Washington ESD unemployment benefits if you quit your job - possible?

That's helpful! I do have some emails from my supervisor that are pretty inappropriate. Should I file my claim right after quitting or wait?

File as soon as possible after your last day of work. There's usually a waiting week anyway, and the sooner you file the sooner Washington ESD can start processing your claim.

8 weeks?? That's insane. Were you able to get through to anyone at Washington ESD during that time to check on status?

Barely. I probably called 200+ times and only got through maybe 3 times. It was a nightmare trying to reach anyone.

This is exactly why I used Claimyr when I had adjudication issues. They have a service that helps you get through to Washington ESD agents - saved me hours of calling. Check out claimyr.com, they even have a demo video at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works.

What about if they cut your hours by more than half? That happened to me and I quit because I couldn't survive on 15 hours a week.

Yes, substantial reduction in hours can qualify as good cause! Anything more than a 25% reduction in hours or pay can potentially qualify you for unemployment benefits even if you quit.

I feel you on this. The process is definitely frustrating and feels like they assume you're lying from the start.

I understand the frustration, but the requirements exist because unemployment insurance is meant to help people who lose work through no fault of their own. That said, the good cause exceptions do protect workers in genuinely bad situations.

Good point. I've been keeping a log of incidents but should probably be more systematic about it. Should I try to get coworkers to write statements?

Yes, contemporaneous witness statements are gold. Even if they're not willing to talk to Washington ESD directly, having their written account of what they observed can help your case.

That sounds awful, I'm sorry you went through that. How long did the whole process take from filing to getting your first payment?

About 10 weeks total. The adjudication took 7 weeks, then another 3 weeks for the first payment to actually hit my account.

That's way too long to wait when you need money to survive. This is another reason why services like Claimyr are so valuable - they can help you get status updates and push things along instead of just waiting in limbo.

Wait, you have to look for work even if you haven't gotten approved yet? That seems weird.

Yes, you have to be actively seeking work from day one. Washington ESD requires 3 job search activities per week and you have to log them in your WorkSourceWA account.

4 months without income sounds terrifying. Did she have to get a lawyer for the appeal?

No lawyer, she represented herself. She just made sure to have all her documentation organized and spoke clearly about how the schedule changes made it impossible to continue working.

Interesting, I hadn't heard that term before. Is that easier to prove than regular good cause?

It can be, because it focuses on whether the employer's actions were so egregious that you had no choice but to quit. But you still need solid documentation of the employer's behavior.

Ugh, that's exactly what I'm worried about. My industry is pretty small and I can't afford to burn bridges.

Retaliation for filing an unemployment claim is illegal in Washington state. If your former employer is giving false negative references because you filed for benefits, that's something you can report to the state.

This is so true. I know someone who got caught not mentioning they had been written up before quitting and it screwed up their whole case.

Good reminder. I have been written up once but it was for something completely unrelated to why I want to quit. Should I still mention it?

Yes, mention it but explain the context. Being written up doesn't automatically disqualify you, but hiding it definitely will hurt your credibility.

HR at my company is basically useless and they're buddy-buddy with the managers. I don't think it would help and might just make things worse.

That's fair. If HR isn't independent or effective, you don't have to go through motions that won't help. Just document that you considered it and why it wasn't viable.

That's really helpful advice. I was planning to keep it brief but sounds like more detail is better.

Exactly. Think of it as telling your story completely the first time rather than having to fill in gaps later during interviews.

I'll keep that in mind if I run into phone issues. How much does something like that cost?

I don't remember the exact cost but it was worth it to actually talk to someone and get my questions answered. Check their website for current pricing.

Thanks for all the advice everyone. This has been really helpful in understanding what I'm facing if I decide to quit and file for benefits.

Hope it works out for you! Toxic workplaces are the worst and no one should have to put up with that just to survive.