This is why I hate retail jobs. They do this on purpose to keep from laying people off officially. My daughter went through something similar at her grocery store job. They cut her to 8 hours a week but technically kept her "employed" so they wouldn't have to pay unemployment. She applied for UI anyway and got it, but her manager gave her attitude about it. Don't let them intimidate you!

One more thing to be aware of: when you certify each week, you'll need to say "yes" to the question asking if you looked for work. Make sure you're actually applying to at least a few jobs each week and keep records of your job search activities (company name, date, position, how you applied). EDD can request this information at any time, especially if your employer tries to challenge your claim.

One more important tip: during your appeal hearing, focus on these specific points:\n\n1. Your overall work history (8 years of good service)\n2. The isolated nature of this incident (single occurrence)\n3. Lack of prior warnings about this specific issue\n4. Lack of training on the importance of this documentation requirement\n5. No substantial harm to employer (if that's accurate)\n\nAvoid arguing about whether the termination itself was fair - that's not what the hearing is about. The only question is whether your actions rose to the level of \

Thank you! I was definitely planning to argue that the firing was unfair, so I'm glad you pointed this out. I'll focus specifically on why this doesn't meet the legal definition of misconduct instead. I really appreciate everyone's help here!

my cousin works at edd she says their super backed up right now cuz of some computer upgrade thing so everything's taking longer than normal fyi

UPDATE: I finally got through to EDD! The rep said exactly what some of you mentioned - the system flagged my certification because of the return date change. She reviewed my account, confirmed I was still eligible for those days, and manually pushed the payment through. She said it should switch from pending to paid within 24-48 hours. Just sharing in case anyone else runs into this issue!

She got the written decision about 10 days after the hearing, but I've heard it can take up to 30 days depending on the judge's caseload. They told her at the end of the hearing that they'd mail the decision, but she was able to see it posted in her UI Online account first.

Thanks for the info! 10 days isn't too bad. I'm hoping mine comes quickly too.

My hearing was supposed to be in person pre-covid but I imagine phone is similar. I was super nervous too but honestly its pretty informal. I wrote down all my points beforehand which helped a lot because I get nervous and forget things. BTW my employer didn't even show up to defend their position and I automatically won! Hope the same happens for you!

To answer your follow-up question - yes, my employer did show up with their HR person, but the judge made sure everyone had a chance to speak without interruptions. After the hearing, I received the decision in about 10 days, and my back benefits were processed about a week after that. One thing I didn't mention: the hearing was recorded, so speak clearly and try not to talk over anyone. And remember that constructive discharge (what happened to you with reduced hours) is recognized as good cause to leave a job. The EDD Guide for Appeals specifically mentions this.