I'm so sorry this happened to you! What a stressful situation over what was clearly an honest mistake. After reading through all the excellent advice here, I think you have a really strong case for unemployment benefits. One thing I wanted to add that might be helpful - when you file your claim, consider mentioning that the time clock interface was confusing or poorly designed if that's the case. Sometimes these systems have buttons that are too close together or aren't clearly labeled, which makes accidental selections more likely. This helps reinforce that it was a genuine user error, not intentional misconduct. Also, the timing of when you tried to report the mistake could be important. If you told your supervisor immediately (like within minutes or hours), make sure to emphasize that timeline during your interview. It shows you weren't trying to hide anything and discovered the error quickly. From everything I've read here from people with experience, including the former EDD case worker, it sounds like your situation is exactly the type that should be approved. The combination of your clean record, immediate self-reporting, and the fact that you were trying to take UNPAID time off makes this a pretty clear case of an honest mistake rather than misconduct. Best of luck with your claim - keep us updated on how it goes!

I'm really sorry you're going through this situation - it sounds incredibly frustrating to get fired over what was clearly an honest mistake, especially when you immediately tried to fix it! Based on all the excellent advice shared here, it sounds like you have a very strong case for unemployment benefits. The key factors working in your favor are really compelling: your 9-month clean employment record, the fact that you immediately self-reported the error, your good faith attempt to resolve it through Costco's appeal process, and most importantly - you were trying to take UNPAID time off, not steal time. One additional tip I'd suggest: when you have your EDD phone interview, consider bringing up how this termination was disproportionate to the "offense." Most employers would issue a verbal warning or write-up for a first-time accidental time clock error, especially one that was immediately self-reported. The fact that Costco went straight to termination for someone with your clean record actually supports your case that this was an overreaction, not justified discipline for misconduct. Also, make sure to keep detailed notes of your phone interview with EDD - write down the interviewer's name, date, time, and what questions they asked. If for some reason your claim gets delayed or there are issues later, having that documentation can be really helpful. You've gotten such great advice from this community, and it's clear everyone is rooting for you. Stay confident in your case - you deserve those benefits and this whole situation will be behind you soon!

I just wanted to add my experience to this incredibly helpful thread! I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago and can confirm everything people are saying here. My timeline was: - Mailed application: Day 0 (Friday) - Created UI Online account: Day 5 (showed "no claim found" - totally normal!) - Claim appeared online: Day 12 - First certification completed: Same day - Payment received via direct deposit: Day 14 The waiting period is absolutely brutal when you're stressed about money, but this community's advice about creating the online account early is spot-on. Once your claim appears, you can immediately start the online certification process instead of waiting for more mail back and forth. A few tips that helped me: - Set up direct deposit the moment your claim appears - it's WAY faster than the EDD debit card - Start tracking your work search activities now, even while waiting, since you'll need to report them during certification - Check once daily at a set time instead of obsessively refreshing (easier said than done, I know!) For anyone currently in the waiting period - you're not alone and this process does work! The uncertainty is definitely the hardest part, but based on all the timelines shared here, most mail applications appear online between days 10-14. Once you're in the system, everything moves much smoother. This thread has been more helpful than anything on the official EDD website. Thanks to everyone sharing their real experiences! 🙏

I went through this exact same situation recently and wanted to share my experience to help ease some anxiety! I mailed my application about 2 months ago and was in the same boat - super nervous about not being able to track anything online. Here's what happened with my timeline: - Mailed application: Day 0 - Created UI Online account: Day 4 (showed "no claim found" which freaked me out initially) - Claim finally appeared: Day 13 - Completed first certification online: Same day - First payment via direct deposit: Day 15 The waiting period is honestly the worst part of the whole process. I was checking my online account multiple times a day even though I knew from reading forums like this that it would take time. When you're stressed about money, every day feels like forever. But here's the good news - once your claim appears online, everything speeds up dramatically. Being able to certify online instead of waiting for mail is a game changer. I went from weeks of uncertainty to getting regular payments within days of my claim appearing. My advice for anyone currently waiting: - Don't panic if you see "no claim found" for the first couple weeks - it's completely normal - Set up direct deposit immediately once your claim appears - Keep track of any work search activities you're doing now since you'll need to report them later The EDD really should explain this processing delay better on their website. This community filling that information gap has been invaluable. Hang in there - the process does work, it's just slower than we'd all prefer!

