I went through something very similar with my catering company last year! The confusion around irregular W2 work is so real. What really helped me was creating a simple email template that I send to my supervisor every month asking about my employment status - something like "Hi [Name], just confirming I'm still considered an active employee during periods between assignments for my unemployment certification purposes." Having that monthly confirmation email saved me from a lot of anxiety during certification, and it also created a paper trail. My company responded that as long as I'm available and willing to accept assignments when offered, I remain an active employee regardless of gaps between work. One more tip - I also started taking screenshots of any scheduling apps or employee portals that show I'm still "active" in their system. These little pieces of documentation really add up and give you confidence when certifying!

I'm currently dealing with this exact situation with my freelance production work! Reading through everyone's experiences has been incredibly eye-opening. I think the biggest lesson here is that there's no one-size-fits-all answer since every employer handles irregular workers differently. What I'm taking away from this thread: 1. Contact your employer ASAP to understand their specific policies about employment status during work gaps 2. Document absolutely everything - emails, texts, screenshots of employee portals, pay stubs 3. Be consistent in how you report (don't flip-flop between employed/terminated unless your actual status changes) 4. When in doubt, err on the side of reporting as still employed rather than terminated, since that seems to cause fewer issues with EDD The stories about overpayment notices are definitely scary, but it sounds like most of those situations stemmed from mismatched expectations between what the worker thought their status was versus what the employer reported. Getting that clarity upfront seems to be the key to avoiding those headaches. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this has been way more helpful than trying to decipher EDD's website on my own!

I went through this exact same situation about 8 months ago! My employer claimed I was fired for performance issues when I was actually laid off due to company downsizing. They didn't show up to my phone hearing, which definitely helped my case. Here's what I learned: Even though your employer not showing up is a good sign, you still need to be fully prepared. The judge will have whatever initial documentation your employer submitted to EDD, so don't assume it's an automatic win. Make sure you have your termination letter mentioning "department restructuring" ready to reference, and practice explaining the timeline clearly. The judge asked me very specific questions like "What exactly did your supervisor tell you when you were terminated?" and "Did you receive any prior warnings about performance?" My hearing lasted about 30 minutes, and the judge was very professional and fair. I received my decision letter 9 days later - approved with full backpay of over $4,200. One practical tip: Test your phone connection beforehand and make sure you're somewhere quiet. I used my landline instead of my cell phone to avoid any connection issues. You've got this - just stay calm and stick to the facts!

I'm currently waiting for my appeal hearing date and this thread has been incredibly helpful! Reading everyone's experiences has really calmed my nerves about the process. One thing I'm curious about - for those whose employers didn't show up, did you get any advance notice that they wouldn't be attending? Or did you only find out when the judge called and they weren't there? I'm trying to manage my expectations and figure out if there's any way to know beforehand. Also, I've seen some people mention submitting evidence 24 hours before the hearing - is this a hard requirement or just recommended? My hearing notice didn't specify an exact timeline for document submission. Thanks to everyone who's shared their stories here. It's so helpful to hear from people who've actually been through this rather than just reading generic advice online. Fingers crossed we all get positive outcomes!

Just want to add another success story to hopefully give you more confidence! I went through almost the exact same thing in 2022 - hours cut from 40 to about 12 per week, employer claimed it was "temporary" but it went on for months. I represented myself at the appeal hearing and won. The key things that helped me: 1) I calculated the exact percentage my wages were reduced (it was about 70% reduction), 2) I brought evidence that I actively looked for other work while still employed there, and 3) I showed that I gave my employer reasonable time to restore my hours before quitting. The hearing itself was about 20 minutes over the phone. The judge was actually very understanding and seemed familiar with these types of cases. What really sealed it was when I referenced that EDD regulation about wage reductions being good cause - the judge even thanked me for citing the specific regulation number. Your case sounds even stronger than mine was since you have documentation of trying to resolve it with your manager. Don't let them intimidate you - these constructive discharge cases are very winnable when you have clear evidence of significant hour reductions!

