Thank you everyone for all this helpful information! I feel much more prepared now. I'm going to organize all my documentation tonight and file my initial claim tomorrow morning. I'll update this thread once I hear anything about my claim status.

Good luck with your claim! You've got excellent documentation which puts you in a strong position. One additional tip - when you file online, make sure to save screenshots of every page of your application before submitting. I've seen cases where people needed to reference exactly what they wrote in their initial filing during appeals. Also, create a dedicated folder (physical or digital) for all your TWC correspondence - you'll be getting letters, emails, and may need to track multiple deadlines. The fact that you reported to HR multiple times over 3 months really strengthens your case that you tried to resolve it internally first. Keep us posted on how it goes!

UPDATE: Just wanted to let everyone know my payment did get delayed exactly one day - hit my account Thursday night instead of Wednesday. I was able to move my autopayments thankfully. Thanks for all the help!

Thanks for posting this update! This is really helpful for others who might face the same situation during holiday weeks. It's good to know the delay was predictable - exactly one business day as several people mentioned. I'm saving this thread for reference since I'm sure this will come up again with upcoming holidays like Labor Day and Thanksgiving.

Hey Cassandra! I'm pretty new to this whole unemployment appeal process, but I wanted to chime in because your situation sounds really frustrating. I'm dealing with something similar - got let go for "performance issues" that were never documented or discussed with me before my termination. Reading through all these responses, it sounds like you've got a really solid case with the evidence of your manager doing the same thing. That selective enforcement angle seems huge! I haven't had my hearing yet (still waiting to be scheduled), but I'm curious - how long did it take from when you filed your appeal to actually getting the hearing date? And did you have a lawyer or represent yourself? Also, thanks to everyone else for all the info about the ID.me stuff. I had no idea that was a thing I'd need to worry about. Definitely bookmarking that Claimyr service too - sounds like getting through to TWC is a nightmare for everyone. Hope you get good news soon! Keep us posted on how it turns out.

I went through a similar situation about 6 months ago - got terminated for allegedly violating a "policy" that was never properly explained during onboarding. Like you, I had evidence that management was inconsistent with enforcement. The ID.me request after your hearing could actually be a positive indicator! In my case, I got the identity verification request about 10 days after my hearing, and my appeal was approved 4 days later. It seems like they don't bother with ID verification unless they're planning to process payments. One thing I wish someone had told me - even if your appeal is approved, there might be a brief delay while they calculate your back pay. In my case, it took an additional week after approval to see the actual payments hit my account. Just wanted to give you a heads up so you don't panic if there's a short gap between approval and payment. Your evidence about your manager doing the same thing sounds really strong. Selective enforcement is one of the key factors that can overturn a misconduct determination. Hang in there - it sounds like you presented a solid case!

Just wanted to add that you should also keep copies of all your work search documentation outside of the TWC system! I saved screenshots and PDFs of everything because there were a few times when the WorkInTexas system was down for maintenance and I couldn't access my search history. Also, if you're doing any networking or attending job fairs, make sure to get business cards or contact info from people you talk to - TWC considers networking a valid work search activity but you need proof that it actually happened. The more documentation you have, the better protected you are if they ever audit your claim. Good luck with your determination!

I went through this exact same process a few months ago! My employer deadline was on a Friday and I was checking my TWC portal obsessively all weekend. What I learned is that even if your employer doesn't respond, TWC still needs time to review your entire case - they don't just rubber stamp approvals. In my case, it took about 10 business days after the employer deadline for them to make their determination (I got approved). The key things that helped me: 1) I had been doing my 3 weekly work searches from day one, 2) I kept requesting payments every two weeks even while pending, and 3) I responded immediately to any correspondence in my TWC inbox. Also, don't panic if you don't hear anything for a week or two after today - that's totally normal. The waiting sucks but stay consistent with your requirements and you should be fine if you were legitimately let go. You've got this!

Thank you everyone for the advice! I just submitted my payment request and made sure to report the exact wages I earned during the 2 weeks I worked. I also documented my 3 work search activities per week as required. The TWC website shows my payment is now pending, so hopefully it goes through without issues. Really appreciate all the help!

Glad to hear you got it sorted out! Just wanted to add for anyone else reading this - if you ever have a gap between when your temp job ends and when you submit your next payment request, make sure you're still doing your work search activities during that gap too. TWC counts every week you're unemployed toward the requirement, even if you haven't submitted a payment request yet. I learned this the hard way when I had a similar situation and forgot to do work searches the week after my temp job ended.