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! 😩

UPDATE: I finally got through to EDD this morning! The specialist confirmed that YES, my weeks with excessive earnings ARE counting toward my penalty weeks. She explained that as long as I'm certifying and meeting all other eligibility requirements (available for work, searching for work, etc.), the weeks will count regardless of whether I would have been paid or not. She did emphasize that I need to keep certifying every two weeks and accurately report all earnings, even during the penalty period. For anyone else dealing with penalty weeks - they DO run concurrently with excessive earnings! One less thing to stress about.

This is such valuable information! I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - 4 penalty weeks and just started a part-time gig that puts me over my weekly benefit amount. I was panicking thinking I'd never get through my penalty period, but reading through all these responses (especially your final update with EDD confirmation) gives me so much peace of mind. For anyone else reading this thread in the future: the key takeaways seem to be 1) Keep certifying every two weeks no matter what, 2) Report ALL earnings accurately, 3) Make sure you're still meeting other eligibility requirements (available for work, job searching, etc.), and 4) Weeks with excessive earnings DO count toward penalty weeks as long as you're otherwise eligible. Thanks for sharing your experience and coming back with the official confirmation from EDD!

UPDATE: Just wanted to let everyone know that the reopen button appeared exactly 4 business days after my last payment, just like some of you suggested. The system let me complete the reopening process without any issues. Thanks for all your help and advice!

Glad you got it sorted out! For anyone else dealing with this issue, I'd recommend bookmarking this thread - it's got all the real info you need. The 4-day processing period seems to be the most reliable timeline based on everyone's experiences here. Also worth noting that if you're in seasonal work like construction or entertainment, it might be worth keeping a log of when you close/reopen claims so you can predict the timing better for future gaps. The EDD system is unpredictable enough without having to guess about processing times!