Reading through this thread has been really eye-opening! I'm actually an employment law paralegal and see these constructive discharge cases fairly often. What strikes me about your situation @Ravi Patel is that you have several strong elements that often lead to successful appeals: 1. Clear documentation of the hour reduction (38 to 15-18 hours is about a 50-55% wage reduction - well above that 25% threshold) 2. Evidence you attempted to resolve it with management before quitting 3. The reduction appears to have been indefinite, not temporary One practical tip I'd add - when you write your appeal letter, structure it chronologically and be very specific about dates and dollar amounts. Instead of saying "my hours were cut drastically," say "my hours were reduced from 38 per week to approximately 16 per week, resulting in a 58% reduction in wages from $X to $Y per week." Also, if you have any evidence that other employees were NOT subject to the same hour reductions, that can strengthen your case significantly. It shows the reduction was targeted rather than a company-wide measure. The success stories in this thread are encouraging but realistic - these cases are very winnable with proper preparation and documentation. Best of luck!

I just went through this exact same thing last month and finally got through! Here's what worked for me after trying everything else: I downloaded the CamScanner app (free version) on my phone and used it to scan my ID. The app automatically crops, adjusts brightness, and removes shadows - way better than regular phone camera photos. Make sure you scan in a bright room but avoid direct overhead lighting that creates glare. I also cleared my browser completely (cache, cookies, everything) and used Chrome in incognito mode. Uploaded around 6 AM when the system wasn't busy. It went through on the first try after weeks of failed attempts! The whole system is incredibly frustrating but don't give up - these technical workarounds really do make a difference. Good luck! 🤞

I'm currently stuck on the same identity verification step and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I've been trying for about a week with no luck using regular phone photos. Based on all the advice here, I'm going to try a combination approach: use the CamScanner app that @Ryder Ross mentioned for better image quality, then upload using Chrome incognito mode during early morning hours like several people suggested. It's frustrating that we have to jump through so many technical hoops just to access benefits we're entitled to, but I really appreciate everyone sharing their successful strategies. Will definitely update this thread once I (hopefully) get through! 🤞

Congrats on the game show win, Ella! That's absolutely incredible! 🎊 I've been reading through all the fantastic advice everyone has shared, and I think you've got a really solid plan now. Just wanted to add one small thing that helped me when I was navigating EDD's confusing system - create a simple timeline document for yourself with all the key dates and actions. Something like: - December 2024: Game show taped, winnings earned but not received - January 2025: Call EDD to give heads up about incoming large payment - February 2025: Receive check and report as "Other Income" during certification - Tax season 2025: Receive 1099 form Having everything laid out chronologically really helped me stay organized and not miss any steps. Plus, if you ever need to explain the situation to an EDD rep, you'll have all the dates and details right at your fingertips. You're being so thoughtful about handling this correctly - EDD can be tricky but you're definitely on the right track. Here's hoping you land an amazing new marketing job before that check even arrives! Best of luck with everything! 🍀

Ella, huge congratulations on your game show win! That's so exciting! 🎉 I've been reading through all the excellent advice here and I think everyone has covered the main points perfectly. You've definitely got the right approach - wait until you actually receive the payment in 2025, then report it as "Other Income" during that certification period. I wanted to add one quick thought that might be helpful: since you mentioned you've been searching for marketing positions, you might want to consider how this timing could actually work in your favor. If you do land a new job before February 2025, the game show payment won't impact your unemployment benefits at all since you won't be claiming them anymore. And even if you're still job searching, having that extra cushion from the winnings could give you more flexibility to be selective about the right opportunity rather than feeling pressured to take the first offer. You're being so smart to plan this out in advance rather than scrambling when the check arrives. EDD's system can be confusing enough without trying to figure out unusual situations on the fly. Best of luck with both the job search and handling the winnings properly when they come!