Congrats Victoria! That's such a relief after all that stress and waiting. Your case gives me hope - I'm dealing with a similar situation where my employer cut my hours from 40 to 15 per week and then acted surprised when I had to find other work. Filed my appeal last week and trying to stay optimistic. 18 days is actually pretty fast compared to some of the horror stories I've heard. Did you have to provide a lot of documentation during the hearing or was it mainly just testimony?

This is such helpful information for everyone going through appeals! Victoria, I'm so glad you got a positive outcome - 18 days is actually pretty reasonable given what others have shared. For anyone else waiting, it sounds like the key takeaways are: 1) Keep certifying every two weeks no matter what, 2) Check UI Online daily since it might show up there first, 3) Expect 2-4 weeks typically but could be longer, and 4) Have all your documentation ready for the hearing. The fact that constructive dismissal cases like hour reductions seem to have good success rates is encouraging. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this community really helps people navigate this confusing process!

I went through this exact same process 6 months ago and won my appeal! Here's what I wish someone had told me from the start: 1. **Timeline matters** - you only have 30 days from the date on your disqualification notice to file your appeal, so don't delay. 2. **BE VERY SPECIFIC** on the DE 1000M form. Don't just write "I was laid off" - write something like "I was notified on [date] by my supervisor [name] that my position was being eliminated due to company budget cuts. I did not resign or quit voluntarily." 3. **Organize your evidence** - create a simple timeline of events with supporting documents for each point. This will help both with your written appeal and the hearing. 4. **Practice your story** - you'll need to clearly explain what happened during the hearing. Practice telling your story in a logical order without getting emotional (even though it's frustrating!). The good news is that if you truly were laid off and have documentation, these cases are usually winnable. The key is being thorough and organized. You've got this! Let me know if you need help organizing your timeline or have other questions.

I just went through this nightmare last year and want to share a few things that really helped me win my case: **Documentation is EVERYTHING** - I collected every piece of paper I could find: my layoff notice, the email chain about budget cuts, even my final paycheck stub that showed "layoff" instead of "termination." The more official documents you have, the stronger your case. **Don't assume EDD has your employment records** - they often don't have the full picture and rely heavily on what your former employer reported. This is why YOUR evidence is so crucial. **Write a cover letter with your appeal** - I included a one-page summary explaining exactly what happened, referencing the attached documents. Something like "As evidenced by the attached layoff notice dated X, email from manager dated Y, etc., I was involuntarily separated due to company budget constraints, not voluntary resignation." **Keep detailed records going forward** - document every interaction with EDD, keep copies of everything you send them, and note dates/times of phone calls. The whole process took about 2 months for me but was 100% worth it. Once I got to the hearing and presented my evidence, the judge overturned the decision within a week. Stay organized and persistent - you can definitely win this if you were truly laid off!

My friend had this exact problem and said she had to do an "Affidavit of Wages" form to prove when her severance was for. Did anyone send you that form?

UPDATE: You all were right! Just checked my UI Online account and my status changed from pending to paid for weeks 4 and 5, and weeks 1-3 now say "disqualified - excessive earnings" which makes sense because of the severance. Thank you all for the explanations and help!

To summarize the correct information here: 1. CalJOBS registration is mandatory regardless of your employment status (furloughed with return date or completely separated) 2. Your current employer will not be notified of your CalJOBS registration 3. For certification purposes, a tentative return date in April (more than 8 weeks away) means you should continue full work search requirements 4. Document all work search activities, including communications with your current employer about return dates 5. Certify on time every two weeks, even if payments are pending And the most important point - keep checking in with your employer regularly. If your return date becomes more definite (and within 8 weeks), make sure to note that on your certification. This could potentially modify your work search requirements.

I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago when my landscaping company had to furlough half the crew during the slow season. The CalJOBS registration is definitely required - there's no way around it. But here's what I learned that might help: when you register, you can actually set your profile to indicate you're on temporary layoff with an expected return date. This helps explain your situation if anyone from EDD reviews your case. Also, make sure to keep screenshots of your CalJOBS activities for your records. I got randomly selected for an audit and having those screenshots saved me a lot of headaches. The good news is that once you're back at work, you can just stop certifying and your claim will automatically close. Your employer really won't know or care about the CalJOBS registration - it's just between you and EDD.

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this - it's absolutely maddening when EDD hits you with multiple issues at once! I went through something similar last year and here's what I learned: The key thing is that these are two separate issues that need to be handled differently. The 10-week disqualification is likely because they think you provided false information (even if you didn't!), while the overpayment from 2 years ago is a completely different matter. For the disqualification appeal, definitely include your termination letter showing it was a layoff due to downsizing. Also gather any emails or documentation from your employer confirming the workforce reduction. EDD will likely contact your former employer during the appeal process to verify the separation reason. For the overpayment, since it's from an old claim and they sent notices to your wrong address, you have a strong case for a waiver. Document everything showing you updated your address - screenshots from your online account, any confirmation emails, etc. One important thing everyone's mentioned but I'll emphasize - you MUST continue certifying every two weeks during the 10-week disqualification period, and yes, you still need to do work search activities and keep records. I know it seems pointless when you're not getting paid, but if you don't certify, your claim gets closed. File both appeals immediately and send them certified mail. The waiting is brutal, but many people do win their appeals when they have proper documentation.

I'm really sorry you're going through this nightmare with EDD - it's incredibly stressful to deal with both a disqualification AND an overpayment at the same time, especially when you're already struggling financially. One thing I wanted to add that might help with your overpayment situation: since they sent the original notices to your old address from 2 years ago, make sure to request what's called a "good cause" determination along with your overpayment waiver. This basically argues that you shouldn't be held responsible for the overpayment because you never received proper notice due to their address error. When you file your appeals, include evidence that you updated your address with EDD - screenshots of your online account showing the current address, any confirmation emails, even bank statements or other mail showing you were living at your current address during the time period in question. Also, don't let them pressure you into paying the overpayment while your appeals are pending. You have the right to contest it first, and paying it could actually hurt your case by making it look like you're admitting fault. The whole system is designed to discourage people from fighting these decisions, but you clearly have grounds to appeal both issues. Stay strong and document everything!