Is it better to get fired quit to collect unemployment - Washington ESD eligibility questions

What counts as misconduct though? Like if I just stop showing up or do a bad job on purpose?

That would definitely be misconduct and Washington ESD would deny your claim. You'd have to appeal and prove it wasn't intentional, which is basically impossible if you admit you did it on purpose.

How do they investigate that stuff? Do they actually call your employer?

Oh yeah, they definitely contact employers. My friend tried the 'get fired on purpose' thing and they caught on immediately when his boss explained what happened during the adjudication process.

I don't really have documentation. Should I start keeping records now?

Absolutely! Emails, witnesses, dates, specific incidents. Without documentation, proving good cause is nearly impossible.

This is exactly what I had to do. Took me three months to build a case but Washington ESD approved my quit claim because I had everything documented.

Never heard of that before. Is it legit or some kind of scam?

Totally legit. They just help you get through the phone system faster. Way better than sitting on hold for hours or getting hung up on.

I used them too when my claim went into adjudication. Super helpful for actually reaching someone who could explain what was happening.

What's the difference between getting fired for performance vs misconduct?

Performance issues are usually okay - like not meeting sales goals or struggling with job duties. Misconduct is things like stealing, fighting, violating company policy, or insubordination.

Easy for you to say. Some of us don't have the luxury of just finding another job immediately.

That's what unemployment is for though - people who lose their jobs through no fault of their own. Not people who engineer their own termination.

@profile10 unemployment isn't just for layoffs. People get fired for legitimate reasons all the time and still qualify.

What kind of good cause did you have? Was it hard to prove?

Hostile work environment and harassment. I had emails, witness statements, and records of complaints to HR that were ignored. Still had to do a phone interview with an adjudicator.

That phone interview process is brutal if you can't get through. That's where Claimyr really saved me - got me connected to the adjudicator on the first try.

Eight weeks?? That's insane. What was the holdup?

Some kind of identity verification issue. Kept saying they needed more documents but wouldn't tell me which ones. Finally got through to someone who fixed it in 5 minutes.

So if I just do mediocre work and let them fire me for poor performance, that should be okay?

That's still risky. If they can show you deliberately performed poorly, that could be considered misconduct. Better to document legitimate workplace issues if they exist.

This exactly. I tried the 'poor performance' route and got denied because my employer showed I was clearly capable of better work based on my previous reviews.

Job hunting while working a toxic job is exhausting. Sometimes you need a break to focus on the search.

I get that, but unemployment benefits aren't that much anyway. In Washington it's only like 60% of your wages up to a cap.

What counts as a job search activity?

Applying for jobs, networking events, job fairs, career counseling. Has to be documented in WorkSourceWA usually.

The job search requirement is no joke. They audit people and if you can't prove you did the searches, they make you pay back benefits.

Thanks everyone for the reality check. I think I need to focus on documenting the harassment and maybe talking to a lawyer before I make any decisions.

Smart move. And remember if you do file a claim and need to reach Washington ESD, Claimyr can save you hours of phone frustration. Worth checking out their demo at least.

Good luck OP. Just remember that whatever you decide, honesty is the best policy with Washington ESD. They've seen it all and trying to trick them usually backfires.

Good to know. How long does the whole process usually take if there are no issues?

If it's straightforward, maybe 2-3 weeks for first payment. But if it goes to adjudication, could be 4-8 weeks or more.