

THE SYSTEM IS SO BROKEN! I got fired for literally NOTHING and had to fight for months to get my benefits. These employers just lie about why they fired you to try to avoid paying unemployment taxes. Makes me so angry!

same boat here 😕 got let go last week

One important thing - make sure you file your weekly claims every week even while your initial claim is being processed. If you forget to file weekly claims, you could lose benefits for those weeks even if your claim gets approved later.

My cousin got fired for performance issues and got approved for unemployment no problem. Washington ESD seems to understand that sometimes people just aren't a good fit for certain jobs and that's not the same as being fired for misconduct.

I work in HR and I can tell you that most companies don't even bother contesting unemployment claims unless it was for theft or something really serious. Performance issues rarely rise to the level of misconduct that would disqualify someone from benefits.

When I got terminated, I was so confused about everything. The paperwork, the phone calls, the waiting - it's all overwhelming when you're already stressed about losing your job. But Washington ESD actually does try to be fair about these things. Just take it one step at a time.

File your claim ASAP! I waited a week after I got fired thinking I needed time to 'figure things out' and I basically lost a week of benefits because of it. Don't make the same mistake I did.

Has anyone used that Claimyr service that was mentioned earlier? I'm having such a hard time getting through to Washington ESD and I'm getting desperate. My claim has been pending for over a month and I can't get anyone on the phone to tell me what's going on.

You should definitely qualify based on what you've described. Performance-related terminations are usually not considered misconduct by Washington ESD unless there's evidence of deliberate wrongdoing or policy violations. File your claim and don't let your former employer intimidate you into thinking you don't deserve benefits.

i got fired for 'attitude' last year and still got unemployment so you should be fine. washington esd is pretty reasonable about this stuff as long as you werent stealing or doing drugs at work or something obvious like that

Don't stress too much about it. Washington ESD processes thousands of these claims and they've seen every situation imaginable. As long as you're honest about what happened and you weren't fired for gross misconduct, you should be approved for benefits. File your claim today and start the process!