Washington ESD unemployment eligibility - fired for performance issues

That's reassuring. I was definitely trying but the quotas seemed impossible. Should I mention the performance improvement plans when I file my claim?

Definitely mention everything - the PIPs, the write-ups, all of it. It shows you were making an effort to improve. Washington ESD will want to see that it was a capability issue, not willful misconduct.

How long did it take for them to make a decision? I'm worried about the adjudication process taking forever.

Mine took about 3 weeks. They contacted my former employer to verify the reason for termination, then approved my claim.

Never heard of that service before. Did it actually help you get approved faster?

It didn't speed up the decision itself, but being able to actually talk to someone at Washington ESD helped me understand what they needed from me. No more sitting on hold for hours just to get disconnected.

I'm always skeptical of these third-party services, but honestly the Washington ESD phone system is so broken that anything that works is worth it.

This is so important. I almost didn't file because I thought getting fired meant automatic disqualification. Glad I did because I got approved.

Exactly! The Washington ESD handbook is very clear about this distinction. Misconduct has to be willful or negligent behavior that violates the employer's interests.

Good point. I was hesitating because I didn't want to waste their time if I wasn't eligible.

That's their job to determine eligibility, not yours. File the claim and provide all the details about your termination honestly.

Chronic tardiness can be misconduct depending on the circumstances. If you have documented reasons like car trouble and you tried to communicate with your employer, that's different than just not caring about showing up on time.

ok good because i always called when i was going to be late and my supervisor knew about my car issues

I never thought of it that way. I was worried all that paperwork would hurt my case.

Nope, it's actually evidence that you were trying to improve and they were giving you chances. That's the opposite of misconduct.

That's exactly what I'm dealing with! These warehouse quotas are insane. Thanks for sharing your experience.

Amazon warehouses are notorious for this. I know three people who got unemployment after being fired for rate issues there.

I have most of that stuff. Should I upload it all when I file or wait until they ask?

Upload what you can initially, but don't stress if you don't have everything right away. They'll tell you specifically what they need.

That's what I'm worried about. Bills don't stop while you're waiting for a decision.

True, but if you get approved they'll backdate the payments to when you first filed. So you won't lose that money.

How much does Claimyr cost? I'm already tight on money after getting fired.

I can't remember the exact amount but it was reasonable compared to what I was spending on my phone bill trying to call Washington ESD constantly. Check their website for current pricing.

Definitely planning to be completely honest. I figure they'll find out anyway when they contact my employer.

Exactly. They always verify with the employer, so honesty is the only way to go.

Industry doesn't matter. The same rules apply whether you're in food service, warehousing, retail, whatever. It's all about whether your performance issues constituted misconduct or not.

Good to know. I was worried restaurant work might be treated differently.

Good tip! I wouldn't have thought to do that. Thanks for the heads up.

Yeah, they tell you to keep filing weekly claims regardless of your initial claim status. Learned that the hard way.

So true. I almost talked myself out of filing because I thought being fired was an automatic no.

The misconduct standard is way higher than most people think. You basically have to steal, lie, or deliberately sabotage your employer to be disqualified.

That's scary that employers would lie about stuff like that. Is there any way to prepare for that?

Keep copies of everything - emails, performance reviews, any documentation about your employment. If they lie, you'll have evidence to prove the truth.

How many jobs do you have to apply for per week? I've seen different numbers mentioned.

I think it's 3 work search activities per week, but check the current requirements on the Washington ESD website since they change sometimes.

Good to know there's still hope even if the first decision doesn't go my way. Thanks everyone for all the advice and encouragement!

You're going to be fine. Performance issues are one of the most common reasons people get approved for unemployment. Just file honestly and completely.

I'm definitely going to check that out if I run into issues. The horror stories about trying to reach Washington ESD by phone are enough to make anyone want an alternative.

Yeah, I wasted so much time on hold before I found Claimyr. Being able to actually speak with someone who can answer your specific questions is huge when you're dealing with something this important.