Washington ESD: how to avoid unemployment claims - employer perspective?

As an employer, you can't really 'avoid' valid unemployment claims, but you can ensure proper documentation. When you terminate employees, make sure you have clear documentation of the reasons - misconduct, poor performance with warnings, etc. Washington ESD will review the circumstances when the employee files their claim.

wait are you trying to prevent people from getting unemployment benefits they deserve?? that seems wrong

If you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD's employer line to ask these questions, I found this service called Claimyr that helps people contact ESD agents by phone. They have a demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ and their site is claimyr.com. Might be helpful for getting direct answers about employer responsibilities.

For Washington specifically, you need to understand the difference between voluntary quit, misconduct, and layoffs. Each affects UI eligibility differently. If someone quits without good cause or is fired for misconduct, they may be disqualified from benefits.

honestly as someone who's been through the unemployment system multiple times, most employers who try to contest claims are just being petty. if you laid someone off due to lack of work they deserve benefits period

Make sure you respond promptly to any requests for information from Washington ESD. If they send you a form asking about the separation, you usually have 10 days to respond or they'll make a decision without your input.

your unemployment tax rate is based on your experience rating anyway so if you have a lot of claims it goes up regardless

Another important point - make sure your final pay and any severance are handled correctly. This can affect when benefits start and how much the person receives.

ive dealt with this from the employee side and the worst thing employers do is not respond to ESD at all then wonder why the claim got approved

also just want to say that unemployment benefits are insurance that workers pay into through their wages so they've already earned those benefits

If you end up needing to contest a claim or provide information to Washington ESD, that Claimyr service mentioned earlier might help you get through to the right department. Their employer services line can be just as hard to reach as the claimant line.

whatever you do dont try to pressure employees into quitting instead of laying them off. thats shady and probably illegal

One more thing - keep good records of your communications with Washington ESD. If there's ever a dispute or audit, having documentation of what was said and when is crucial.

honestly the whole system is set up to be confusing on purpose

Just wanted to follow up on the Claimyr thing - I used them when I had issues with my own claim and they really do help cut through the phone system hassles. Worth considering if you need to talk to ESD about employer issues.

my old boss tried to contest my unemployment and it was such a waste of everyones time because I was clearly laid off due to budget cuts

Bottom line - be honest, document everything, respond promptly to ESD requests, and treat your employees fairly. That's really all you can do as an employer in this system.

good luck with your business! sounds like youre trying to do right by your employees which is more than a lot of bosses do

Final tip - if you do have to contest a claim, focus on facts not emotions. ESD adjudicators want documentation and specific incidents, not general complaints about an employee.

this thread actually taught me some things about how the system works from the employer side that I never knew