Make sure you arrive early to your interview and have your EDD Customer Account Number ready. The eligibility interviewer will likely ask detailed questions about your work schedule over the past few months, so having a calendar or work schedule with you would be extremely helpful. Also, don't get defensive or frustrated during the interview (even though this situation is frustrating). Stay calm, stick to facts, and clearly explain that you remain employed but with reduced hours, which is precisely what partial unemployment benefits are designed for.

I went through something very similar with EDD last year! They flagged me for "job abandonment" when I was actually just working reduced hours due to my employer cutting shifts. Here's what really helped me prepare: 1. Get everything in writing from your employer - not just a verbal confirmation from your supervisor, but an actual letter on company letterhead stating you're still employed 2. Print out your recent pay stubs AND a statement showing your direct deposit setup is still active 3. Take screenshots of your employee portal showing your active status and any recent shift postings you've viewed 4. If you have any recent text messages or emails about picking up shifts, screenshot those too The key is proving continuous employment relationship, not just that you worked recently. During my interview, I emphasized that I never resigned, never received termination paperwork, and was still actively seeking additional hours through their internal system. The interviewer cleared the flag immediately once I showed all the documentation. Don't stress too much - this is actually a pretty routine mix-up with part-time/on-call workers, and they see it all the time. Just be prepared with your paperwork and you'll be fine!

Just to answer your original question more specifically - the current timeline I'm seeing for appeals is: - 6-8 weeks from appeal filing to receiving a hearing date - Usually the actual hearing is scheduled 2-4 weeks after that notification - Decision typically comes 1-2 weeks after the hearing So unfortunately, you're looking at potentially 9-14 weeks total from appeal filing to having a decision. If you win, you'll get backpay for all weeks certified. One last piece of advice - when you have your hearing, be very calm, factual, and organized. Judges respond well to clear, logical explanations without excessive emotion (even though this is obviously an emotional situation). Frame your decision as the only reasonable choice you could make under the circumstances.

I'm so sorry you're going through this difficult situation with your father. As someone who works in healthcare administration and has seen many similar cases, I wanted to add that you should also document any financial hardship this caregiving role has created - like increased medical transportation costs, time off work for appointments, etc. This helps establish that continuing your previous employment truly wasn't feasible. Also, since you mentioned you're an RN, make sure to emphasize your professional qualifications and that you're actively seeking work in your new area. The fact that you have specialized skills and are genuinely looking for employment (not just avoiding work) strengthens your case significantly. Many judges view healthcare workers favorably, especially when family caregiving is involved. Keep your chin up - the combination of your medical documentation, employer support, and the compelling nature of caring for a terminally ill parent puts you in a strong position for your appeal.

For anyone still manually calling: start at 8am sharp, avoid lunch hour, and be prepared for 50-100 attempts just to get on hold. That's the reality of the EDD call number situation right now.

After reading through all these experiences, I'm convinced that manual calling is basically gambling at this point. The fact that people are tracking 200+ attempts and making spreadsheets just to reach a government service is absolutely insane. I've been trying the 800-300-5616 number for weeks with zero success, and hearing that both numbers go to the same overloaded system explains everything. At this point I'm seriously considering Claimyr or similar services because my time is worth more than the endless busy signals and dropped calls. Has anyone tried calling at exactly 8:00 AM on the dot when they open? Wondering if there's even a slight advantage in those first few minutes.

Just to update - I double-checked my experience with penalty weeks from last year. The weeks ARE retroactive to when you first certified and would have been eligible. So if you filed on April 8 and have been certifying since then, you're already several weeks into your penalty period. A tip: call EDD and specifically ask "How many penalty weeks have I served so far, and when will my benefits begin?" Get an exact date if possible. Write down the name of the rep who tells you this info.

I just went through this exact situation a few months ago! The penalty weeks definitely start from when you first certified and would have been eligible for payment, NOT from your interview date. So if you certified on April 22nd for weeks ending 4/15 and 4/22, you've already served at least 2-3 weeks of your penalty period. Here's what helped me track it: I made a simple chart showing each week I certified, marked "PENALTY WEEK 1", "PENALTY WEEK 2", etc. It really helped me understand where I was in the process instead of just seeing "disqualified" over and over. Also, definitely keep doing your work searches during penalty weeks! I made the mistake of slacking off thinking "what's the point if I'm not getting paid" but those weeks won't count toward your penalty if you don't meet all the requirements. You should be getting close to the end of your penalty period - hang in there!

To all those having trouble reaching a human at California Unemployment. I just ran across this video that gave me a shortcut to reach a human. Hope it helps! https://youtu.be/Ize0EkN4HDI

I had this happen to me too! I waited about 15 minutes with the silence and then hung up. When I called back, I told them the call dropped and they were able to put me back in the callback queue. The silence usually means you got disconnected but the system doesn't always hang up automatically. Better to hang up after 10-15 minutes and call back rather than waste hours waiting on a dead line.