Are you eligible for unemployment if fired in California? My EDD claim situation explained

This is really reassuring to hear. So the word 'fired' on the paperwork doesn't automatically doom my claim? I've been so stressed about this.

Yeah this is accurate. I was fired from a retail job a couple years back and still got approved. EDD does their own investigation and contacts your former employer too.

wait so even if it says fired on the paperwork edd still approves people?? I had no idea. I thought fired meant automatic denial every time

I actually have an email from my direct manager from about a week before I was let go that mentioned the company was restructuring the operations department. Would that be useful to keep as evidence?

Absolutely save that email. That could be very helpful if your claim goes to adjudication or if you need to appeal any denial.

same thing happened to me - my employer tried to say i quit but i had texts proving otherwise. edd sided with me after i submitted them

Okay I am definitely going to look into Claimyr because I have been calling EDD every single day and cannot get through. Either the line is busy, I get a message saying they can't take my call, or I wait on hold for an hour and get disconnected.

I've heard of Claimyr! Someone in another forum mentioned it. Might be worth trying if you really can't get through any other way

does claimyr actually work or is it one of those sketchy things? genuinely asking

It worked for me - you can watch how it works at the YouTube link I posted before deciding. Getting to actually speak with an EDD agent completely changed my situation because I could ask specific questions about my claim instead of just guessing.

This is interesting - so the employer doesn't get to just decide if it counts as misconduct? EDD makes that call independently?

Exactly right. EDD has its own definition of misconduct under California UI Code Section 1256 and that definition is what controls, not what the employer writes on the paperwork. Employers sometimes don't even understand this themselves.

omg i wish i knew this three years ago. i didn't even appeal when i got denied and i probably should have

Thank you for this!! I wasn't sure if I should keep certifying since nothing is showing as approved yet. Going to do my weekly cert right now actually.

Yes this is SO important. I stopped certifying for like 3 weeks because I thought I had to wait and lost over a thousand dollars that I could have collected. Don't make my mistake.

weekly certs are stressful when you don't know if you're even going to get anything but yes always keep doing them

This is a really helpful perspective. So I should be keeping track of anything my employer said or wrote about the reason for my termination?

Yes - emails, texts, letters, anything in writing. Even notes you write right now about what was said verbally in that HR meeting while it's fresh. Dates, who was present, exact words used. All of it could matter.

worked in staffing for years and can confirm - the separation code on your initial paperwork is honestly just the beginning of the process, not the final word

I did file right away so I should be okay on that. And I totally understand the shame piece - I felt that way too but I'm trying to focus on just getting through this practically.

Same honestly. I waited almost a month and they only backdated part of it. File immediately people!!

the stigma around unemployment is so real but these are literally benefits you paid into through your taxes

This is an important point. Medical-related absences create a much more complicated misconduct analysis. If you're still within the 30-day window or can show good cause for a late appeal, it might still be worth pursuing.

It's been way past 30 days for me unfortunately. I just want others to learn from what I didn't know.

Really appreciate you sharing this. The appeal process is genuinely underutilized - a lot of denials get overturned on appeal especially when new documentation is introduced

Good question - California EDD eligibility is based on your earnings over your base period, which is typically the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters. So it's more about how much you earned across all your jobs in that period rather than how long you were at any single employer. You could have worked multiple short-term jobs and still qualify if your total earnings were high enough.

oh wow okay that's different than what i thought. so it adds up from multiple jobs?

Yes exactly. EDD looks at your total wages during the base period from all covered employers, not just your most recent job. The minimum is generally around $1,300 in your highest-earning quarter or $900 in your highest quarter plus total base period wages of 1.25 times that amount.

This is exactly what's happening to me. I've tried every tip I've read about and nothing works. I know my claim needs some kind of explanation because the situation is complicated but I can't reach anyone.

That's actually when I found out about Claimyr - someone on a forum like this mentioned it. I was doubtful but the YouTube demo at https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10 made it seem legitimate and I was out of options. I finally got through and was able to explain my termination circumstances directly to an agent who could actually do something. Claimyr.com is the site if you want to check it out.

