Washington ESD unemployment eligibility after being fired - can you still collect?

You can absolutely still apply for unemployment benefits even if you were fired! Washington ESD doesn't automatically disqualify you just because you were terminated. The key question is whether you were fired for 'misconduct' or not. Attendance issues can be tricky - it depends on the specific circumstances and whether your employer can prove willful misconduct.

definitely apply anyway, worst case they say no but you might get approved. i got fired for being late too much but still got my benefits cause they couldn't prove i was doing it on purpose

The Washington ESD will investigate any firing through their adjudication process. They'll look at whether your actions constituted 'misconduct connected with work' under RCW 50.20.066. Simple poor performance or isolated incidents usually don't qualify as misconduct. However, chronic absenteeism can sometimes be considered misconduct if it shows a willful disregard for your employer's interests.

I had a similar situation and couldn't get through to Washington ESD for weeks to check on my claim status. Kept getting busy signals or getting hung up on after waiting forever. Finally found this service called Claimyr that helped me get through to an actual agent. They have a website at claimyr.com and there's a video demo showing how it works at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ. Made the whole process so much easier than trying to call myself.

APPLY IMMEDIATELY! Don't let your employer scare you out of filing. Half these companies lie about unemployment eligibility to avoid having their rates go up. I've seen people get benefits even after being fired for way worse stuff than attendance. The Washington ESD makes the final decision, not your employer.

When you file your initial claim, be completely honest about the circumstances of your termination. Don't try to hide anything because Washington ESD will contact your employer anyway. If you were fired for attendance, explain the underlying reasons - illness, family emergency, etc. The more documentation you have, the better.

honestly the whole system is messed up, they make you jump through hoops for benefits you paid into anyway. but yeah you should still apply cause sometimes they surprise you

One important thing to remember - even if your initial claim gets denied, you have the right to appeal the decision. Appeals often overturn initial denials, especially in cases where the circumstances around the termination are questionable. The appeal process gives you a chance to present your side more fully.

Make sure you start filing your weekly claims right away even while your case is under adjudication. If you get approved later, you can get back pay for those weeks. But if you don't file the weekly claims, you lose those weeks forever.

been there done that, got fired for tardiness but still got my UI benefits cause i had good reasons (bus routes changed, couldn't afford car repairs). just be honest and have backup for your story

Update on that Claimyr thing I mentioned earlier - just used it again yesterday to check on a different issue and got through to a Washington ESD rep in like 10 minutes. Normally I'd be calling for hours. Really made the difference when I needed to clarify something about my job search requirements.

Also remember that Washington ESD looks at the entire employment relationship, not just the final incident. If you were a good employee for years and then had some attendance issues due to legitimate circumstances, that weighs in your favor during adjudication.

whatever you do dont listen to your employer about whether you can get benefits or not. theyre not experts on unemployment law and they have their own interests. let washington esd decide

Quick question - when they do the adjudication investigation, do they always call your employer? I'm worried about burning bridges even more than they already are.

Don't stress too much about the employer contact thing. It's just business - they expect Washington ESD to call about unemployment claims. Most HR departments deal with this stuff routinely.

One more tip - if you had any warnings or disciplinary actions before being fired, gather copies of those documents if you can. Sometimes they help show that the final termination wasn't for misconduct but rather performance issues or misunderstandings.

Filed my claim online last night after reading all these comments. The process was pretty straightforward, just took about 20 minutes. Now I guess I wait for them to do their investigation. Thanks everyone for the encouragement to apply despite what my employer said!

Hope it works out for you! The adjudication process can take a few weeks but don't let that discourage you. Washington ESD is pretty fair about these things when you have legitimate circumstances.

Just want to echo what others said about being completely honest in your claim. Washington ESD can usually tell when someone is trying to hide details, and it never helps your case. Truth is always the best policy with unemployment claims.

Good luck with your claim! Sounds like you have a decent chance based on what you've described. Keep us posted on how it goes - these threads help other people in similar situations.