Why are some types of unemployment unavoidable - Washington ESD perspective?

Makes sense. So if I quit or got fired for cause, that would require adjudication to determine if I had good cause?

Exactly. Quits need to show good cause (unsafe conditions, harassment, etc.) and firings get reviewed to see if it was misconduct or just poor performance.

This is why I always tell people to document everything at work. If something seems off with your employer, keep records in case you need to file UI benefits later.

Smart advice. Paper trail is everything when it comes to proving good cause for quitting or showing a firing wasn't for misconduct.

How did that turn out? Were you able to get benefits for the performance-related termination?

Yeah, they approved it. Poor performance isn't the same as willful misconduct in their eyes. I tried my best, just wasn't skilled enough for that particular role.

This is reassuring. I'm worried about my current situation where I might not be meeting sales targets. Good to know that effort matters more than results.

How much does something like that cost? I've been trying to reach Washington ESD for two weeks about my adjudication.

They focus on getting you connected rather than the cost. Way better than the stress of calling 50 times a day and never getting through.

Honestly might be worth it just for peace of mind. The not knowing is driving me crazy.

What about medical situations? Like if you can't work due to injury or illness?

That's trickier. If you quit for medical reasons you need to prove it was necessary and that your employer couldn't accommodate. Washington ESD looks at whether you exhausted other options first.

Document everything! Get contact info for coworkers who were laid off the same day, any emails about the layoffs, anything that proves it was a group termination.

I have some emails but my former supervisor isn't responding to my requests for documentation. This is so stressful.

Can you reach out to HR? They should have records of the layoff decision and who was affected.

What about if you get fired but it's really because your boss doesn't like you, not actual misconduct?

That would likely go through adjudication. Washington ESD would look at the employer's stated reason and any evidence of actual misconduct versus personality conflicts or subjective performance issues.

It's almost like they expect a certain level of unemployment to exist and the system is designed to support people through those transitions.

Exactly. UI benefits are meant to be a safety net for economic disruption, not a punishment system for individual choices.

What kind of patterns?

Repeated tardiness, insubordination, violating company policies, theft, that sort of thing. Stuff that shows you willfully disregarded job requirements.

Makes sense. They want to distinguish between people who lost jobs through no fault of their own versus people who got themselves fired.

This is why UI is funded by employer taxes rather than employee contributions in most cases. It's recognized as a cost of doing business.

Right, employers pay into the system because they benefit from having a flexible workforce and the ability to adjust staffing levels as needed.

You'll need documentation - incident reports, photos if safe to take them, witness statements, any complaints you made to management or regulatory agencies.

I filed WISHA complaints but the investigation is still ongoing. Will Washington ESD wait for that to conclude?

This is exactly the kind of complex situation where Claimyr really helps. They can get you through to an adjudicator who can explain what documentation Washington ESD needs for your specific case.

It's almost like they're trying to separate individual responsibility from economic reality.

Exactly. If you're doing your job properly and following rules, losing that job due to external factors shouldn't be held against you.

That might raise flags with Washington ESD if there's evidence of discrimination or retaliation. They'd look at whether the elimination was legitimate business need or pretext.

How would you prove something like that? Seems like it would be hard to show it was targeted rather than legitimate restructuring.

Timing matters - if it happens right after you filed a complaint or took protected leave, that could be evidence. Also look at whether similarly situated employees were treated differently.

Probationary period terminations are tricky. Washington ESD looks at whether you were given fair opportunity to succeed and whether the reasons were within your control.

They barely trained me and then said I wasn't picking things up fast enough. Feels unfair but not sure if Washington ESD would see it that way.

Document what training you did and didn't receive. Inadequate training could support your case that the termination wasn't due to your performance but to their failure to properly onboard you.

Never thought about it that way. So unemployment isn't always a bad thing from a system perspective?

Right. Some level of frictional unemployment - people between jobs, entering the workforce, changing careers - is normal and even beneficial for economic efficiency.

Seriously, check out Claimyr. I was in the same boat - calling dozens of times per day and getting nowhere. They got me through to an actual adjudicator within hours.

At this point I'm willing to try anything. The uncertainty is killing me.

Same here. Been three weeks since I filed and still showing 'under review' with no way to find out what's happening.

Like quitting due to domestic violence or stalking situations?

Exactly. Or unsafe working conditions, significant changes to job duties or pay, harassment that the employer won't address. These are situations where staying would be unreasonable.

Makes sense from a policy perspective. You want to help people who genuinely need it without creating incentives for people to abuse the system.

Right, and the adjudication process is their way of sorting out the gray areas where it's not immediately clear whether the job loss was avoidable or not.

That's both reassuring and depressing. Sorry you've had to go through that multiple times.

It's the reality of modern employment. At least Washington ESD recognizes that these economic forces are bigger than any individual worker.

That's a good way to think about it. Takes the emotion out of it and focuses on objective circumstances.

Exactly. It's not about whether you're a good person or hard worker, it's about whether you had control over the situation that led to job loss.