What disqualifies you for unemployment in Washington state - confused about the rules

What counts as 'good cause' for quitting? I left my last job because my boss was creating a hostile work environment but I'm worried they won't see it that way.

Hostile work environment can qualify as good cause, but you need documentation. Save any emails, texts, or witness statements. Washington ESD will investigate both sides during adjudication.

How detailed do the job search records need to be? I've been applying online but wasn't writing down all the details.

You need employer name, contact info, position applied for, date, and method of application. I learned this the hard way when they audited my claim.

How much does something like that cost? Seems like it might be worth it if you're worried about getting disqualified.

Check out claimyr.com for the details. For me it was worth it to get actual answers instead of guessing about the rules and potentially losing benefits.

Wait, you can't leave the state? I have a family emergency in another state next month. Do I need to ask permission?

You need to report travel to Washington ESD and get approval if you'll be gone for more than a few days. If you're not available for work in Washington, you can't collect benefits for those weeks.

This is so complicated. How is anyone supposed to keep track of all these rules?

I was written up a few times for being late because of childcare issues. Would that count as misconduct?

Depends on how it was handled and if you made efforts to fix the problem. Washington ESD looks at whether you had control over the situation and if you tried to resolve it.

How do you know if you earned enough? I only worked part-time for most of last year.

You need at least $1,320 in your highest quarter and total earnings of at least 1.25 times your high quarter amount. Washington ESD will calculate this when you apply.

Did you win your appeal? That seems really harsh for such a small amount.

Yeah I won but it took 3 months and I had to prove it wasn't intentional. Always report EVERYTHING no matter how small.

This is exactly why I used Claimyr when I had questions about reporting income. Better to talk to an actual ESD agent than guess and get in trouble later.

What's the difference between standby and regular unemployment? I thought they were the same thing.

Standby means you expect to return to the same employer within a reasonable time. Regular UI means you're looking for new work. Different requirements for each.

I thought marijuana was legal in Washington though?

It's legal but employers can still have drug-free workplace policies. If you're fired for violating company policy, ESD can still disqualify you.

Good point, I need to update my address from when I moved last month. Is there a way to do that online?

You can update it on the SecureAccess Washington website or call the customer service line. Just make sure you do it right away.

This thread has been really helpful. I feel like I understand the main disqualification reasons now. Thanks everyone!

Glad it helped! The rules seem overwhelming at first but once you understand them it's not too bad. Just be honest and document everything.

What if the job offer is way below what you used to make? Like if I made $25/hour and they offer $15/hour?

After 5 weeks on benefits, you have to accept work that pays at least 70% of your average weekly wage. After 13 weeks it drops to any work that pays minimum wage or above.

Wow, I didn't know the requirements changed over time. That's really important to know.

I'm thinking about going back to school while on unemployment. How do you get approval for training?

You need to apply through WorkSource for approved training programs. Not all schools or programs qualify, so check first before enrolling.

I might try that Claimyr thing. The regular phone number is impossible to get through on.

Same here, spent literally hours trying to call ESD. Having a service do it for you sounds way better than the frustration of busy signals all day.

Good to know there's an appeal process. Hopefully I won't need it but it's reassuring that there's a way to fight a wrong decision.

The appeal process can take a while though, so make sure you keep filing your weekly claims even while the appeal is pending or you could lose benefits for those weeks.

That's a really important point about checking spam folders! I've been so focused on the big disqualification reasons that I didn't think about missing correspondence. Do you know if there's a way to make sure ESD emails don't go to spam? I'm worried I might miss something important since I get so much junk email.

You can add the ESD email addresses to your safe senders list or create a filter to make sure they go to your inbox. The main ones to whitelist are noreply@esd.wa.gov and any emails ending in @esd.wa.gov. Also check your state's SecureAccess Washington account regularly since they sometimes send messages through that system instead of email. I learned this after almost missing a critical adjudication interview notice that could have cost me my entire claim.

Thanks for mentioning the spam folder issue! I just checked mine and found two ESD emails from last week that I completely missed. One was asking for additional wage information. I'm going to call them first thing Monday to make sure I don't get disqualified for late response. This whole thread has been a wake-up call about how many ways you can accidentally mess up your claim. Better to be overly cautious than lose benefits over a technicality.