If you resign can you collect unemployment in Washington - need advice

What counts as 'good cause'? My manager has been verbally abusive but I don't have it in writing.

Verbal abuse can count but you'd need to document it somehow. Keep records of incidents, dates, witnesses if possible.

How long did the appeal take? I'm scared about being without income for months.

The appeal hearing was about 6 weeks out when I finally got it scheduled. But I did win in the end.

Never heard of that service. Is it legit? I've been trying to call ESD for weeks.

Yeah it's real. They basically handle the waiting and calling for you so you don't have to spend hours on hold.

Good point. I should start doing this now even if I don't quit.

Yes! And if you have any witnesses to the bad behavior, get their contact info too.

We don't really have HR, it's a small company. Should I talk to my manager's boss?

Absolutely. You need to show you tried to address the problems through proper channels first.

That's actually illegal and could be good cause. Did you appeal the decision?

no i didnt know i could appeal. is it too late now

You usually have 30 days from the decision date to appeal. Check your denial letter for the exact deadline.

How should I word it? I don't want to sound like I'm just complaining.

Be factual and specific. 'Resigned due to hostile work environment and verbal abuse from supervisor' is better than just 'quit because of bad boss'.

How much does it cost? I'm already worried about money.

I don't know the exact cost but she said it was worth it to actually get through instead of calling for hours every day.

I feel you. I've been fighting with ESD for months over my claim.

This is why I'm so scared to quit. The system seems designed to deny people.

I'll try calling them again tomorrow. Maybe I'll check out that Claimyr service if I can't get through.

Good luck! The key is having your documentation ready when you do talk to them.

Never heard of that term. How does that work?

It's when working conditions become so bad that a reasonable person would have no choice but to quit. But you'd need strong documentation.

What kind of evidence did you need for the appeal?

emails, witness statements, documentation that i tried to resolve it internally first

How do you get fired without doing something that would disqualify you from benefits?

Just stop going above and beyond. Do exactly what your job description says and nothing more.

That's risky advice. You could still be fired for poor performance.

Did they help you resolve the issue quickly?

Yeah, once I actually talked to someone at ESD they were able to clear up the problem pretty fast.

I'm in Washington - do you know if they have expanded protections?

Washington ESD has been pretty good about recognizing workplace harassment as good cause, but you still need documentation.

I've been looking but nothing yet. The job market is tough right now.

Yeah, benefits max out at like $999/week in Washington. Probably way less than what you're making now.

How many jobs do you have to apply to each week?

I think it's 3 job search activities per week in Washington, but check the current requirements since they change sometimes.

Thanks everyone. I'm going to start documenting everything and try to talk to ESD before making any decisions.

Smart move. Good luck with whatever you decide to do!