Got fired after failing PIP - ESD adjudication taking forever! What's normal?

Adjudication for performance-based terminations typically takes 4-6 weeks right now. ESD is working through a major backlog after their system upgrade in January. Since you've already submitted documentation showing the PIP was unreasonable, that's good - it supports that you weren't fired for misconduct. The key factor will be whether your employer contests your claim and if they can prove you deliberately failed to meet standards. If they don't contest, you could hear back sooner. Make sure you keep filing your weekly claims while waiting!

Ugh, adjudication is THE WORST!!!! I was in it for 7 WEEKS last year after being fired from my restaurant job. They said I wasn't following food safety but it was impossible with how understaffed we were!! Nobody ever answered my calls and the only update I got was when money suddenly appeared in my account. The whole process is BROKEN! They don't care that people can't pay bills while waiting. Hope you have better luck than me!!

I went through this exact situation in December. Performance-based termination after failing a PIP that was clearly designed for me to fail. My adjudication took exactly 5 weeks and 2 days. The key factors that helped me get approved: 1) I had documentation showing the PIP targets were significantly higher than what was expected of others in my role 2) I could prove I was making genuine efforts to improve (tracked metrics, emails with questions seeking help) 3) I requested a phone interview with the adjudicator to explain my side directly Keep in mind that "performance issues" and "misconduct" are different in ESD's eyes. Performance issues, especially with unreasonable expectations, often don't disqualify you from benefits. Make sure you're available if they call for an interview - they only try once or twice before making a decision without your input.

have u tried calling them? i waited 2 weeks then called and found out they needed more info from me but never told me lol. after i sent what they needed it only took like 3 more days.

I was in adjudication for a similar issue last month. After trying to call ESD for days with no luck, I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an ESD agent in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 When I finally spoke to someone, I found out they were missing specific documentation about my termination that I thought I'd already uploaded. Once I clarified what they needed, my claim was approved within a week. Sometimes just speaking to a real person can make all the difference in these situations.

My neighbor works for ESD (not in claims tho) and she says they're super backed up right now cuz they laid off half the adjudicators last quarter budget cuts. She said performance-based terminations take longer cuz they gotta review all the evidence from both sides. My brothers girlfriends claim took 8 weeks so prepare for the long haul. Btw have you checked food banks? Lots of them have emergency rent assistance too.

Based on current processing times, you should prepare for at least 6-8 more weeks of waiting, unfortunately. Make sure you're meeting the job search requirements each week (3 job search activities) and documenting them properly. If you're in a specialized field, you might qualify for Commissioner Approved Training (CAT) which can be better than regular job search requirements. Also, don't forget that if your claim is eventually approved, you'll receive backpay for all the weeks you've been filing claims. I recommend creating a simple spreadsheet to track your weekly claims and potential benefit amounts so you'll know exactly what to expect when approved.

After calling ESD using Claimyr, I learned something important about performance-based terminations. The adjudicator looks for evidence that you were CAPABLE of meeting the standards but CHOSE not to (which would be misconduct) versus being unable to meet unreasonable standards despite genuine effort (which usually qualifies for benefits). If you can document that you were trying your best but the expectations were unrealistic, that significantly improves your chances. Also, adding documentation showing the PIP targets were harder than normal job expectations helps a lot.

I HATE when employers use PIPs as backdoor firing tools!!! My last company did the EXACT same thing - gave me impossible targets then acted shocked when I couldn't meet them. Corporate America is such a scam! Did your PIP have a bunch of subjective criteria too? Those are the WORST because they can just say you didn't meet the "attitude" requirements or whatever made-up metric they want!

Quick update on current ESD processing times based on what I'm seeing with other clients: Performance-based separations without clear misconduct are averaging 5-7 weeks in adjudication right now. If your employer is contesting (sounds like they are), it might be on the longer end. If you're approaching the 30-day mark with no updates, I would definitely recommend trying to speak with someone at ESD. Sometimes claims get stuck in the system and need a manual push.

did anyone else get a weird letter asking for identity verification during adjudication? i got one but my friend didn't. just wondering if its normal