If I quit my job can I file for unemployment with Texas TWC?

Really appreciate this. I've been trying to get through to someone at TWC for two days and keep hitting automated messages. Going to look into that.

My sister used it when she had a whole mess with her quit claim too, got connected fast and the agent walked her through what she needed to submit.

So the fact that I went to HR twice about the shift changes and have emails about it - that actually helps my case?

Those emails are exactly the kind of documentation you want. Keep everything showing you raised the issue before quitting.

The 'tried to fix it first' part is huge. TWC looks for that evidence in the voluntary quit review.

To be clear, TWC doesn't publish a list that includes schedule changes as a qualifying reason. What it does list is things like unsafe conditions, not getting paid, or big changes to what you were hired to do. A pay cut from losing overtime could be part of that last category.

Right, that's what I meant - the pay cut from losing the overtime is the stronger argument here, not the schedule stuff on its own.

Okay that's a helpful distinction. The pay difference is actually pretty significant - I was clearing about 18% more with the overtime built in.

Good to know. My argument is more about the department transfer and pay cut than the childcare issue - I just mentioned that to explain why the last-minute schedule stuff was hard on me.

Yeah the distinction between a work reason and a personal reason matters a lot in how TWC evaluates these claims. Personal hardship from a schedule change reads differently than a material change to your employment terms.

Do I keep submitting payment requests while this review is going on? Or do I wait until they decide?

Keep doing your payment requests on schedule - every two weeks, in UBS or on Tele-Serv. TWC only pays for weeks you actually requested, so if you skip them waiting for the review to finish you could lose those weeks.

This is the most common mistake people make during adjudication. Missing a payment request doesn't just delay money, it means you just don't get paid for that week, period.

Sorry it didn't work out for your appeal. How long did the whole process take for you?

About five weeks from the initial denial to the appeal decision. During that time I kept requesting payments like someone suggested and when I eventually found different work it helped me move forward.

Appeals for voluntary quit cases go to a telephone hearing with a Hearing Officer. You have 14 days from the date on the determination letter to file your appeal in writing - online through UBS, in person, mail, or fax. Phone and email don't count for filing.

That's actually reassuring. My highest quarter was pretty strong because of the overtime.

Right, and the max weekly amount in Texas right now is $619. Probably won't hit that but it's a ceiling to know about.

The benefit amount question is actually one of the things I asked the agent about during my Claimyr call too. They confirmed how the base period quarters work and helped me understand why my amount was what it was.

Even during the period when my claim is being reviewed for the quit issue?

Yes, from the very first week. The work search requirement runs independent of the voluntary quit review. If TWC eventually approves you and you haven't been doing work search, you won't get paid for those weeks.

Five a week in Harris and Dallas counties is no joke but the activities count for more than just applications - informational interviews, attending a job fair, completing a skills workshop all count depending on your board's rules.

Worth clarifying - both conditions have to be true. It's not just 'get paid twice' and the waiting week releases. You also have to either exhaust your benefits or return to full-time work. When you go back to work you request the waiting week yourself in UBS.

Oh I didn't have both right, thanks for fixing that. I always thought it was just the two payments.

Okay so I shouldn't be expecting that first week to show up for a while. Got it.

Already ran into this, luckily figured it out during the filing process. The two-step thing every single login is a bit much but I get why they do it.

Once you're used to it you barely notice, but that first time it asks for a code and you don't know why is confusing as anything.

That's accurate - the other way to clear a voluntary quit disqualification besides a successful appeal is exactly that: start a new job, earn six times your weekly amount or work at least 30 hours a week for six weeks, and then separate from that job through no fault of your own. Proof required.

She ended up just getting a new job and staying there, honestly. But it's good to know there's a path back if things go sideways.

Good to hear. I wasn't worried about the wage threshold honestly, more about the whole voluntary quit thing.

The quit review is definitely the main hurdle. Wage qualification is usually straightforward for someone who's been working full time for a while.

The only time the wage threshold gets tricky is if someone had a lot of unpaid leave or very low-hour periods in that base period window.

I've definitely been using those words interchangeably, good to know the difference.

So right now the OP is in adjudication, not an appeal. The appeal stage would only kick in if TWC sends a written determination denying the claim and then the person disagrees with that decision.

Exactly. And you have 14 calendar days from the date on the determination letter to file an appeal in writing - UBS, in person, mail, or fax. Missing that window makes it much harder to challenge.

Should I attach my emails with HR as part of that questionnaire response?

Yes, attach everything you have. TWC can't consider documentation you don't give them. Email threads showing you raised the issue, pay stubs showing the difference, anything like that.

Hadn't thought about taxes yet honestly. Assuming I even get approved first.

Fair, one problem at a time. Just good to know before the payments start rolling in rather than after.

How did you prepare for the phone hearing?

Wrote out a timeline of every conversation I had with management about the problem, every HR complaint, organized my pay stubs showing the change. The Hearing Officer only looks at what you actually put in front of them during the hearing so having it all organized matters.

Worth registering your phone number 15 to 60 minutes before your hearing time. The packet will have instructions on how to do that. Missing the call means missing your hearing.

Can you switch to direct deposit before the first payment or do you have to wait?

You can set up direct deposit in UBS before the first payment - worth doing early so the first one doesn't have to wait for the card to arrive by mail.

Setting it up early is the move. The ReliaCard takes forever to show up and direct deposit is just easier.

This is probably the most useful summary I've read in this whole thread honestly. Clear framework for thinking about it.

The 'tried to fix it first' piece is what sinks a lot of otherwise solid quit cases. If you walked out the same day the change happened without saying anything, that's a problem. But two HR visits with documentation is exactly what TWC wants to see.

Cannot stress this enough. The 14 days is calendar days, not business days, and it runs from the mailed date on the letter. People lose appeal rights constantly by waiting until after they've had time to 'think about it.

Setting a reminder now so I don't miss it if a denial comes.

Good habit to build. I've been checking it obsessively already so I guess I'm ahead of that one.

Ha, obsessive checking is basically required during the first month. It does get easier once the routine is established.

Tele-Serv at 800-558-8321 is another way to check status if UBS is acting slow. Same overnight updates.