ESD appeal status shows 'appealed' but action item says 'CRO Petition' - what was the decision?

same thing on mine too lol. been like that for 2 weks. no idea what it means either

CRO stands for Commissioner's Review Office. When you have 'CRO Petition' as an action item, it usually means either you or ESD has requested a review of the judge's decision by the Commissioner. It's basically another level of appeal. The 'appealed' status just means your case went through the appeal process, but it doesn't tell you the outcome. You need to look for official correspondence - check both your online notices in eServices and your physical mail.

I went through something similar last year. The 'appealed' status is confusing because it just means you HAD an appeal, not that you won or lost. When my overpayment appeal finished, I had to wait about 10 days before I got the actual decision letter in the mail. The CRO Petition might mean ESD is challenging the decision if it was in your favor. Did you win your hearing?

I HATE how confusing they make everything!!!! When I had my overpayment appeal last year, the judge told me the decision at the end of the hearing. Didn't they tell you anything? The whole system is designed to be impossible to understand so people just give up and pay. CRO petition definitely means someone (probably ESD) is asking for another review.

Check your mailbox carefully - OAH (Office of Administrative Hearings) always sends the official decision by mail. It sounds like you might have won your appeal and ESD is now petitioning for review with the Commissioner. This happens sometimes when ESD disagrees with the judge's decision. The CRO process can take another 2-3 months to resolve.

If you need to get ahold of ESD quickly to clarify what's going on, I'd recommend trying Claimyr. I was stuck in appeal limbo too and couldn't get through on the phone for weeks. Claimyr got me connected to an ESD agent in about 15 minutes who explained my confusing status. Saved me weeks of stress. Check out their demo: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 or their website claimyr.com. The agent I got was actually able to tell me my appeal status before I got the letter.

I work in HR and deal with unemployment stuff all the time. Here's what's happening: 'Appealed' just means you had an appeal hearing. The 'CRO Petition' means the case has been sent to the Commissioner's Review Office for additional review. Most likely scenario is that the Administrative Law Judge ruled in your favor, and ESD is now appealing that decision to the Commissioner. You should have received a decision letter from OAH explaining the judge's ruling. If you haven't received it yet, call OAH (not ESD) at 360-407-2700 and ask for a copy of your decision.

UPDATE: I called OAH this morning like @profile5 suggested. They confirmed the judge ruled in MY FAVOR and waived the entire overpayment! That's why I have the CRO Petition - ESD is appealing the judge's decision. The OAH rep said they resent the decision letter which I should receive in a few days. Thanks everyone for your help figuring this out. I'll keep you posted on what happens with the Commissioner review!

Wow, what a rollercoaster! I'm so glad you called OAH directly - that was brilliant advice from @Vanessa Chang. It's ridiculous how ESD's system shows these cryptic statuses without any explanation. I went through something similar 6 months ago and spent weeks panicking over confusing status updates. The fact that they ruled in your favor is huge! Even if ESD appeals to the Commissioner, you're in a much stronger position now. Keep copies of everything and don't let them intimidate you during this CRO process. You've already proven your case once!