What makes you disqualified for unemployment Washington ESD - got denied need help
Just got my Washington ESD determination letter saying I'm disqualified for unemployment benefits and I'm honestly confused about what I did wrong. The letter mentions something about 'voluntary quit without good cause' but I left my job because my supervisor was creating a hostile work environment and making my life miserable. I documented everything but apparently that wasn't enough? Can someone explain what actually disqualifies you from getting unemployment in Washington? I really need these benefits to pay rent while I look for new work.
60 comments


Daniel Rogers
Washington ESD has specific rules about disqualification. The main reasons include: voluntary quit without good cause, misconduct, refusing suitable work, not actively seeking work, or not being able and available. For hostile work environment, you need to prove you tried to resolve it with HR first and that you had no other choice but to quit.
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Zara Perez
•I did talk to HR but they basically ignored my complaints. How do I prove that in an appeal?
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Daniel Rogers
•Keep all email records, witness statements, and any written documentation. You'll need this for your appeal hearing.
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Aaliyah Reed
same thing happened to me when I quit because of harassment. Washington ESD initially denied me but I appealed and won. The key is showing you had 'good cause' which includes unsafe working conditions, harassment, or significant changes to your job terms.
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Zara Perez
•How long did your appeal take? I'm worried about how I'll survive financially during the process.
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Aaliyah Reed
•took about 6 weeks from filing the appeal to getting the hearing decision. If you win, they backdate the benefits to when you first filed
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Ella Russell
You can appeal this decision! File your appeal within 30 days of the determination date. I was dealing with a similar adjudication mess and couldn't get through to Washington ESD for weeks. Found this service called Claimyr that helped me get connected to an actual agent who explained my options. Check out claimyr.com - they have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works.
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Mohammed Khan
•How much does that cost? I'm already broke from not having income.
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Ella Russell
•It's worth checking out their site for details, but honestly getting through to Washington ESD to understand your case is crucial. I was calling for weeks with no luck before trying this.
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Gavin King
Other common disqualification reasons include: being fired for misconduct (theft, violence, repeated violations), not registering with WorkSource within required timeframe, failing drug tests, being unavailable for work, or not meeting the job search requirements. Washington ESD takes these pretty seriously.
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Nathan Kim
•what counts as misconduct exactly? asking for a friend...
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Gavin King
•Misconduct includes willful violation of company policies, attendance issues after warnings, insubordination, or criminal acts. But it has to be work-related and deliberate.
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Eleanor Foster
The Washington ESD system is SO frustrating! They deny people for the smallest reasons. I got disqualified because I supposedly didn't do enough job searches one week, even though I was sick with COVID. Had to appeal and provide medical documentation to get it overturned.
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Zara Perez
•That's terrible! Did you have to go through a phone hearing or was it resolved through paperwork?
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Eleanor Foster
•Phone hearing with an administrative law judge. It was nerve-wracking but worth it to get my benefits restored.
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Lucas Turner
ugh this brings back memories of my own disqualification nightmare. got denied because they said I was fired for 'poor performance' when really my manager just didn't like me. spent months fighting it
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Zara Perez
•Did you eventually win your case?
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Lucas Turner
•yes but it took forever and I almost lost my apartment in the meantime. definitely appeal if you think the decision is wrong
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Daniel Rogers
Important note about the appeal process: you can continue filing weekly claims while your appeal is pending, but you won't receive payments until the appeal is decided in your favor. Make sure to keep filing though because if you win, those weeks will be paid retroactively.
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Zara Perez
•Should I still do job searches and report them during the appeal?
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Daniel Rogers
•Yes, absolutely. Keep doing everything as if you're eligible - job searches, reporting any work, staying available. This shows good faith effort.
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Kai Rivera
For hostile work environment claims, Washington ESD looks for: documented complaints to management, evidence you tried to resolve the issue, proof the situation was intolerable, and that a reasonable person would have quit. It's a high bar but not impossible to meet.
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Zara Perez
•I have some emails and text messages. Would those count as documentation?
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Kai Rivera
•Yes! Any written evidence helps. Also get witness statements from coworkers if possible.
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Anna Stewart
Just want to second the Claimyr suggestion - I used them when I couldn't get through to Washington ESD about my disqualification. The agent explained that my case was actually more complex than I thought and helped me understand what documentation I needed for my appeal.
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Layla Sanders
•Did they help you win your appeal or just explain the process?
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Anna Stewart
•They helped me get connected to the right Washington ESD department to clarify my case. I was able to provide additional information that changed my determination before it even went to appeal.
