I'm an HR professional, and I can tell you that your situation sounds like what we call a "constructive discharge" in employment law. When your employer changes working conditions in a way that makes it impossible for you to continue working, it's not truly a voluntary quit. A few tips for your hearing: - Keep your testimony focused on FACTS rather than emotions - Be specific about dates and times of schedule changes - Explain exactly why the new schedule made continued employment impossible - Describe any attempts you made to negotiate an alternative schedule - Bring written documentation of everything BUT - be aware that if you were hired with the understanding that you might need to work various shifts, your case may be weaker. The judge will consider whether schedule flexibility was a known condition of employment from the beginning.

One more important thing based on my experience - make sure to submit all your evidence at least one week before the hearing! There's a deadline and if you miss it, the judge might not accept your documents. You can email them to OAH or upload through their portal. Also, write out a clear timeline of events and practice explaining your case in a logical order. The judges really appreciate when people are organized and to-the-point.

To answer your question about cross-examination - yes, I did have to question my former employer. The judge will explain how it works at the start of the hearing. You'll each get to make opening statements, present your evidence, and then ask questions of each other. When it was my turn to question my employer, I focused on getting them to admit facts that supported my case rather than trying to catch them in lies. Simple questions like "Is it correct that on [date] you changed my schedule without notice?" or "Do you agree that the company policy states [X]?" worked well. Stick to facts rather than emotions. And if they say something untrue, don't interrupt - write it down and address it when it's your turn to speak again.

I'm going through something similar right now! Have you received the official hearing packet yet? Mine came about 10 days before the hearing date and included all the evidence ESD and my employer submitted. Going through that packet was super helpful because I could see exactly what they were claiming and prepare my responses. If you haven't gotten it yet, keep checking your mail carefully!

UPDATE: I'm finally back into my account! For anyone else having this issue, here's what worked for me: 1. Used the Claimyr service mentioned above (it actually did work) 2. ESD agent confirmed there's a system-wide issue with password resets right now 3. They had to manually unlock my account from their end 4. Had to create a completely new password that didn't share ANY characters with my previous 3 passwords (that was the issue!) So relieved I can file my weekly claim now. Thanks everyone for your help!

I had this same issue last month and wasted HOURS trying to fix it myself. This password reset problem has been happening since they updated the system in December. ESD knows about it but hasn't managed to fix it yet. Something else to try - if you're using a password manager or autofill, turn it OFF completely. Sometimes the system rejects saved passwords even when they're correct. Also check if your caps lock is on (I'm embarrassed to admit this was my problem once). BTW I've been on unemployment for 4 months now and the system has had some kind of technical glitch almost every month. It's beyond frustrating.

my brother had same issue but his was cuz he had worked in oregon for 3 months of his base year and they had to verify with oregon employment department too. maybe if u worked in diff state thats holding it up?

UPDATE: Finally got through to ESD this morning! The agent confirmed they were waiting on those documents I just uploaded. She said once they review them (1-2 business days) my claim should process and I should see payments for all back weeks within 48 hours after that. I also called 211 and they're helping with emergency rent assistance for this month! Thank you all SO MUCH for your help - especially checking that correspondence folder, which was the key to everything!

Just to follow up, if your claim is heading into week 4 of processing with no movement, I'd recommend trying to speak with an agent. While delays are common, something that takes longer than 4 weeks often has a specific issue that needs addressing.\n\nSometimes claims get flagged for manual review due to your employment history, earnings pattern, or other factors that aren't visible to you in the online system. An agent can see these notes and tell you if there's something specific holding things up.\n\nKeep filing your weekly claims, and remember that you must complete and document your 3 job search activities each week, even while your initial claim is processing. When your claim is approved, you'll only get paid for weeks where you properly completed and submitted your weekly claims with job search activities.

I'm definitely keeping up with my weekly claims and job search activities. Tomorrow will mark 3 weeks exactly. If I don't see any movement by the end of next week, I'll try harder to reach an agent. Thanks for the advice!