If you get terminated can you get unemployment in Washington state?

You can definitely still apply for unemployment even if you were terminated. Washington ESD will investigate the circumstances of your termination to determine if you're eligible. If you were fired for reasons beyond your control or for reasons that don't constitute 'misconduct', you should qualify for benefits. Poor performance usually doesn't count as misconduct unless it was willful.

Same thing happened to me 6 months ago. Got fired for 'attitude problems' but still got approved for unemployment. The key is that Washington ESD has to determine if what you did rises to the level of misconduct. Simple poor performance or personality conflicts usually don't qualify as misconduct.

If you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD to discuss your claim, I used a service called Claimyr that helped me reach an actual agent. You can check them out at claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that explains how it works. Really saved me hours of trying to call and getting busy signals.

DEFINITELY apply! The worst they can say is no, but you have a good chance if it was just performance related. I got fired for being late too many times and still got unemployment because Washington ESD determined it wasn't willful misconduct.

The unemployment system is so broken. They make you jump through hoops even when you clearly deserve benefits. I had to wait 2 months for mine to get approved and by then I was behind on everything.

Apply as soon as possible because there's a waiting week before benefits start anyway. Even if your employer contests it, you want to get the process started. Make sure you keep filing your weekly claims even during adjudication or you'll lose those weeks.

What kind of poor performance were they claiming? That could make a difference in how Washington ESD views your case.

Pro tip: when you file your claim, be honest about why you were terminated but don't volunteer extra negative information. Just answer what they ask.

I used Claimyr last month when I couldn't get through to check on my adjudication status. Worked great and saved me so much time trying to call myself.

The fact that you had no written warnings is definitely in your favor. Usually employers have to show a pattern of documented issues for it to be considered misconduct.

File online at secure.esd.wa.gov as soon as you can. The process is pretty straightforward and you'll know within a few weeks if it's going to be contested.

Just remember that even if your employer contests your claim, that doesn't mean you won't get benefits. They have to prove misconduct, not just that they fired you. Poor performance without willful misconduct usually still qualifies you for unemployment.

washington esd is actually pretty fair about these things compared to some other states ive heard about

If you do end up needing to talk to someone at Washington ESD about your claim, definitely consider using Claimyr. The phone system there is notorious for being hard to get through to, and this service actually gets you connected to a real person.

Document everything you can remember about your termination while it's still fresh in your mind. If it goes to adjudication, having detailed notes will help your case.

The whole system is designed to make you give up and not apply. Don't let them intimidate you - if you worked and paid into unemployment insurance, you deserve benefits when you lose your job through no fault of your own.

Start looking for work immediately too, because you'll need to show job search efforts once your claim is approved. Washington has specific requirements for how many jobs you need to apply for each week.

Been there, done that. Got fired for 'not being a good fit' which is basically the same as poor performance. Still got unemployment because Washington ESD knows that's not misconduct.

Make sure you file your weekly claims on time every week once you start the process. Missing even one week can mess up your benefits.

honestly the worst part is the waiting and not knowing. but once you get approved the benefits are decent and help cover basic expenses

Good luck with your claim! Most people in your situation do get approved eventually. The key is just being honest about what happened and not giving up if your employer contests it.

Don't let them discourage you from applying! I was in a very similar situation - got terminated for "performance issues" after working somewhere for over a year with no prior warnings. Washington ESD approved my claim because they determined it wasn't willful misconduct. The fact that you had no written warnings and were struggling with new software (which sounds like a training/system issue) actually works in your favor. File your claim ASAP and be straightforward about what happened. Even if your employer contests it, you have a good chance of winning during adjudication. The worst case scenario is they say no, but you'll never know unless you try!