Washington ESD unemployment eligibility after voluntary resignation - if an employee resigns are they eligible for unemployment

What kind of documentation would she need? She has some text messages from coworkers about the manager but nothing official.

Text messages could help but she'd need more substantial evidence - written complaints to HR, witness statements, emails, anything that shows she tried to resolve the situation before quitting.

Did you eventually win your appeal? What made the difference?

Yeah I won but it took forever and I had to get documentation from former coworkers who witnessed the harassment. The adjudication process was a nightmare.

How long does it usually take for them to make a decision on something like this?

It varies but voluntary quit cases often go to adjudication which can take 3-6 weeks. If she needs to talk to someone at Washington ESD about her case, I'd suggest checking out claimyr.com - they help people get through to actual agents when the phone lines are swamped.

It's not automatic - you have to prove you had good cause to quit. The bar is pretty high and most voluntary quits get denied initially.

what counts as good cause exactly? my supervisor has been cutting my hours and making my life miserable

She did try talking to the store manager about it but nothing changed. Would that count as making reasonable efforts?

That's a good start but she should document everything - dates, times, what was said, who was present. Washington ESD will want to see a clear pattern.

Because every case is different and they have to investigate the circumstances. That's why the adjudication process exists - to look at the specific facts.

still frustrating when you need money now and have to wait forever for an answer

Should she mention that other employees have complained about this manager too?

Absolutely. If she can get any of those employees to provide statements, that would strengthen her case significantly.

That's encouraging! Did you have a lawyer or did you handle it yourself?

I handled it myself but I had to call Washington ESD multiple times to check on the status. Getting through to someone was nearly impossible until I found this service called Claimyr that helped me reach an actual person.

That's terrifying. She's already struggling to pay bills and it's only been two weeks.

Yeah it's rough. That's why you need to file immediately and start looking for other work right away. The job search requirements still apply even during adjudication.

Washington does recognize hostile work environment as potential good cause, but you have to prove it meets the legal definition. It's not just about a mean boss - it has to be severe or pervasive conduct that would make a reasonable person quit.

So basically you need to show it was so bad that staying wasn't a realistic option?

Smart move. Keep copies of everything at home, not just on your work computer. Dates, times, witnesses, the whole nine yards.

good point about keeping copies at home. I hadn't thought about them potentially cutting off my access to work email

I was denied initially but won on appeal. The appeal process is more thorough and you get to present your case to a judge. Success rate depends on your documentation and circumstances.

How long did the appeal take? And did you need a lawyer?

Oh wow, I didn't know they contacted the employer. That makes me nervous because the company might retaliate against people who support her story.

That's a valid concern but retaliation for participating in an unemployment investigation is illegal. Document any retaliation attempts too.

Have you been able to get any updates on your case? Is there a way to check the status online?

You can check basic status online but for details you need to call. I finally got through to someone using Claimyr after trying for weeks. They said my case is still under review but couldn't give me a timeline.

Exactly! My sister is already behind on rent and it's only been two weeks. The system really doesn't favor workers.

It's designed to discourage frivolous claims but it also punishes people in genuinely bad situations. Catch-22.

Good point. She's been so focused on the unemployment claim that she hasn't been looking for new work as aggressively as she should.

Yeah, and if she does get approved, she'll need to show she's been actively searching anyway. Might as well start now and potentially avoid the whole issue.

You can work part-time but you need to report all earnings. It shouldn't hurt your case for the voluntary quit determination, but it might affect your benefit amount if you're approved.

That's good to know. Better to have some income than none while waiting for a decision.

I understand the frustration but there's a reason for it. The system is designed to prevent people from quitting jobs just to collect benefits. The burden of proof protects the integrity of the program.

I get that but it leaves people in impossible situations. Sometimes quitting is the only reasonable option but proving it is nearly impossible.

That's the right approach. The sooner she files, the sooner the process starts. And remember, even if she gets denied initially, she can still appeal.

Good luck to her! The waiting is stressful but if she has solid documentation, she's got a fighting chance. And definitely keep that Claimyr site in mind if she needs to talk to Washington ESD - it saved me so much time and frustration.

Great advice! She's pretty disorganized so I'll help her get everything scanned and saved properly.

Smart move. Organization is key when dealing with any government agency. The more prepared you are, the smoother the process goes.