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Morgan Washington
Washington ESD also disqualifies people for: not being a US citizen or authorized to work, not earning enough in your base period, or if you're receiving other benefits like workers comp. Make sure you understand which specific reason they cited in your determination letter.
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Zara Perez
•Mine specifically says 'voluntary quit without good cause' so I think it's about the harassment situation.
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Morgan Washington
•That's definitely appealable if you can prove the harassment made your working conditions intolerable.
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Kaylee Cook
been there done that with the Washington ESD runaround. they'll disqualify you for anything and make you jump through hoops to prove you deserve benefits. it's like they want people to give up
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Oliver Alexander
•So true! The whole system seems designed to discourage legitimate claims.
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Kaylee Cook
•exactly. but don't give up - appeals work if you have documentation and persistence
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Lara Woods
Quick question - if you get disqualified, can you reapply later or are you permanently banned from Washington ESD benefits?
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Daniel Rogers
•Most disqualifications are not permanent. You can often reapply after the disqualification period ends or if your circumstances change.
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Lara Woods
•Good to know, thanks!
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Adrian Hughes
I got disqualified for 'refusing suitable work' because I turned down a job that paid $5/hour less than my previous job. Apparently that was still considered 'suitable' by Washington ESD standards. Had to appeal and explain my financial obligations.
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Zara Perez
•That seems unfair! What's considered 'suitable work' anyway?
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Adrian Hughes
•It depends on your skills, experience, and how long you've been unemployed. Early on, they expect you to look for similar level jobs. After several weeks, the standards lower.
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Molly Chambers
The adjudication process is where they investigate potential disqualification issues. Common triggers include: employer contests your claim, you report working while claiming, gaps in your job search log, or inconsistent information on your application.
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Ian Armstrong
•How long does adjudication usually take?
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Molly Chambers
•Can be anywhere from 2-8 weeks depending on complexity and Washington ESD workload. It's frustrating but necessary for them to make proper determinations.
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Eli Butler
Another service that might help is contacting your local WorkSource office. They sometimes have advocates who can help with Washington ESD issues and appeals. Worth trying multiple approaches when you're fighting a disqualification.
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Zara Perez
•I didn't know WorkSource could help with appeals. I'll look into that too.
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Eli Butler
•They can't represent you but they can help you understand the process and organize your documentation.
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Marcus Patterson
washington esd disqualified me for 'not being available for work' because I said I could only work day shift due to childcare. fought it and won by proving childcare restrictions don't make you unavailable if you're actively seeking day shift positions
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Lydia Bailey
•That's a good point about availability. You can have reasonable restrictions and still be considered available.
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Marcus Patterson
•exactly! the key is showing you're genuinely looking within your availability parameters
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Mateo Warren
Don't forget that Washington ESD can also disqualify you for overpayment fraud, if they think you intentionally provided false information. But honest mistakes usually don't result in disqualification, just repayment requirements.
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Zara Perez
•What's the difference between fraud and an honest mistake in their eyes?
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Mateo Warren
•Intent matters. Fraud requires deliberate deception. Honest mistakes are usually resolved with just paying back the overpayment, no penalties.
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Sofia Price
File that appeal ASAP! The 30-day deadline is strict and if you miss it, you'll have to show 'good cause' for the delay which is much harder. Get your documentation together and don't let Washington ESD intimidate you into giving up.
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Zara Perez
•Thank you everyone for all the advice. I'm going to file my appeal tomorrow and start gathering all my documentation about the harassment.
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Daniel Rogers
•Good luck! Remember to keep copies of everything you submit and track all communication with Washington ESD.
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Alice Coleman
One more thing - if you do win your appeal, Washington ESD will backdate your benefits to your original claim date. So even though this process sucks, you won't lose those weeks of benefits if you're ultimately found eligible.
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Zara Perez
•That's reassuring to know. At least if I win, I won't be financially penalized for their initial wrong decision.
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Alice Coleman
•Exactly. Just make sure to keep filing your weekly claims during the appeal process even though you're not getting paid yet.
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Owen Jenkins
I used Claimyr too when I was dealing with a disqualification issue. Being able to actually talk to a Washington ESD representative made all the difference in understanding what went wrong with my claim and what I needed to do to fix it.
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Lilah Brooks
•How quickly were you able to get through to someone?
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Owen Jenkins
•Much faster than trying to call directly. The video demo on their site explains the whole process pretty clearly.
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