ESD denied my CRO petition twice - what options do I have left?

wait whats a CRO petition??? never heard of that before. is that different from an appeal?

Yes, I've been through this exact process and won on appeal after two denied CROs. The key is that OAH judges are independent from ESD and will look at your evidence with fresh eyes. For a "voluntary quit" where your hours were reduced, you need to show: 1. Documentation of your previous work schedule/hours 2. Documentation showing how drastically hours were cut (payslips, schedule screenshots) 3. Any communication where you asked for more hours before quitting 4. Proof that the reduction made it impossible to pay your bills Make sure to request a hearing within 30 days of your last CRO denial. The OAH process is more formal but actually easier to win if you have documentation.

sorry your going through this!! ESD is THE WORST at handling legitimate claims. they auto-deny everything hoping people will just give up!!! my sister had almost EXACT same situation with reduced hours and it took her 4 MONTHS to finally get approved. hang in there

I went through this last year with my CRO petition. The thing about voluntary quit cases is that ESD puts the burden of proof entirely on you. For reduced hours, you need to prove that the reduction was "substantial" (usually more than 25%) AND that you tried to resolve the issue with your employer before quitting. For the OAH appeal, you'll get a hearing date (usually 3-6 weeks out). You'll want to prepare all your evidence and have it ready to present. The judge will ask questions and you'll need to explain your case clearly. One thing I discovered that really helped - have you tried using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to reach an actual ESD agent? They helped me connect with ESD when I couldn't get through on my own. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. Sometimes talking to an actual agent can resolve things without waiting for the full appeal process.

Just to clarify some information here - when you file an appeal with OAH after a CRO denial, you'll receive instructions by mail within about 10 days. Don't miss the hearing date they set, as it's very difficult to reschedule. For a substantial reduction in hours case, ESD typically looks for: 1. A reduction of at least 25% in hours or pay 2. Evidence you attempted to resolve the issue with your employer 3. Documentation that the reduction created economic hardship At the hearing, stick to the facts and timeline. Avoid emotional arguments, even though I know this is incredibly stressful. Judges respond best to clear evidence presented chronologically. If your appeal is successful, you'll receive back payments for all eligible weeks.

everyone giving great advice but nobody mentioned you should keep filing your weekly claims even while appealing!!!! if you stop filing and then win appeal later you might not get all backpay

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.