If you're fired in Washington do you still qualify for ESD unemployment benefits?

Yes, you can definitely apply for unemployment even if you were fired. Washington ESD will investigate whether the termination was for 'misconduct' or just performance/attendance issues. If it's not misconduct, you should qualify. Make sure to file your claim right away since there's a waiting period.

I got fired from my last job for being late too many times and still got approved for UI benefits. Washington ESD looks at whether you were trying to do your job or if you were being deliberately bad at it. Sounds like your situation might qualify.

The key is filing immediately and being completely honest about what happened. If your employer contests the claim, Washington ESD will do an adjudication to determine if you're eligible. I've used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to ESD agents when I needed to check on my claim status - way better than trying to call directly. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

ugh the whole system is so frustrating!! I got fired for 'attitude problems' which is basically code for standing up for myself and other employees. Filed for unemployment and had to wait 6 weeks for them to decide I was eligible. The whole time no income and bills piling up.

File ASAP and gather any documentation you have about your employment. Email exchanges, performance reviews, anything that shows you were trying to do your job properly. If they fired you for asking for time off for a family emergency, that could actually work in your favor.

been there done that. got canned for supposedly not meeting sales targets but really because new manager wanted to bring in her own people. took 3 months to get my first payment but eventually got approved. hang in there

One more thing - make sure you understand the difference between being 'discharged' (fired) versus 'quit'. Even if you felt forced to quit, that's treated differently than being fired. Sounds like you were clearly terminated so you should be good to file under discharge.

Also remember that you'll need to be actively searching for work and logging your job search activities. Washington ESD requires 3 job search activities per week. Don't let that part slide or they can disqualify you even if your initial claim is approved.

I'm dealing with something similar right now. Got let go for 'not being a good fit' after 8 months. Filed my claim two weeks ago and still waiting to hear back. The uncertainty is killing me.

Pro tip: file your claim online through the Secure Access Washington portal. Way easier than trying to do it over the phone. You can also set up direct deposit so you don't have to wait for checks in the mail.

Make sure you appeal if they deny you initially. My first claim got denied but I appealed and won at the hearing. Had to wait even longer but eventually got all my back pay plus the ongoing benefits.

Since you mentioned family emergency, make sure you document that too. If you have medical records or other proof of the emergency, that could help show your request for time off was legitimate.

Quick update on the Claimyr service I mentioned - I actually used it again last week when I had questions about my job search requirements. Got through to an ESD agent in about 15 minutes instead of spending hours trying to call directly. Really worth it when you need answers fast.

Don't let them intimidate you. Employers sometimes try to scare fired employees into not filing for unemployment. You have every right to apply and let ESD make the determination.

also make sure you understand the waiting week. there's no payment for your first week of unemployment even if you're approved. caught me off guard when i first filed

One last piece of advice - be prepared for your employer to potentially contest your claim. They might say you were fired for misconduct to avoid their unemployment taxes going up. Don't panic if this happens, just respond honestly to any questionnaires ESD sends you.

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone for all the helpful info. This thread has been really reassuring as someone going through the same thing.

Final reminder - file your initial claim within the first week of being unemployed to avoid losing any potential benefits. Even if you're not sure you'll qualify, it's better to file and find out than to wait and miss the window.