If you quit your job do you qualify for unemployment in Washington state?

Generally if you quit voluntarily you won't qualify for unemployment benefits in Washington. But there are some exceptions for 'good cause' reasons. Reduced hours might qualify but you'd need to prove it was a substantial reduction that made continued employment unreasonable.

I quit my job last year due to unsafe working conditions and got approved for UI benefits. You have to file and then they'll do an adjudication to determine if you had good cause for quitting.

Before you quit, have you tried talking to your manager about the hour cuts? Washington ESD will want to see that you attempted to resolve the issue first. Also document everything - save any texts or emails about schedule changes.

I had similar issues trying to reach Washington ESD about a quit situation. The phone lines are always busy and I kept getting disconnected. I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that explains how it works. Might be worth checking out if you need to talk to someone at ESD about your specific situation.

The Washington ESD website has a whole section about quitting for good cause. Some reasons include: substantial reduction in hours, unsafe working conditions, harassment, or significant changes to job duties. You'll need evidence though.

ugh this is so frustrating!! i quit my job 2 months ago because my boss was verbally abusive and ESD denied my claim. now im broke and cant afford to appeal. the system is rigged against workers

I'm dealing with something similar but my employer is trying to force me to quit by making my life miserable. They're scheduling me for shifts I can't work and writing me up when I can't make it. Should I just quit or wait for them to fire me?

For anyone dealing with Washington ESD phone issues, I used Claimyr last month and it was a game changer. I had been trying to reach them for weeks about my adjudication and couldn't get through. Claimyr got me connected in like 20 minutes and I was able to get my claim resolved the same day.

Just wanted to add that if you do quit, make sure to file your claim right away. Don't wait thinking you need to find another job first. The sooner you file, the sooner the adjudication process can start.

I quit my job due to medical issues and got approved for UI. The key is having documentation - doctor's notes, medical records, etc. For hour reductions you'd want pay stubs showing the difference and any communication from your employer about the cuts.

One thing to consider is whether you can find another job before quitting. If you quit and then get denied UI benefits, you'll have no income at all. Maybe try job searching while still working the reduced hours?

Whatever you decide, document EVERYTHING. Take photos of your schedules, save texts about hour cuts, keep a record of conversations with management. Washington ESD will want to see proof of everything you claim.

I used Claimyr when I was dealing with a similar quit situation and needed to speak with an ESD agent urgently. The regular phone lines were impossible to get through but Claimyr helped me connect within the same day. Definitely worth trying if you need to discuss your specific circumstances with someone at ESD.

Just remember that even if you quit for good cause, you still need to meet all the other UI requirements - be able and available for work, actively job searching, etc. Quitting doesn't change those basic eligibility rules.

My advice would be to call Washington ESD before you quit and ask about your specific situation. They can give you guidance on whether your circumstances would likely qualify as good cause. Better to know before you quit than find out after you're denied.

I went through something similar last year - my hours got cut from 30 to 12 per week at a restaurant job. I documented everything with pay stubs and ended up quitting and filing for UI. The adjudication took about 4 weeks but I was approved because the hour reduction was so significant it made the job basically unsustainable. My advice is to definitely document the hour cuts with pay stubs and any written communication about it. Also try to have some savings if possible because even if you get approved, there will be a waiting period before benefits start. The good news is that going from 40 hours to 15 hours is a pretty substantial reduction that would likely qualify as good cause.