One final piece of advice: during your hearing, if the ALJ asks if you would have remained employed had your hours not been reduced, make sure to clearly state YES. This is crucial because it establishes that the reduction in hours was the sole reason for your separation, not that you simply wanted to leave the job. The legal standard they're looking at is whether a reasonable person in your situation would have felt compelled to quit. The significant reduction in hours (going from 38 to 12) should qualify as good cause, but you need to articulate clearly how this made it impossible to meet your basic financial obligations. Also, if you haven't already, calculate exactly what percentage reduction in pay this represented. A 68% reduction in hours will make a strong impression on the judge.

I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago - hour reduction from full-time to part-time and EDD initially denied my claim saying I "voluntarily quit." I won my appeal and here's what really helped me: The magic phrase you want to use is "constructive discharge due to substantial change in working conditions." When they cut your hours from 38 to 12, that's a 68% reduction which is WAY beyond what's considered reasonable. For your hearing preparation: - Create a simple chart showing your before/after hours and pay - List your monthly expenses to show the financial impossibility - Bring any documentation showing you tried to get more hours before quitting - Practice explaining calmly why a reasonable person couldn't survive on 12 hours/week The hearing was actually less scary than I expected. The judge asked straightforward questions about the timeline and my financial situation. My former employer didn't even show up. The whole thing took maybe 20 minutes over the phone. One tip: when they ask if you looked for other work before quitting, be honest about your efforts but emphasize that you hoped the hour reduction was temporary and tried to make it work first. You've got a strong case with that significant of an hour reduction! Keep us posted on how it goes.

One additional tip: If you go with the phone hearing (which sounds like the right choice for you), make sure to prepare a one-page summary of key events with dates. When the judge asks questions, it's much easier to refer to your timeline than shuffling through papers. Keep explanations brief and factual - judges appreciate when you respect their time. Also, the average phone hearing lasts 30-45 minutes, while in-person can go longer (45-60 minutes) because of administrative procedures at the office.

I went through the same situation last year with a similar overpayment amount and chose the phone hearing - best decision I made! The judge was actually more focused on my evidence than anything else. Quick tip that really helped me: Before the hearing, I called the appeals office and asked them to confirm they received all my documentation. Turns out they were missing one of my pay stubs, so I was able to fax it over the day before. Also, during the phone hearing, I mentioned specific page numbers when referencing my evidence ("as shown on page 3 of my submitted documents") which seemed to help the judge follow along. The whole process took about 35 minutes and I won my case. The phone format actually worked in my favor because I could stay calm in my own environment and refer to my notes without feeling rushed. You've got this!

anybody know if u can set up direct deposit with money network instead of using their card? the BofA card was bad enough but at least i could transfer to my bank account for free

Just following up on this thread - did your payment ever switch from pending to paid? And did you get your Money Network card yet? I'm curious because my roommate is going through the exact same issue right now.

sounds like ur overthinking this tbh... 2 days off before u even start isnt what unemployment is for. file when the whole job ends

Just to add another perspective - I work in HR at a company that hires seasonal workers. Those initial closure days are pretty normal for retail/warehouse seasonal positions, especially around inventory time. Don't stress about it! One thing to keep in mind: when you do start working, keep track of your pay stubs and hours worked. If your employer consistently gives you fewer hours than what you were hired for (like if they promised 40 hours/week but only give you 20), THEN you might qualify for partial unemployment benefits. But you'd need to have worked long enough to meet the wage requirements first. Good luck with the new job!

Update on wait times: I attended a legal clinic for EDD claimants last week, and the attorneys there mentioned that decision times have actually increased in the past few months. They're seeing most decisions taking 12-14 weeks now, with some taking up to 16 weeks. This is apparently due to staff shortages at the Appeals Board and a recent increase in appeal filings. If you hit the 14-week mark without a decision, they recommended sending a formal inquiry letter to the Appeals Board citing California Unemployment Insurance Code Section 1336, which states decisions should be prompt. Include your case number, hearing date, and contact information. This sometimes helps move cases that have gotten stuck in the queue.

I'm going through a similar situation right now - had my appeal hearing in September for a "voluntary quit" disqualification (which was actually a layoff, but EDD coded it wrong). It's been about 10 weeks and still no decision letter. Reading everyone's experiences here is both reassuring and terrifying at the same time! I've been calling the Appeals Board every few weeks and they just keep saying "still under review by the Administrative Law Judge." At least I know from this thread that 12-14 weeks seems to be the new normal. The financial stress is unreal though - I've had to move back in with family and I'm basically living off credit cards at this point. One thing I wanted to add - my local legal aid office told me that if you're facing eviction or utilities being shut off while waiting for your appeal decision, you can request an "expedited review" from the Appeals Board. They said it doesn't guarantee faster processing, but they're supposed to flag urgent cases. Might be worth asking about if anyone is in a really desperate situation. Hang in there everyone - sounds like most people eventually get their decisions, it's just a matter of surviving the wait! 😩