UGH these companies that fight every claim make me so ANGRY!!!! I worked for a place like that - they'd fire people for made up reasons then contest EVERY SINGLE unemployment claim. And ESD just believes whatever garbage employers say!!! Make sure you emphasize that they NEVER warned you about vaping before. In my experience, judges want to see that employers gave warnings before firing for rule violations. Also, if you can get ANY coworker to text or email you confirming others vaped too without getting fired, that's gold!!! Shows they singled you out after your complaint email. Keep fighting!!!! The system is designed to wear you down but DON'T GIVE UP!!!!!

just wondering what happened with ur appeal?? did u win?

Something nobody mentioned yet - make sure you're accurately reporting your separation reason from the previous job. If you selected "laid off" but your employer reports something different (like performance issues), that can delay your claim processing because it triggers an investigation. Double-check that your separation reason matches what your employer would say.

One more important detail: When you file the weekly claim for the week you started working, make sure you answer "Yes" to the question about whether you're still seeking work for that week IF you were still actively job searching before accepting this position. Some people mistakenly select "No" because they accepted a job, but ESD wants to know if you were available and seeking work during any portion of that week before you started working.

Any luck getting through? I'm dealing with something similar and wondering if I should just keep trying online or bite the bullet and call.

this whole system is so broken lol. glad u got it fixed tho!!

One more important thing about OAH hearings - be sure to attend your hearing no matter what! If you miss it, you'll almost certainly lose your appeal by default. If something comes up and you absolutely can't make it, contact OAH immediately to request a postponement, but know that those are not automatically granted. Also, during the hearing, only speak when the judge asks you questions. Don't interrupt your former employer or the judge. You'll get your chance to present your side. And stick to the facts rather than emotional arguments - the judge is only concerned with whether your situation meets the legal standard for good cause to quit.

I forgot to mention - make sure you continue filing your weekly claims while waiting for your appeal hearing! Even though you're disqualified right now, if you win your appeal, they'll only pay you for weeks that you properly certified. Lots of people make this mistake and miss out on benefits they would have been entitled to after winning their appeal.

whats the best number to call for regular unemployment? i have like 5 different ones saved in my phone and i never know which one to try

When I had issues last year they were actually pretty helpful once I got through. Speaking of which, does anyone know if they're hiring? Might be worth working for them if the pay is decent since I haven't found anything else yet...

im pretty sure they check everything cuz my friend got caught lying about his hours and had to pay back like $5000 plus they added a penalty. dont mess with esd they will find out eventually

Update: Wanted to share what happened in case anyone finds this thread with the same question. After 6 weeks of working part-time and claiming, I got a letter from ESD saying they're doing a routine audit of my claim. They asked me to submit copies of my paystubs for verification. Just like you all said - they do check! I'm glad I've been reporting everything accurately. Still waiting to hear back after submitting my documentation.

i think they just get confused when ur last day is mid-week. same happened 2 me. the system doesnt know what to do with those few days b4 the official claim week starts. dont worry 2 much about it

Just an update on what I learned after going through something similar - the medical documentation request often happens if the system thinks there's ANY question about your availability for work. The reason you got both approval letters AND the medical request is that claims processing and eligibility reviews happen on parallel tracks at ESD. Your best bet is to call and speak directly with an agent who can look at your full file and clear this up. They can often override or cancel erroneous documentation requests. The key is explaining that you have no medical restrictions and have been able and available for work since becoming unemployed. Also, don't be surprised if your payments still start coming through while this medical documentation issue is pending. ESD's different departments don't always coordinate in real-time.

UPDATE: Finally got this resolved! Used that Claimyr service someone mentioned below and actually got through to ESD in about 30 minutes! The agent confirmed exactly what you all said - the system had incorrectly flagged my standby claim as medical standby instead of employer-requested standby. She fixed it immediately and told me my claim should process normally now. Thanks everyone for the help and advice! For anyone else dealing with this issue, definitely worth paying to get through rather than waiting weeks for them to respond to messages.

lol this happens all the time. ESD system is a complete joke. glad u got it fixed but get ready for more random bs every week

be super careful with how u answer the weekly claim questions!! my boyfriend got fired from his warehouse job and his claim was pending forever until we realized he accidentally clicked YES to 'did you refuse any work' when he meant NO. small mistakes can trigger adjudication and then ur stuck for weeks. double check everything!!!

After reading through your responses, I think you're dealing with a combination of issues: 1) A separation that requires adjudication due to potential misconduct allegations, 2) Possible delays due to involving both a staffing agency and school district, and 3) The normal ESD backlog. One thing worth mentioning - if your claim is approved and you're found eligible, you'll get paid for all those weeks you've been claiming while in pending status. So keep filing those weekly claims! If the Claimyr service helps you reach an agent, ask them to specifically check if your claim needs to be manually moved to an adjudicator's queue, and whether your employer(s) have responded to their separation questionnaire.

i used that claimyr thing someone mentioned above when i couldn't get thru for 3 weeks straight. it worked but just know u gotta pay for it. seemed worth it to me tho cuz i was going crazy trying to talk to someone!

Just to close the loop on your question - yes, a properly filed Combined Wage Claim would potentially give you more weeks if your Oregon wages are substantial enough to impact your total. The good news is that if ESD approves your CWC request, they'll recalculate your claim and potentially backdate the adjustment, so you shouldn't lose any benefits you're entitled to. One more tip: when you get through to ESD, ask specifically for an agent who handles Combined Wage Claims. Not all agents are familiar with the process, and you want someone who knows exactly what to do.