Washington ESD denied my claim - what reasons can you be denied unemployment benefits?

I do have some emails and my coworker witnessed some of the incidents. How do I prove it was hostile enough to justify quitting?

You need to show the work environment was so intolerable that a reasonable person would have quit. Document everything chronologically and show you tried to resolve it first through proper channels.

Yes I worked full-time and made way more than $1,000. The denial letter mentioned something about 'separation from employment' but didn't give details.

That's weird if you were truly laid off. Sometimes employers contest claims and provide different information than what you reported. You should definitely request the employer's response.

I was definitely laid off, not fired or quit. Maybe it's the base period earnings? How do I check what they calculated for my base period?

Log into your SAW account and look for 'Monetary Determination' - that shows your quarterly earnings and weekly benefit amount calculation.

How long did the appeal process take? And what kind of documentation did you need?

took about 6 weeks total. I needed my termination letter, any emails about the layoff, and pay stubs showing my last day worked

Same thing happened to me! The job search requirements are so strict now. You have to log every single contact and they audit them.

Wait, what exactly counts as actively seeking work? I've been applying online but not keeping detailed records.

I did register with WorkSource but maybe I missed the deadline? When are you supposed to do that?

You need to register with WorkSourceWA within 4 weeks of filing your initial claim, but honestly their communication about deadlines is terrible.

Good point about the 30 day deadline. The letter is dated last Friday so I still have time. Should I try calling them first or just file the appeal online?

honestly good luck getting through on the phone. i tried calling for 3 weeks straight about my denied claim and never got through to a human. the hold times are insane and they just hang up on you

I had the same problem reaching Washington ESD by phone until someone told me about Claimyr. It's a service that calls for you and gets you connected to an actual agent. Saved me so much time and frustration. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

How much does something like that cost? I'm already struggling financially.

I focused more on getting my claim resolved quickly rather than the cost. The time I saved was worth it, especially since I was able to get my denial overturned once I talked to an actual person.

Never heard of that but honestly anything is better than Washington ESD's phone system right now.

This is really helpful! What exactly counts as 'misconduct' for discharge?

Misconduct has to be willful and substantial - things like chronic tardiness after warnings, insubordination, violating company policy, etc. Simple poor performance usually doesn't count unless it's deliberate.

I got fired for being late too many times but it was because of my car breaking down. Would that count as misconduct?

I did get a small severance package when I was laid off. Could that really disqualify me completely?

Severance doesn't disqualify you completely, but it can delay when your benefits start. Washington ESD treats lump sum severance as wages for the weeks it would have covered at your regular salary.

exactly what happened to my brother. his severance covered 4 weeks so he couldn't collect UI for those 4 weeks, but after that he was eligible

I've been trying to call for days but can never get through. Does this actually work?

Yeah it worked for me. Saved me hours of calling and getting busy signals. The agent was able to explain exactly why I was denied and what evidence I needed for my appeal.

What counts as 'good cause' for quitting? I thought any reasonable person would quit in certain situations.

Washington ESD has very specific definitions. Things like unsafe working conditions, harassment, or significant changes to your job duties can qualify, but you need documentation and they're pretty strict about it.

No, I'm a citizen and not in school. I'm really thinking it's either the severance issue or maybe they got wrong info from my employer about the reason I left.

Three times?? That's crazy. What were you eventually approved for if you don't mind me asking?

sounds about right unfortunately. they make it as difficult as possible hoping you'll just give up

Wait, so if you can only work during school hours you can't get unemployment?

It depends on your local job market. If there are jobs available during your available hours, you might still qualify. But you have to prove you're actively seeking work during those hours.

I've only worked in Washington for the past two years so that shouldn't be an issue.

Washington eliminated the waiting week requirement a few years ago, so that's not a current issue.

This is really helpful, thank you! Based on this list, I think my issue is probably #3 (insufficient wage credits) or possibly they think I quit instead of being laid off.

don't forget about the work search requirements too. even if you qualify initially, they can cut you off if you're not doing enough job search activities each week

That's frustrating. I worked for a regular company so hopefully that's not my issue.

yeah regular employment is usually more straightforward. definitely appeal if you think they got something wrong

Three months?! That's terrifying. Did you eventually get all your back pay?

Yes but only after I got a lawyer involved. The stress was unbelievable and Washington ESD acted like it was my fault the whole time.

There are specific criteria for what makes work 'suitable.' Generally you can refuse work that pays significantly less than your previous job (especially early in your claim), requires skills you don't have, or has unsafe conditions.

Good to know. I was worried about getting penalized for turning down minimum wage jobs when I was making $25/hour before.

Being fired during probation doesn't automatically disqualify you. They still have to prove it was for misconduct, not just poor fit or performance issues.

That's reassuring. They said I wasn't picking up the job fast enough but I was trying my best.

I feel you. The whole process feels designed to discourage people from applying or to find reasons to deny claims.

I understand the frustration, but there are legitimate reasons for these requirements. The system has to prevent fraud while still helping eligible workers.

Good advice. I'll gather all my paperwork from the layoff before filing the appeal.

That sounds promising! Make sure to organize everything chronologically and highlight how the situation escalated despite your attempts to resolve it through proper channels.

If you need help explaining your situation to Washington ESD, that Claimyr service I mentioned earlier really helped me present my case clearly to the adjudicator.

What's the high quarter test? Never heard of that one.

You need to earn at least $1,000 in your highest earning quarter during the base period. Most people meet this if they worked steadily, but part-time or seasonal workers sometimes don't.

