Will quitting toxic workplace for another part-time job affect my ESD benefits?

You need to be careful here. ESD generally considers quitting voluntarily as disqualifying unless you can prove you had "good cause" to quit. Hostile work environment could qualify as good cause, but you need documentation. Have you reported this behavior to HR? Have you documented incidents with dates and witnesses? ESD will investigate with your employer when you quit.

omg get out of there!! no job is worth that kind of abuse! i had something similar happen last year and just quit. ended up getting denied benefits for like 7 weeks but then got a better job anyway. sometimes u gotta put mental health first!!!

Have you considered taking the new job and not quitting the old one? Let them fire you if they're so unhappy with your performance. That way you'd qualify for benefits without the "voluntary quit" issue. Just my 2 cents.

I dealt with a somewhat similar situation in 2024 where I left a hostile workplace while on partial unemployment. Here's what I learned: 1. Document EVERYTHING - dates, incidents, witnesses, physical/emotional effects 2. If there's no HR, send an email to owner/management describing your concerns (keep a copy) - this creates a paper trail showing you tried to resolve it 3. Get statements from coworkers if possible 4. If you have any medical appointments related to stress, keep records 5. When you quit, clearly state the hostile work environment as your reason in writing Most importantly: when you file your weekly claim after quitting, you MUST report that you're no longer at that job and that you quit. Select "hostile work environment" as the reason. ESD will investigate, and your claim will likely go into adjudication for 3-8 weeks while they make a decision. In my case, I was eventually approved because I had documentation showing the environment was truly abusive, but I had to wait 5 weeks with no benefits during adjudication. It was stressful but worth it in the end.

When you start your new job, make sure you report those earnings accurately on your weekly claim. ESD calculates your benefit amount based on how much you earn each week - so even with a new PT job, you might still get some partial benefits depending on your WBA and how much you make.

I tried for WEEKS to get through to ESD when my claim went into adjudication after leaving a job. Constant busy signals, disconnects, or 4+ hour holds that ended in hangups! Was about to give up when someone told me about Claimyr.com - it got me through to an actual ESD agent in about 30 minutes instead of waiting days. There's a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 Totally worth it when you're dealing with a complicated situation like quitting and need to explain your side before they just deny you automatically.

According to WAC 192-150-125, leaving work because of illegal harassment or a hostile work environment can qualify as good cause for voluntarily leaving employment. However, the burden of proof is on you to demonstrate this wasn't just a personality conflict but a truly abusive situation. If you start the new job immediately after quitting, make sure to update your ESD profile with the new employer information. Report all hours and earnings accurately. Your benefits will be reduced based on earnings, but as long as you earn less than your weekly benefit amount + $5, you'll still receive some partial unemployment. I recommend documenting everything and being prepared for adjudication. The ESD adjudicator will contact both you and your former employer to get statements about why you left.

Just to be clear, you HAVE to report when you quit a job while on unemployment, even if it's a part-time job. If you don't, and ESD finds out later, they can hit you with an overpayment notice plus penalties for failing to report a material fact. Don't risk it!!!!

One more thing to consider - if your new part-time job pays more than the old one, your weekly benefit amount might be reduced more than it was previously. The formula is that ESD deducts 75% of what you earn from your weekly benefit amount. So if your new job pays substantially more, you might end up with less unemployment benefits or none at all depending on your WBA.