


Ask the community...
I'm right in the middle of an OAH appeal after my CRO petition was denied twice too. It's so frustrating how they make this process so complicated! The hearing is next week and I'm super nervous. My lawyer said voluntary quit cases are winnable if you have good documentation, which it sounds like you do. Did you have a definite conversation with your boss about the reduced hours before you left? That's apparently really important to show at the hearing.
I went through this exact same situation about 8 months ago - ESD denied my CRO petition twice for "voluntary quit" even though my employer cut my hours from 40 to 12 per week. I was so frustrated but the OAH appeal was actually much better than dealing with ESD directly. The judge actually listened to my evidence and understood that I had no choice but to quit when my income dropped 70%. One thing that really helped at my hearing was bringing printed copies of everything - pay stubs showing the hour reduction, emails with my supervisor about needing more hours, even my rent/utility bills to show the financial hardship. The judge said having physical documentation made it much easier to follow my timeline. Also definitely keep filing your weekly claims like others said! I almost made that mistake too. The whole process took about 2 months from filing the OAH appeal to getting my first back payment, but it was so worth it. Hang in there - you have a strong case with that level of hour reduction and the documentation you mentioned.
This gives me so much hope! Thank you for sharing your experience. It's really encouraging to hear from someone who went through the exact same situation and won. I have all the documentation you mentioned - pay stubs showing the dramatic reduction, email conversations with my manager, and bills showing I couldn't afford rent with the reduced income. Did you represent yourself at the hearing or did you have a lawyer? I'm trying to decide if I need legal help or if I can handle it on my own with good preparation.
Same situation here! I got laid off from my retail job in November and this is my first Christmas on unemployment. The uncertainty about payment timing is stressful when you're already stretching every dollar. Based on what everyone's saying, it sounds like Wednesday is the safe bet for deposits. I'm going to contact my landlord today to give them a heads up about the potential delay - better to be proactive than scrambling later. Thanks for asking this question, it's helping a lot of us plan ahead!
You're so right about being proactive with landlords! I learned that lesson the hard way during my first month on unemployment when I didn't communicate about a potential delay. My property manager was way more understanding when I gave them advance notice the next time. It's tough being in this situation during the holidays, but at least we have this community to help figure things out together. Hope your landlord is understanding too!
I'm in a similar boat - just started getting benefits in February after losing my job at a local grocery store. From what I've experienced so far and reading all these responses, it seems like the Wednesday deposit timeline is pretty reliable for holiday weeks. One thing that's helped me is setting up text alerts through my bank so I know exactly when the deposit hits instead of constantly checking my account. Also, if you're really tight on budget like I am, some food banks and community centers have special holiday assistance programs running through December that might help bridge any gap from the payment delay. Stay strong - we'll get through this!
Based on what you've described about the harassment situation, I'd say you have a decent chance of being approved if you document everything properly. The key is showing that a reasonable person in your situation would have felt compelled to quit. Keep all your evidence organized and be prepared to provide detailed explanations during the adjudication process.
One last thing - if you do get initially denied, don't give up! You can appeal the decision and many people win on appeal, especially for quit cases where good cause is involved. The appeals process gives you a chance to present your case more thoroughly than the initial application.
The key is patience unfortunately. I know that's not what anyone wants to hear when bills are due, but most adjudications do eventually resolve in the claimant's favor.
I'm going through the exact same thing right now - week 7 of adjudication and it's absolutely nerve-wracking. What's really frustrating is that I can't even tell if there's actually an issue with my claim or if it's just caught up in the backlog everyone's talking about. I've been religiously checking my SecureAccess inbox and filing my weekly claims, but the silence is deafening. Reading through everyone's experiences here is both reassuring and terrifying - reassuring that I'm not alone, but terrifying that some people have been waiting months. Has anyone found any patterns in what triggers these reviews? I'm trying to figure out if there was something specific I did or didn't do that flagged my account.
Amelia Dietrich
I went through this same availability verification process about 6 months ago for my field (project management). The key thing that helped me was being very specific in my response letter. I included: - A clear statement that I'm available for full-time work (40+ hours/week) in labor relations - My work history showing labor relations is my customary occupation - Details about my flexibility (willing to work any shift, available for overtime, etc.) - Transportation arrangements (reliable vehicle, willing to commute up to 45 minutes) - Job search documentation showing I'm actively applying in my field I also made sure to submit everything 2 days before the deadline just to be safe. My benefits continued without any interruption, and I received a confirmation message in eServices within about 5 business days saying my availability had been verified. The whole process seems intimidating at first, but it's really just ESD making sure you're genuinely available for work in your field. As long as you respond thoroughly and on time, you should be fine!
0 coins
Amara Adebayo
•This is exactly the kind of detailed response that gives me confidence! I really appreciate you sharing your specific experience and timeline. I submitted my response yesterday following all the advice here - included my work history, availability statement, transportation details, and job search logs. It's reassuring to know that you received confirmation within 5 business days. I'll keep checking eServices for updates. Thanks for taking the time to share what worked for you!
0 coins
Sophia Rodriguez
I just went through this exact same process last month for my labor relations position! Got the same confusing message through eServices asking for availability verification and supporting documents. Here's what I did that worked perfectly: 1. Wrote a formal letter stating I'm available for full-time work (40+ hours/week) in labor relations positions with no restrictions 2. Included details about my transportation (reliable car, willing to commute reasonable distances) 3. Mentioned my educational background and 3+ years experience in labor relations to establish it as my customary occupation 4. Attached my weekly job search logs showing active applications in the field 5. Added a brief statement about my willingness to accept suitable work at prevailing wages I submitted everything 3 days before the deadline and my benefits continued without any interruption. Got a confirmation message in eServices about a week later saying my work availability had been successfully verified. Don't overthink it - they just want to make sure you're genuinely available for work in your field. As long as you respond completely and on time, you should be fine! The key is being thorough but honest in your response.
0 coins