What happens at Washington ESD unemployment appeal hearing - nervous about process

Thank you! I do have some emails where my supervisor was being inappropriate. Should I print them out or can I show them on my phone?

Print them out! Have multiple copies - one for you, one for the judge, and one for the employer's representative if they're there.

Did your employer show up to the hearing? I'm wondering if mine will even bother.

yeah they sent their HR person but honestly they didnt have much to say since i had all my documentation ready

This is really helpful. I documented everything as it was happening, so I have dates and details. Should I prepare like a timeline or outline?

Yes, definitely create a timeline with dates and brief descriptions of each incident. Keep it simple but thorough. The judge will appreciate the organization.

I second this advice. Had my hearing two months ago and having everything organized made such a difference. The judge even commented on how well prepared I was.

I've been having the same problem! The phone lines are always busy. Is that service legit?

Yeah it worked for me. Much better than sitting on hold for hours or getting hung up on. I was able to get clarification on what documents I needed to bring.

I used them too when I needed to check on my appeal status. Pretty straightforward and they got me through to Washington ESD within like 20 minutes.

Oh no, now I'm even more worried. How do you know if the judge is biased?

Don't let this scare you. Most appeal hearings are fair. Just focus on presenting your facts clearly and stay calm.

Sorry didn't mean to freak you out. Just be prepared that if your employer has a lawyer and you don't, they might sound more convincing even if they're wrong.

Mine's at 2pm on Wednesday. I'm already losing sleep over it. Did you feel like you explained yourself well or did you forget important details?

I had notes with me which helped a lot. The judge let me refer to them when I needed to remember specific dates or incidents.

Good point! Mine is by phone too. I'll make sure I'm somewhere with good signal.

Also mute yourself when you're not speaking. Background noise can be really distracting for everyone on the call.

That's good advice. I do get pretty worked up talking about what happened. I'll practice staying calm and factual.

Yeah it's natural to get upset but the judge wants to hear facts, not feelings. Save the emotion for explaining how the situation affected you, not for describing what your boss did.

I have one coworker who saw some of what happened. Should I ask them to write a statement?

Absolutely! Get it notarized if possible. Written witness statements carry a lot of weight in these hearings.

This is smart advice. I didn't think to get witness statements for my first appeal and lost. Got them for the second appeal and won.

Definitely won't oversleep! I'm probably going to be up all night anyway from nerves.

Try to get some sleep though. You want to be clear-headed when you're explaining your situation.

Good point. I'm worried my old boss will lie about what happened. At least I have those emails as proof.

That's exactly why documentation is so important. Let them talk, then present your evidence calmly.

Actually, that's not quite right. In Washington, the claimant does have to establish good cause for leaving. But you're right that if the evidence is unclear, it should favor the claimant.

Thanks for the correction. I was thinking of a different type of case.

I might try that service too. I still have questions about the hearing process that I couldn't find answers to online.

It's worth it just to talk to someone who can explain the specific requirements for your type of case.

I did try talking to HR but they basically told me to deal with it. I have that email too. Sounds like I should emphasize how I tried to work things out first.

Exactly! The judge wants to see that you made reasonable efforts to resolve the problem before leaving.

A week or two? That feels like forever when you're broke and waiting for benefits.

I know it's hard to wait, but at least you'll have had your say. The waiting is definitely the worst part.

That's something at least. Six weeks of back pay would really help right now.

Just make sure you keep filing your weekly claims even while the appeal is pending. You won't get paid until it's resolved, but you need to keep the claims active.