ESD disqualification after 10 weeks - appeal timeline & should I keep filing weekly claims?

you absolutely NEED to keep filing your weekly claims during the appeal!!! if you stop filing and win your appeal later, you won't get backpay for weeks you didn't claim. don't make that mistake - i did and lost out on like $4800

Regarding appeal timelines - right now OAH (Office of Administrative Hearings) is taking about 4-6 weeks to schedule hearings from when they receive the appeal from ESD. Then it's another 2-3 weeks after the hearing for the judge to issue a decision. So roughly 6-9 weeks total from when you submitted your appeal. And yes, definitely continue filing weekly claims! If you win your appeal, you'll only get paid for weeks that you properly filed claims for. Make sure you're still doing your 3 job search activities each week too, as those requirements don't pause during appeals.

im in same boat, got disqualified after they sed i had 'voluntary quit' but my boss fired me!! been waiting 3 weeks for hearing date and nuthin yet. its all BS if u ask me, they just want us to give up

I went through this exact situation in January. Three key pieces of advice: 1. Prepare extensively for your hearing. Gather ALL documentation related to your departure - emails about the job changes, texts, performance reviews, anything that proves they substantially changed your job. Write out your timeline of events now while it's fresh. 2. During the hearing (which will likely be by phone), stay calm and stick to facts. The judge will ask specific questions - answer them directly without going off-topic. 3. If you have any co-workers who can corroborate that your job changed significantly, ask if they'd be willing to provide a written statement or testify. And absolutely keep filing weekly claims! You only get backpay for properly filed weeks if you win.

Has anyone had success with contacting ESD to check on appeal status? I've been trying for days and can't get through 😫

Hey, just curious - what industry were you working in when this happened? I'm in healthcare and facing a similar situation with my employer changing responsibilities.

One important thing to know about the appeal hearing - it's very formal and structured like a court proceeding. The judge will swear you in, ESD will have a representative arguing their case, and you'll need to present yours. I recommend reviewing the specific disqualification reason in your determination letter very carefully. For a "quit without good cause" case, you need to prove that: 1. The job change was substantial enough to warrant quitting 2. You made reasonable efforts to resolve the issue before quitting 3. You had no reasonable alternative to quitting The specific RCW (law) that covers this is 50.20.050. You might want to familiarize yourself with it before your hearing.

btw dont forget that if u lose the first appeal u can file a COMMISSIONER REVIEW! its like a second appeal and sometimes they overturn the first decision

this whole sysem is rigged.... ive been waiting 11 weeks now for my appeal and still no date. they just hope we'll give up and go away

Update: I just got a letter from OAH with my appeal date! It's scheduled for July 12th, so about 5 weeks from when I filed the appeal. Now I'm super nervous and trying to gather all my documentation. Really appreciate all the advice everyone has shared - I feel much more prepared now. I'm still filing my weekly claims and doing job searches as recommended. Fingers crossed this works out.