ESD confused my work history - wrong employer in my appeal hearing!

This is unfortunately common with ESD. They often focus on ANY separation in your base year, not just your most recent one. Here's what's happening: even if you qualify based on your termination from Company B, they still have to determine if you're disqualified based on your separation from ANY employer in your base year. Since you quit Company A during your base year period, they're checking that separation too. At your hearing, be prepared to explain: 1. Why you quit Company A (did you have good cause under ESD rules?) 2. The circumstances of your termination from Company B Bring ALL documentation from both separations. This includes: - Pay stubs from both employers - Termination letter from Company B - Any documentation about why you left Company A - Any communications with either employer about your separation This is actually standard procedure, not a mistake in your case. You need to address both separations to get benefits.

OMG the EXACT same thing happened to me in January!! I quit a retail job back in 2024, then worked at an office for 10 months before getting laid off. ESD focused ENTIRELY on the retail job I quit instead of the office job where I was laid off! It's like they look for ANY reason to deny you!!! My hearing was a disaster because I wasn't prepared to talk about the old job. MAKE SURE you bring documentation for BOTH jobs and be ready to explain why you left each one. The judge will definitely ask about both. I lost my hearing because I couldn't prove I had "good cause" to quit the retail job. So stupid!!! I worked somewhere else for almost a year after that!!!

I work in HR and can confirm this is normal ESD procedure. They look at ALL separations during your base year (typically the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you filed). Understanf that quitting for "better pay" at another job is NOT considered good cause under ESD rules. Good cause generally requires circumstances like: - Health reasons (with medical documentation) - Protecting yourself from domestic violence - Moving with a spouse who got a job in another area - Significant reduction in pay or hours (usually 25%+) - Illegal activities at workplace Quitting for better opportunities elsewhere is considered voluntary without good cause. The fact that you worked at Company B afterward doesn't change this. You'll need to show you had good cause to quit Company A OR that enough time has passed that the disqualification period would be over (typically 10 weeks of reported work).

i had something like this happen my hearing is about a job from 2 years ago lol not even the one i got fired from. esd is crazy. good luck man

Went through this exact situation last year. Here's what you need to know: 1. The 10 weeks of work rule is important here - if you worked at least 10 weeks AND earned at least 10x your weekly benefit amount at Company B after quitting Company A, you should be able to purge the voluntary quit disqualification. Make sure you mention this at the hearing. 2. At the hearing, bring up your work history timeline right away. Tell the judge "I understand I'm being disqualified for quitting Company A, but I worked at Company B for X months afterward and was terminated from there. I believe I've satisfied the requirements to purge the voluntary quit disqualification." 3. Be prepared for them to ask about BOTH separations. Have clear, concise explanations for both. 4. If you lose at the hearing, you can appeal to the Commissioner's Review Office within 30 days. Stay calm during the hearing. The judges usually understand the rules about purging disqualifications with subsequent employment.

Try Claimyr if you need to talk to an actual ESD agent before your hearing to sort this out. I couldn't get through for weeks and was going crazy, then used Claimyr and got through to ESD in about 20 minutes. They have a service that calls ESD for you and connects you when an agent answers. Saved me so much stress when I was dealing with an adjudication issue. Website is claimyr.com and you can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 Might be worth trying before your hearing to make sure they understand which job you're appealing. An agent might be able to correct this in the system.

Quick update on the "purge period" question: The law states that if you worked at least 10 weeks AND earned at least 10 times your weekly benefit amount after a voluntary quit, you satisfy the requalification requirements. At your hearing, bring documents showing: 1. When you quit Company A 2. When you started at Company B 3. How long you worked at Company B (pay stubs showing at least 10 weeks) 4. How much you earned at Company B (to show it was at least 10x your weekly benefit amount) If you can demonstrate this, the quit from Company A should no longer disqualify you. Then the hearing can focus on your termination from Company B, which is what matters for your current claim.

btw something else to know - in the hearing they record EVERYTHING so speak clearly and don't interrupt the judge. i did that in mine and the judge got super annoyed. also have all your dates memorized because they'll ask specific questions about when you started/ended each job. good luck!!

One last thing to prepare for: Even after you address the voluntary quit from Company A using the purge period evidence, they will still examine whether your termination from Company B qualifies you for benefits. Make sure you're also prepared to discuss: 1. The exact reason for your termination from Company B 2. Any warnings you received prior to termination 3. Whether you violated any company policies 4. Any documentation of the termination reason If you were terminated for misconduct, you could still be disqualified regardless of resolving the Company A issue. Misconduct includes things like willful disregard of employer interests, violation of reasonable policies after warnings, dishonesty, etc. However, if you were terminated for performance issues despite your best efforts, inability to meet job requirements despite trying, or business reasons (layoff, reduction in force), these are NOT misconduct and shouldn't disqualify you.