Will ESD approve unemployment if I quit? Need to know what qualifies as 'good cause'

Yes, you can potentially qualify for unemployment if you quit with 'good cause.' In Washington, this includes: 1) Significant pay reduction, 2) Substantial change in work hours/conditions, 3) Safety hazards, 4) Illegal activities by employer, 5) Health reasons with medical documentation, or 6) Domestic violence situations. Your situation with unpaid overtime and retaliation for raising legal concerns could qualify under several of these. KEEP ALL DOCUMENTATION including texts, emails, schedules, and pay stubs showing hours vs. compensation.

my cousin quit bcuz her boss was doing the same thing!!! making her work extra hours w/o pay and she got approved but took like 2 months cuz they had to investigate. save EVERYTHING and take pics of ur schedules!!! ur boss sounds like a jerk

You need to file a wage claim with L&I first!! I went through this exact situation last year and ESD initially denied my claim because I hadn't reported the wage theft to Labor & Industries. Once I filed with L&I and got a case number, I was able to appeal my ESD denial and eventually got approved. The wage claim documentation actually helped prove my "good cause" for quitting. Don't quit without starting the L&I process - it makes a huge difference in how ESD views your claim!

Trust me, even with good cause its IMPOSSIBLE to reach ESD once you file!!! I waited 3 months for them to decide on my claim after quitting my toxic workplace. Tried calling hundreds of times, always busy or disconnected. FINALLY used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) which got me connected to a real person at ESD in about 25 mins! They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. Seriously saved my sanity during the whole process - especially because with quit claims they ALWAYS need additional info but never tell you what's missing.

Your situation actually seems to qualify under WAC 192-150-120, which covers "Work that violates health, safety, or morals." Working excessive hours without proper compensation violates labor laws, and the retaliation threat from your employer for raising concerns constitutes a hostile work environment. IMPORTANT: Before quitting, document EVERYTHING. Send an email to your employer specifically citing your concerns about not receiving overtime pay as required by law, and explicitly state that you feel the scheduling practices and threats constitute a hostile work environment. Their response (or lack thereof) will be critical evidence for your claim.

I QUIT MY JOB LAST YEAR BECAUSE MY BOSS WAS HARASSING ME AND ESD DENIED MY CLAIM!!! Said I didn't have "substantial evidence" even though I had text messages! The system is RIGGED against workers. They make it nearly impossible to prove good cause - their default is to side with employers EVERY TIME. I appealed three times and still got denied. Don't believe anyone who tells you it's easy to get benefits if you quit. The whole system is designed to make you give up!!!

One more critical thing: if you decide to quit, make sure you continue meeting all other eligibility requirements. This means being able and available for work and conducting at least 3 documented job search activities each week. Many claimants who quit with good cause get approved on the quit issue but then get disqualified for not meeting job search requirements. You'll need to register with WorkSource and start tracking job applications immediately after quitting.

btw my friend who works at esd says they look at if u tried to fix the problem b4 quitting. like did u talk to ur boss about the overtime? did u try to fix the schedule? did u report to HR? make sure u have proof u tried to fix it first!!!

If you do decide to quit and file, be prepared for a LONG adjudication process. Quit claims almost always go to adjudication, which means an ESD adjudicator will interview both you and your employer separately. They'll ask detailed questions about the situation and want to see your evidence. I'd recommend preparing a written timeline of events with dates and a summary of how you tried to resolve the issues before quitting. Also, be ready for your employer to potentially fight your claim and present their own version of events.