This is all so complicated! How is anyone supposed to navigate this system without help?

how much does it cost though? seems like you shouldn't have to pay extra just to reach a government agency

true it shouldn't be necessary but when you're desperate to get your claim sorted out, sometimes you gotta do what works

That gives me hope. I definitely have documentation showing it was a layoff, not a quit.

employers do this all the time unfortunately. they know most people won't appeal so they can get away with false reporting

I filed within a week of being laid off so timing shouldn't be an issue.

No retirement benefits, I'm only 28. But the severance package thing still seems like the most likely culprit.

Thanks everyone for all the advice. I'm definitely going to appeal with all my layoff documentation. This thread has been super helpful in understanding the process.

good luck with your appeal! hope it works out for you

I'll keep that in mind if I need to call them during the appeal process. Hopefully the written appeal will be enough though.

Oh wow, I didn't know that! I stopped filing weekly claims after the denial. Can I restart them now?

Yes, you should be able to restart them online. Just make sure to file for every week going forward while your appeal is pending.

this is really important advice. i made the mistake of not filing during my appeal and lost out on 3 weeks of benefits even though i won

Really? I was thinking about going back to school while collecting benefits.

You might be okay if your classes don't interfere with work availability, but definitely check with Washington ESD first. There are some approved training programs that don't affect eligibility.

that seems unfair - workers should get support when they're fighting for better conditions

I agree it seems harsh, but the reasoning is that it would interfere with collective bargaining if the state was essentially subsidizing strikes.

That's scary. What kind of mistakes count as fraud?

Things like not reporting work or income, claiming benefits for weeks you weren't eligible, or lying about your reason for separation. Usually has to be intentional though.

Medical separations can qualify under certain circumstances, but you usually need to show the illness was temporary and you're now able to work, or that continuing work would have been detrimental to your health.

I wish I had known that before I quit. I might have been able to structure my separation differently.

Moving doesn't automatically disqualify you, but you have to show you moved for compelling reasons (like following a spouse's job) and that you're still actively seeking work in your new location.

Good to know. I might need to move for family reasons but don't want to lose my benefits.

How long does the appeal process take? I'm already struggling financially.

It varies but usually 4-8 weeks for a hearing to be scheduled. If you win, you'll get back pay for the weeks you should have received benefits.

No, but you have to report all income from side work. If you earn too much in a week, it can reduce or eliminate your weekly benefit, but it won't disqualify you entirely unless you're not reporting it.

Thanks! I do some freelance work occasionally and wanted to make sure I was handling it correctly.

Legal aid societies sometimes help with unemployment appeals, especially if there are complex issues involved. Some attorneys specialize in unemployment law too.

Before going the legal route, you might try getting through to Washington ESD with Claimyr to make sure you understand exactly what they're claiming and what evidence they want.

I never knew there was a difference. How do you tell which one applies to your situation?

It should be specified in your determination letter. Disqualifications are usually for specific reasons like voluntary quit or misconduct, while ineligibility is more about not meeting basic requirements.

That's encouraging! What kind of documentation did you need for a hostile work environment case?

I had emails, text messages, witness statements from coworkers, records of my complaints to HR, and medical records showing stress-related issues. The more evidence, the better.

Really? I stopped filing weekly claims after I got denied. Did I mess up?

You might want to check with Washington ESD about whether you can still claim those weeks. Sometimes they'll let you file late claims if you were appealing.

Wait, what's the difference between laid off and fired for Washington ESD purposes?

Laid off means reduction in workforce, plant closure, end of seasonal work - basically not your fault. Fired means terminated for cause, which can disqualify you if it was for misconduct.

That actually sounds helpful. Washington ESD's automated system is useless for getting specific information about your case.

I might have to try that if I can't figure this out. The denial letter is so vague it's basically worthless.

My name has always been consistent on my applications. Is there a way to check what they have on file?

You can request your wage and benefit history from Washington ESD to see what employer information they have. Sometimes employers report names differently than what's on your application.

I haven't even gotten to weekly claims yet since my initial claim was denied. But good to know for the future.

The work search thing trips up a lot of people. They're pretty specific about what counts as a 'job search activity' too.

My claim went straight to denied, no adjudication period. Does that mean it's a more serious issue?

Not necessarily. Could just mean it was an obvious disqualifier in their system, like insufficient wages or a previous unresolved issue.

I've lived in Washington my whole life so that's definitely not the issue.

Actually Washington doesn't have residency requirements for unemployment benefits, just work history requirements.

What kind of documentation should I gather for an appeal?

Pay stubs, termination letter, any emails or texts about your job ending, witness statements if relevant. Basically anything that proves your version of why you're unemployed.

And make sure you keep filing weekly claims during the appeal! If you win, you'll get back pay for those weeks.

That's exactly what I'm worried about! How do you prove what really happened when it's your word against the employer?

That's why I'm trying to get through to an actual Washington ESD agent to see exactly what my employer reported. The denial letter doesn't give you those details.

This is another situation where Claimyr really helped me. The agent could see the employer's response and walked me through exactly what was reported vs what I claimed.

This is my first time ever applying for unemployment so that shouldn't be an issue.

Good, that eliminates several potential problems then. Focus on the separation issue and make sure Washington ESD has accurate information about how your job ended.

Thanks everyone for all the detailed responses. I think I need to call Washington ESD and get more specifics about my case before deciding whether to appeal.

Good luck! The phone system is awful but keep trying. You deserve to know exactly why you were denied.

Just remember that Claimyr option if you get frustrated with the regular phone lines. Sometimes it's worth it to get answers quickly instead of spending days trying to get through.