Quit Amazon delivery job due to age/physical demands - will ESD approve my claim?

hate to be the bearer of bad news but i quit a warehouse job last yr bc of back probs and got DENIED. ESD said i should have asked for accommodations first before quitting. did u ever ask amazon for lighter routes or anything??

Oh no, that's what I was afraid of. I did mention to my supervisor a couple times that I was struggling, but I never formally requested accommodations through HR. Do you think I should call ESD back and tell them that?

You may have a difficult case, but it's not impossible. ESD typically looks for three things when you quit:\n\n1. Did you exhaust all alternatives before quitting (requesting accommodations, different position, etc.)\n2. Did you have a doctor document that the job was harmful to your health\n3. Would any reasonable person in your situation have quit\n\nUnfortunately, just saying the job was too physically demanding without medical documentation or formal accommodation requests first often leads to a disqualification. You may want to gather any medical records that show pre-existing conditions that were exacerbated by the delivery job. Did you visit a doctor about this issue?

This!! ⬆️ I work in HR and deal with this all the time. Amazon & other delivery companies have reasonable accommodation processes specifically for this reason. Without documentation that you tried to keep your job through official channels, ESD usually rules it as a voluntary quit without good cause. Did you file any injury reports while working there? Those could help your case.

I did see my doctor twice while working there for back pain, and he told me the job was making it worse. I have those records, but I didn't submit them to Amazon or request an official accommodation. Should I send these medical records to ESD now? Or is it too late since they're already making a decision?

Just wanted to share that I had a similar situation with a different employer (construction) and got approved, but I had documentation from my doctor stating the job was aggravating an existing condition. I also filed a formal accommodation request that was denied before quitting. If you have ANY documentation about your medical issues related to the job, send it to ESD immediately! Even if they're in decision-making process, new evidence can be considered.

Thank you! I'll send in my doctor's notes today. Is there a specific way to submit additional documentation? Should I just upload it through my eServices account or call them directly?

I'm in the same boat right now waiting for adjudication after quitting my job... been almost 3 weeks and I'm going CRAZY checking my account everyday. Has anyone actually been able to get through to ESD on the phone to check status???? I've called like 80 times and either get disconnected or told the wait is over 2 hours (which I don't have on my cell plan).

Check out Claimyr.com - it helped me get through to ESD when I was in adjudication hell for almost a month. They have a system that holds your place in line and calls you when an agent is available. Saved me literally hours of hold time. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 that shows how it works. Totally worth it when you need to actually talk to someone at ESD about your specific situation.

That sounds like exactly what I need too! I've been trying to get through for days. Going to check this out right now, thanks!

Quick tip: If your claim is denied (which is unfortunately likely based on what you've shared), immediately file an appeal. Don't wait! You only have 30 days from the denial date. The Office of Administrative Hearings is separate from ESD and often overturns denials if you can show medical necessity. Also, continue filing your weekly claims during the appeal process - if you win, they'll pay those weeks retroactively.\n\nDuring your appeal hearing, focus on:\n1. Any medical documentation\n2. How the job affected your health (be specific about deliveries per day, weight of packages, etc.)\n3. Any attempts to resolve the issue before quitting\n\nGood luck!

This is really helpful, thank you! I'll definitely appeal if denied. For the appeal hearing, should I get a letter from my doctor specifically saying the job was too physically demanding? Or would my previous appointment notes be enough?

my cousin work for amazn and he got put on lighter duty when he hurt his back they have tons of warehouse jobs that dont need much lifting have you check with them jobs before quit?? they probably gonna say u had other options sorry man thats how they roll

^^ this is what happened to me! the adjudicator asked if i tried to transfer to a different position within the company and when i said no they said i didn't exhaust reasonable alternatives. voluntary quit = no benefits 😤

Ugh, that's frustrating. I didn't know about warehouse transfers being an option. I was just focused on getting out of there because I was in so much pain every day. I wonder if it's worth mentioning in my appeal (if denied) that I wasn't made aware of these options by management?

Update on my earlier comment - if you do have those doctor visits documented during your Amazon employment, submit them to ESD ASAP through your eServices account under

Just submitted everything through eServices! I included details about how many packages (150-200 daily), stairs climbed (50+ apartment buildings on my route), and how that affected my specific back condition. Now more waiting I guess... I've been filing my weekly claims religiously. Thanks for all the help everyone.

Just wanted to add my experience - I worked for Amazon logistics for 8 months before having to quit due to a knee injury that kept getting worse. The key thing that helped me get approved was having my doctor write a specific letter stating that continuing the job would cause "permanent disability or health impairment." Just having appointment notes wasn't enough - I needed that exact language. Also, I documented EVERYTHING - took photos of the heaviest packages, kept a daily log of pain levels, and screenshots of delivery quotas. It sounds like overkill but it really helped during my appeal hearing. Don't give up if you get denied initially!

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - quit my warehouse job due to shoulder problems and waiting on ESD's decision. Reading through all these comments has been super educational. It sounds like the key things are: 1) medical documentation with specific language about health impairment, 2) evidence you tried other options first (accommodations, transfers), and 3) detailed documentation of the physical demands. I didn't do any of this properly before quitting either. Connor, I really hope your medical records and the additional documentation you submitted help your case. Keep us posted on what happens! The waiting is the worst part.

I've been following this thread closely because I'm in a very similar situation - had to quit my job at a packaging facility due to repetitive strain injuries in my wrists and forearms. Like many of you, I didn't know about the accommodation process or getting proper medical documentation beforehand. What really strikes me from reading everyone's experiences is how much the system seems stacked against workers who are genuinely injured but don't navigate the bureaucracy perfectly. It's frustrating that companies like Amazon don't proactively inform employees about accommodation options when they see people struggling. Connor, I really hope your medical records help your case. The fact that you saw a doctor twice while working there and have documentation that the job was worsening your condition should count for something. I'm also planning to get that specific "permanent disability or health impairment" language from my doctor like Miguel suggested. Has anyone had success appealing through the Office of Administrative Hearings even without having requested accommodations first? I'm trying to prepare for that possibility since it seems like the initial denials are pretty common in these physical demand cases.