My cousin said the whole EDD system is messed up now and everyone is getting automatically flagged for interviews! Be prepared to wait FOREVER

Just to clarify something important: when you apply before your last day, make absolutely sure to enter your correct last day of work. Don't put the application date as your last day worked. This is a common mistake that causes problems. The system will ask for your last day worked - that should be your actual final day at work (July 11th based on your post). And be careful with your first certification. If you work any days in that first certification period, accurately report those days and earnings or you could end up with an overpayment situation later.

hav u applied 4 disability 2? sounds like u qualify 4 both with ur situation. my cousin got EDD and then disability for her back injury when she got laid off

Based on everything you've shared, I think you have a strong case for unemployment approval. The fact that other employees had similar COVID absences but weren't terminated is very relevant - definitely mention that in your interview as it suggests potential discrimination or retaliation related to your workers' comp claim. As for the work restrictions issue, that's a separate potential violation but it reinforces the narrative that your termination wasn't truly about attendance but about your workplace injury. Bring any emails or documentation showing they were assigning duties outside your medical restrictions. One last tip - if for some reason your claim is denied (which I don't expect), remember you can appeal the decision. The appeal approval rate in California is actually quite high when employees have documentation.

btw make sure u check ur spam folder too. sometimes edd emails go there and u miss important stuff. happened to me

Just checking back - were you able to contact EDD about your delayed payment? If so, what did they say was causing the hold-up?

Has EDD scheduled your eligibility interview yet? That's where they'll determine if the misconduct disqualification applies. In my experience, if you haven't received an interview date within 10 days of filing, you should be proactive about contacting them. Most people just wait and end up in benefit limbo for weeks.

During your eligibility interview, be prepared for specific questions about your termination. The EDD interviewer will likely ask: - Did you receive proper training for the tasks? - Were you aware of the correct procedures? - Had you previously been warned about similar errors? - What was your understanding of the consequences for making these errors? The key factor will be establishing that any mistakes were not intentional or deliberate violations of company policy. If this truly was a case of occasional errors rather than deliberate falsification, you should prevail in your claim.

When you apply online, make sure you're using a desktop computer if possible, not a mobile device. Many of the website errors happen on phones or tablets. If you keep getting the error message, try using Internet Explorer (yes, the old browser) as the EDD website sometimes works better with it. For phone contact, here's a method that worked for me: call the 833-978-2511 number, press 1 for English, then when prompted press 2 and immediately after press 4. This sequence sometimes gets you to a queue instead of the disconnection message. Be prepared to wait 1-2 hours once you're in the queue. While you're waiting to get through, gather all your employment information: last employer details, start/end dates, reason for separation, wages earned, etc. Having this ready will make the application process much smoother when you finally connect.

Just wanted to update that I was able to get through today! I tried the 833 number that people suggested with the 1-2-4 sequence right at 8:01am. It took about 7 attempts but I finally got into the queue instead of being disconnected. Waited about 45 minutes but finally spoke to someone who helped me file my claim. They said I should receive my account number in the mail within 10 days. Thank you everyone for the help!