What to say to get Washington ESD unemployment when you quit

You need to be completely honest about why you quit. Washington ESD allows unemployment for 'good cause' quits, which includes hostile work environment and discrimination. Make sure you have documentation of the incidents and that you tried to resolve it through proper channels first.

i quit my last job too and got benefits but it took forever to get approved

The key is proving you had 'good cause' under RCW 50.20.050. Document everything - the incidents, your attempts to resolve them, any witnesses. Washington ESD will review whether a reasonable person would have quit under those circumstances. If you have trouble reaching them by phone during the adjudication process, I found claimyr.com really helpful for getting through to speak with an actual agent. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ that shows how it works.

DON'T LIE ON YOUR APPLICATION! They will find out and you'll be in worse trouble. Be honest about quitting but explain the circumstances clearly. Include dates, names of witnesses, and any steps you took to address the problem before quitting.

Washington ESD has specific criteria for voluntary quit claims. You'll need to show that you made reasonable efforts to preserve your employment before quitting. This includes reporting harassment to HR, requesting transfers, or other remedial actions.

been there done that. the system is rigged against workers anyway so dont get your hopes up

My friend quit for similar reasons and got approved. The trick is being very specific about how the work environment affected your ability to do your job safely. Use phrases like 'constructive discharge' if applicable.

When you file your claim, there's a section where you explain why you're no longer working. Be truthful and thorough. Mention specific incidents with dates if possible. Washington ESD takes discrimination and harassment seriously.

I used claimyr when I was dealing with my quit claim adjudication and it saved me so much time. The Washington ESD phone system is a nightmare but claimyr got me through to someone who could actually help explain what additional documentation I needed.

Whatever you do, don't just say you quit because you didn't like your job. You need to show it was necessary to quit to protect your health, safety, or legal rights. Sounds like you have a strong case with the discrimination angle.

Make sure you apply as soon as possible after quitting. There's no waiting period for filing, and you want to get the process started. Even if it takes weeks to adjudicate, your benefit start date will be from when you first filed.

just went through this whole process myself. be prepared for them to contact your former employer during the investigation. My ex-boss tried to lie about what happened but I had documented everything so Washington ESD sided with me in the end.

The most important thing is to frame your quit as being forced by circumstances beyond your control. You didn't want to quit, but the employer's actions made it impossible to continue working there safely.

One more tip - if your claim gets denied initially, don't give up. The appeal process exists for a reason and many people win their appeals with proper documentation. I've seen it happen multiple times.

Also remember that even while your claim is being adjudicated, you should continue filing your weekly claims. If you're eventually approved, you'll get back pay for those weeks.

If you need to talk to Washington ESD during this process and can't get through normally, that claimyr service someone mentioned earlier is actually pretty good. I was skeptical at first but it really does work better than calling on your own.