I'm going through something very similar right now! I'm 24 and just got terminated from my first "real" job after college for attendance issues - mostly being late because my car broke down and I had to rely on rideshare/bus combinations that were super unreliable. My supervisor actually said something similar when I was let go: "You should definitely file for unemployment, don't wait." Reading through all these responses has been SO helpful because I was honestly terrified to apply. I kept thinking that getting fired meant automatic denial, but seeing how many people here had almost identical situations and were approved is giving me so much hope. What really stands out to me is how many people mentioned that HR/management specifically encouraged them to apply - it seems like that's actually a really strong indicator that the company isn't planning to fight the claim. I never thought about it from the company's perspective before, but it makes total sense that they wouldn't waste someone's time if they were going to contest it aggressively. Your daughter should definitely apply today! The combination of being young, having legitimate transportation barriers, and getting that encouragement from HR sounds like a really strong case. I'm going to apply for mine today too after reading all this advice. This community is amazing - thank you to everyone who shared their experiences!

Reading through all these responses as someone who's been helping people navigate unemployment claims for the past few years, I'm really impressed with the quality of advice being shared here! Your daughter's situation is actually textbook for what EDD considers a valid claim despite the employer labeling it "misconduct." A few additional points that might help: 1. The 6-month employment period is actually perfect - long enough to show she was committed to making it work, but not so long that patterns of deliberate misconduct could be established 2. Being 23 and relying on public transit puts her in a protected category that EDD recognizes as having legitimate barriers beyond personal control 3. The timing of her application matters - applying immediately after termination (as HR suggested) shows she's taking the situation seriously and genuinely needs the support One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that she should keep her termination paperwork handy during any phone interview. Even though it says "misconduct," she can reference it to show she's being transparent while explaining that the circumstances (transportation delays, illness) don't meet EDD's definition of willful misconduct. The fact that HR used such encouraging language really is the best indicator you could ask for. In my experience, when companies plan to contest claims, they either say nothing or give very neutral advice like "you can try filing." The "make sure you apply right away" phrasing suggests they've already made an internal decision not to fight this. Your daughter should feel confident applying today - she has all the right factors working in her favor!

Don't panic! I made this exact mistake about 3 months ago when I accidentally used my old zip code from before I moved. Here's what happened and what you should do: First, try logging back into your UI Online account to see if you can spot any error messages or if there's an option to correct the submission. Sometimes the system will flag it immediately. If not, definitely call EDD right away - I know the phone lines are terrible, but it's worth the wait. When I called, they told me that zip code errors are super common and usually just trigger a manual review rather than an outright rejection. In my case, they had me email a recent utility bill or bank statement showing my correct address, and they processed my payment about a week later than normal. The important thing is to be proactive about it - they appreciate when people call to report their own mistakes rather than trying to hide them. Keep trying to get through on the phone and have your confirmation number from the certification ready when you do!

I actually had this exact same issue about 4 months ago! I accidentally put my work zip code instead of my home zip code on my certification and was really worried about it. Here's what I learned: The good news is that EDD doesn't automatically reject certifications for zip code errors - they usually just flag them for manual review. I called EDD the next day (took about 2 hours of trying to get through), and the representative was very helpful. She explained that address discrepancies are one of the most common errors they see, especially with people who've recently moved or work from different locations. They had me submit a copy of my driver's license and a recent piece of mail to verify my correct address through the UI Online messaging system. The whole process added about 8-10 days to my payment processing time, but I received all the benefits I was owed. My advice: don't wait - call them as soon as possible and be honest about the mistake. They deal with this stuff all the time and are generally understanding when people are upfront about errors. Also, make sure your address is updated correctly in your main profile to avoid future issues!

This thread is incredibly helpful! I just went through this exact same issue yesterday and was pulling my hair out thinking my account was flagged or something was wrong with my claim. The phone system kept disconnecting me right after entering my SSN and PIN - so frustrating when you're stressed about missing the certification deadline! Based on reading everyone's experiences here, I tried calling at 11pm last night and it worked perfectly on the first try. The late night timing really seems to be the key for avoiding the system overload during peak hours. One additional tip I discovered - if you're using an iPhone, make sure you don't have "Silence Unknown Callers" turned on in your settings. I realized the EDD system might be calling back to confirm something during the certification process, and that feature was potentially blocking it. Not sure if that was actually the issue, but I turned it off just to be safe. Also keeping screenshots of my call attempts from now on in case I need to document "Good Cause" for any future system issues. This community is amazing for sharing real solutions to these technical problems!

I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! Been trying to certify by phone for the past two days and getting disconnected every single time after entering my SSN and PIN. It's such a relief to find this thread and realize it's a widespread system overload problem rather than something wrong with my specific account. Based on all the success stories here with late night calling, I'm definitely going to try the 10-11pm window tonight. I had no idea that timing could make such a huge difference with EDD's phone system capacity. Really appreciate everyone sharing their troubleshooting tips - especially the advice about documenting call attempts and the "Good Cause" extension option. When you're depending on these payments, every technical glitch feels like a crisis, so having this community support and practical solutions is incredibly valuable. Going to try the late night approach and also check my phone carrier settings just in case. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!