OAH appeal hearing done today - how long until ESD decision arrives?

You should receive the judge's decision within 2-3 weeks. It comes as a written order in the mail, and they also send a copy to ESD and your former employer. The decision will explain the judge's reasoning and include information about what happens next depending on whether you won or lost. Don't be surprised if your former employer appeals if they lose - companies with attorneys often take it to the next level (Commissioner's Review) if the decision doesn't go their way. But if you win at OAH, ESD should process your payments while any further appeals are pending.

congrats on getting thru it!! i had mine in March and got the letter exactly 11 days later. felt like forever tho lol. the whole thing is so stresful but ur right that just telling ur side is a relief

THEY MAKE THIS PROCESS UNNECESSARILY DIFFICULT ON PURPOSE!!! I went through this last year and they dragged it out for WEEKS after my hearing. My former employer literally made up reasons for firing me and ESD just BELIEVED them initially without question. The appeal hearing was the only place I could actually present EVIDENCE instead of just their word against mine. BTW even after I won my appeal, ESD took almost a month to actually pay me my back benefits. Had to call them 6 TIMES before they finally released the payment. The whole system is designed to wear you down so you'll give up!!

Just went through this in April. Got my decision letter in about 2 weeks. The most important thing to know is that after you receive the decision, if it's in your favor, ESD doesn't automatically start paying benefits right away. You'll need to follow up with them directly to make sure they implement the judge's order. I was pulling my hair out trying to reach someone at ESD after winning my appeal. After days of busy signals and disconnects, I found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helped me get through to an actual ESD agent within 30 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 Without that, I think I'd still be waiting for my payments to start! The agent I spoke with had to manually update something in their system to release the funds.

I work with unemployment appeals regularly. Here's what you should know: 1. OAH typically issues decisions within 10-15 business days after the hearing 2. The decision will be mailed to your address on file with detailed reasoning 3. If you win, ESD should reprocess your claim within 7-10 business days after receiving the judge's order 4. If your employer had legal representation, there's approximately a 40% chance they'll appeal to the Commissioner's Review Office if they lose 5. You can call OAH at (360) 407-2700 to check on the status of your decision if it's been more than 15 business days One important tip: if you win, and don't see payment activity within 10 days of receiving the decision, proactively contact ESD. Sometimes there's a disconnect between the OAH decision and ESD implementation.

I think what matters is what type of appeal you had? Mine was for an issue with my job search requirements that I appealed and it only took 8 days to get the decision. But my friend had one about misconduct with her employer and that one took almost a month I think? Maybe there's different timeframes depending on what type of issue it is.

My hearing was back in February and the judge seemed totally on my side but then I LOST anyway!!! Don't get your hopes up too much. The system always favors employers in the end. I submitted so much evidence and it didn't matter at all.

Thanks everyone for the helpful information! I'm feeling better prepared now. Sounds like I should expect something in about 2 weeks, but should be ready to proactively contact ESD if I win and don't see payments starting. Really appreciate all the insights and shared experiences. This whole unemployment process has been so much more complicated than I expected.