What to expect at hearing?

[u/Accomplished_Sky5224]

I have a phone in hearing tomorrow to appeal my claim (employer states I quit, but I claim it as a layoff). Not sure what I should expect at something like this? Anyone have a prior experience they could hopefully fill me in on?

[u/SoThenIThought_]

I highly recommend that you request a continuance. This will reschedule your hearing for 3 to 4 weeks out and give you time to be able to answer this question not the night before the hearing because if you go through with this, you cannot redo this. It's a one shot. Let's make this a really good shot. I do appeal packaging for free from here and I have templates and guides for it. I'm extending you this offer to help you understand your appeal, create an amount of confidence and competence that you can be proud of in your understanding. You may or may not know I work for a law firm so we can have all of this looked at by a lawyer if needed. But at the moment I have no details whatsoever of the case other than it's tomorrow and you do not feel particularly prepared and don't know how it will go. So

"Hi your Honor, I am requesting a continuance pending legal representation"

I sent you a chat message. I really want to get wrapped up for tonight and go hang out with the kid but if you're around I'll call you and explain it. But we got to do it like within now to 9:20. Which is like 10 minutes so if I don't catch you then I'll try you between 5:00 and 7:00 tomorrow

[u/Narrow-Jump777]

I was super stressed before my hearing and could barely sleep the night before. I was worried my past employer was gonna lie about me, like they had to quite a few ppl in the community and a job prospect (I could tell by what the interviewer said that was extremely unprofessional) but I can't really prove it. I was so relieved when I began talking to the judge and realized they didn't show, which helped me stict with the facts without fear of retaliation. It was a typical court hearing. I didn't speak unless asked a question, addressed the judge as your honor, and I wrote down the answers to everything I thought would be asked, so if I drew a blank I could look over my notes. I have a hard time getting the words to come out right sometimes. It's like my brain thinks so fast I end up say 2 things at once and it comes out as "have a grave eading" instead of have a great evening. So I prefer being able to write where I can proof read and erase mistakes. So I've found taking notes before any important phone call is extremely useful. And I have a photographic memory so often if I read the notes I took once or twice I never have to look at them while on the phone, but if I have a moment I can peek real quick. Anyway I was able to stick to the point of her questions and keep it brief but still explain the situation which I was glad to have on court records now as well. It's not an automatic win if the employer doesn't show like some say, but it's a huge factor. And she stated that the employer knew the date and time of the hearing and didn't attend therefore, there was only my side to go off of and she would have the verdict determined with an hour or 2 and I could check on-line, it didn't show up till the next day, but I was so thankful when I checked the next day and it stated they overturned the verdict in favor of the appealant and the employer had 30 days to contest the outcome, but back pay would be sent to my account on file, which I had already set up to my current bank, not remembering which account I had previously used. It said it could take later due to bank processing times. It had been 2 days from my hearing when I checked my bank account and it was there. Not quite as much as I thought it would be, but I had taxes taken out. It was a huge difference maker though and kept us from losing our apartment right as my daughter was starting 6th grade.