I want to thank everyone for all this helpful information! I've been taking notes and have a much better plan now. I'm going to: 1. Contact my county welfare office about CalWORKs Stage 1 childcare 2. Reach out to the local R&R agency for subsidized options 3. Be honest on my certification and prepare for the eligibility interview 4. Gather all my documentation showing childcare costs and search efforts 5. Try to get through to an EDD rep for specific guidance on my situation I feel so much more prepared now. I'll update this thread once I've had my interview to let everyone know how it went!

Just wanted to add another resource that might help - many community colleges in California have childcare centers that offer sliding scale fees based on income. Even if you're not enrolled as a student, some centers have spots available for community members. It's worth calling around to community colleges in your area to ask about their childcare programs. Also, some faith-based organizations offer affordable childcare even if you're not a member. The key is to cast a wide net and document every inquiry you make - this documentation will be crucial for your EDD interview. I've seen people get approved when they could show they contacted 15+ childcare providers and documented the costs/availability issues.

UPDATE: We got the decision letter today!! The judge ruled in our favor! I'm so relieved I could cry. The letter says the previous determination is reversed and my husband is eligible for benefits. It explains that his reduction in hours constituted a constructive discharge (basically forced quit) which qualifies for benefits. Thank you everyone for helping me stay sane during the wait! Now I just hope the payments come through quickly.

Congratulations Gianna! That's such wonderful news! I've been following your story and I'm so relieved it worked out in your favor. The "constructive discharge" ruling is exactly what should happen when employers cut hours to basically nothing - it's not a true voluntary quit when you're forced into that situation. Hopefully this gives hope to others dealing with similar appeals. Wishing you and your husband all the best, and hopefully those payments come through super quickly!

Thank you everyone for all this helpful advice! I'm going to follow the suggestions about creating a paper trail. I just sent a formal email to HR summarizing our conversation and specifically requesting intervention. I'll give them two weeks to address it, and in the meantime, I'll continue documenting any further incidents. I also managed to get through to an EDD representative using the Claimyr service someone suggested. The rep confirmed that harassment can qualify as good cause to quit, but I need to show I tried to resolve it first. They suggested I keep a detailed log with dates/times/descriptions of incidents and any witnesses present. If things don't improve after my formal complaint, I'll draft a resignation letter specifically citing the hostile work environment as the reason. I'm still hoping it won't come to that, but at least I feel more prepared now if it does. I'll update this thread once there's a resolution.

Good luck with your situation! I went through something similar about 6 months ago and it's such a stressful process. One thing that really helped my case was keeping a detailed incident log with exact quotes when possible - EDD asked me very specific questions during my phone interview about what was said and when. Also, don't forget to save any work emails or messages that might support your case. In my situation, my supervisor had sent some pretty unprofessional emails that helped demonstrate the hostile environment. The EDD rep said having contemporaneous documentation (stuff created at the time, not written later) was really important. Really hope HR actually does something to fix this for you so you don't have to leave. But if you do end up quitting, sounds like you're building a solid case. The fact that HR already acknowledged the behavior was inappropriate should definitely help if it comes to that.

Thank you everyone for all this helpful information! I think we're much clearer now on how this works. To summarize what I've learned: 1. He can file for these two weeks and still have benefits available later in the year if needed 2. The claim stays open for 12 months (his benefit year) 3. When he goes back to work, he needs to report earnings on his certification 4. If laid off again, he just reopens the same claim rather than filing a new one 5. He should check if work search requirements are waived, and if not, document some activities just to be safe This community has been incredibly helpful! I'll make sure he keeps all his paperwork organized in case there are any issues down the road.

You've got it exactly right! One more tip - have your husband screenshot or save his UI Online account homepage showing his claim balance and benefit year end date. That way if there are any system glitches later (which unfortunately happen sometimes), he'll have proof of his remaining benefits. Also, construction workers often qualify for higher benefit amounts due to the seasonal nature of the work, so don't be surprised if his weekly benefit amount is decent even for short-term claims. Good luck to both of you!

my friend had a interview last month and got approved but her money still says pending after 3 weeks!!!! she calls and calls and cant get thru so now shes stressing abut rent. the whole system is broken i swear

Good luck with your interview on 9/28! I went through this exact same thing a few months ago. Everyone's right that you'll get backdated to your filing date (9/11) once approved. Just want to add - make sure you have all your documents ready for the interview: separation letter, pay stubs, ID, etc. The interview itself is usually pretty straightforward for layoffs. They'll ask about your work history, why you left, and verify you're actively looking for work. Since you were laid off due to company restructuring, you should be fine. The whole process is stressful but you're almost there!