Washington ESD unemployment eligibility after resignation - can I claim benefits?

Generally speaking, if you quit your job voluntarily, you won't be eligible for unemployment benefits in Washington. The Washington ESD requires you to be unemployed through no fault of your own. However, there are some exceptions if you can prove you had 'good cause' for quitting, like unsafe working conditions or harassment.

I went through this exact situation last year. I quit my job because of a toxic manager and initially got denied for benefits. But I appealed the decision and won because I had documented all the harassment. The key is having proof - emails, witness statements, anything that shows you had legitimate reasons to quit.

Before you quit, have you tried talking to HR or filing any internal complaints? Washington ESD will want to see that you made reasonable efforts to resolve the situation before leaving. Also, if you're being harassed, you might want to consider filing a complaint with the state labor department too.

I hate to say this but getting through to Washington ESD to even discuss your situation can be a nightmare. I spent weeks trying to call them about my claim status. Finally found this service called Claimyr that actually helped me get connected to a real person at ESD. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

whatever you do dont just quit without filing for unemployment first!! my friend made that mistake and lost out on thousands of dollars because she waited too long to apply

The Washington ESD system is so frustrating. Even when you have a legitimate case, they make you jump through hoops. I had to provide like 20 pages of documentation just to prove I was laid off due to lack of work. Can't imagine how much harder it is when you voluntarily quit.

You might also want to look into constructive dismissal. If your employer is making your job so difficult that any reasonable person would feel forced to quit, it can sometimes be treated like you were fired rather than quit voluntarily.

I'm dealing with something similar right now. My hours got cut from 40 to 15 per week with no explanation. I'm not sure if I should quit and try for unemployment or just tough it out and look for another job while still employed.

Just wanted to add that if you do decide to quit, make sure you understand the job search requirements. Washington ESD requires you to actively look for work and document your search activities. You can't just sit at home collecting benefits.

The adjudication process can take forever too. My claim was stuck in adjudication for over a month while they investigated whether I was eligible. During that time I got no payments at all.

I used Claimyr when I was having trouble getting through to ESD about my claim being stuck in adjudication. Seriously saved my sanity - I was spending hours every day trying to call them. The service got me connected within a few days and I was able to get my issues resolved.

whatever happens make sure you file your weekly claims on time even if your case is under review. i missed filing one week during my adjudication and lost that whole week of benefits even though i eventually got approved

Have you considered talking to an employment lawyer before you quit? Some will give free consultations and can help you understand if you have a strong case for unemployment benefits or even a wrongful termination lawsuit.

The unemployment system in this state is broken. They make it so hard to get benefits even when you legitimately qualify. I know people who were laid off through no fault of their own and still had to fight for months to get their benefits approved.

One thing to keep in mind is that even if you get approved for benefits after quitting, your benefit amount will be based on your earnings over the past year. If you've only been at this job for 8 months, make sure you have enough earnings history to qualify for a decent benefit amount.

I went through a similar situation and ended up getting benefits after quitting due to hostile work environment. The key things that helped my case were: detailed documentation of incidents, witness statements from coworkers, evidence that I tried to resolve the issues internally, and showing that the situation was affecting my health and wellbeing.

Just want to mention that Washington state has pretty strong worker protection laws. If you're dealing with harassment or discrimination, you might have other options besides just quitting and applying for unemployment. The state labor department investigates workplace violations.

If you do end up getting denied initially, don't give up. The appeal process exists for a reason and lots of people win on appeal. I was denied twice but won at my hearing because I had a chance to tell my story to an actual person instead of just having them review paperwork.

One more tip - if you decide to quit, try to get your reasons in writing to your employer first. Send an email explaining the issues and asking them to address them. If they don't respond or refuse to fix the problems, that email can be evidence that you tried to resolve things before quitting.

I was skeptical about those calling services at first, but when I was stuck trying to reach ESD for weeks about my claim, I finally tried Claimyr. Honestly wish I had done it sooner. Got connected to an actual human who could help resolve my adjudication issue instead of just getting hung up on over and over.

Thanks everyone for all the detailed advice! This has been really helpful. I think my next steps are going to be: 1) Start documenting everything more thoroughly with dates and details, 2) Send a formal email to my supervisor and HR outlining the issues and requesting they be addressed, 3) Look into filing a complaint with the state labor department, and 4) Consult with an employment lawyer for a free consultation. If I do end up having to quit, at least I'll have built a strong case for unemployment benefits. I really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences - it's good to know I'm not alone in dealing with ESD bureaucracy!