I hate that it's so hard to contact them. The stakes are so high for people in adjudication and there's just no reasonable way to get through

what about fired for failing a drug test? asking for a friend lol

Drug tests are actually a grayer area than people assume. If it was a random test and drug use didn't affect your work performance, some of those have been successfully appealed. If it was related to a workplace incident, harder to argue. Really depends on specifics.

fired for calling in too much without medical documentation is probably misconduct though right? my cousin got denied for that

Excessive unexcused absences can constitute misconduct especially if there were written warnings. But 'too much' is subjective and if your cousin had any legitimate reasons documented it might have been worth appealing.

Still waiting myself. The portal just says pending and I can't get anyone on the phone. Every day feels like a week right now. Have you tried calling every morning?

yes literally every single day. either busy signal or transferred to a voicemail nobody responds to. this is so stressful

This waiting period is brutal. This is exactly why I'd recommend trying Claimyr - claimyr.com - when you're in adjudication and need actual answers. Knowing specifically what's holding up your claim versus just staring at 'pending' is such a different experience, and speaking directly with an agent made a real difference for me.

Always be honest. EDD cross-references your answers with what your employer submits. If your answers contradict each other, that inconsistency itself becomes a problem. The better strategy is to be truthful but provide complete context. 'I was fired for violating the attendance policy' plus 'I had an undocumented illness during that period and was unaware of the company's medical leave accommodation process' is very different from just 'I was fired for attendance.

Completely agree - honesty plus context. EDD interviewers are trained to draw out the full story. You're better served by getting ahead of the narrative with your full explanation than having a misleading answer come back to bite you.

that makes sense. complete honesty but make sure your full context is included not just the bare facts

Insubordination is one of those terms employers use a lot that doesn't always constitute misconduct under EDD standards. If it was a single incident of verbal disagreement, especially one where you had reasonable grounds for concern (like a safety issue), that's a much weaker misconduct case than the word 'insubordination' implies. File your claim and explain your side fully.

Filed this morning. Fingers crossed. Thank you all.

Good luck! Make sure you document everything about that safety concern you raised - dates, what the policy was, who was present when you raised it. That context could be really important.

Yes, employers can and do contest claims - they have a financial incentive to do so because unemployment claims affect their tax rates. But an employer contesting your claim doesn't mean you'll be denied. It means EDD will investigate more carefully. As long as your account of events is accurate and consistent, employer pushback often doesn't change the outcome.

My former employer contested mine aggressively and I still got approved. Just be thorough and truthful in everything you submit.

okay that's somewhat reassuring. i was imagining them just being able to block it with one phone call or something

This is really helpful context, thank you. I hope it doesn't get to a hearing but good to know that's a real option if it does.

I really wish I had known this before my hearing. I showed up with nothing and didn't really understand how to argue my side. Lost my appeal partly because I wasn't prepared for how formal it was.

This is underrated advice. The appeals hearing is its own skill and the ALJs (Administrative Law Judges) who run them are pretty strict about process. Preparation really does matter.

Thank you for this. Does EDD provide any guidance on what to bring to an appeals hearing or are claimants basically on their own to figure it out?

EDD does send some basic information with the hearing notice but it's pretty minimal. The Office of Appeals has some resources online. But honestly the process advantages people who have legal experience or who have done thorough research beforehand.

This gives me so much hope!! Congratulations, that must be such a relief.

That's amazing! I'm the one who posted about insubordination earlier. This is exactly what I needed to see today.

congrats!! posts like this keep me going while i'm still waiting

I didn't know there was a specific form they send to employers. Is there any way to see what my employer responded or what the status of that form is?

Unfortunately you can't see the employer's specific response through the online portal. That's one of the things you can find out if you actually get through to an EDD agent by phone - they can tell you if the employer has responded and what stage the review is at. Which circles back to the phone access problem that's so frustrating about this whole process.

The DE 1101FF is also the form that matters most in terms of what your employer says on record. Whatever they write there has to be consistent with how they described your termination to you. Inconsistencies between their written explanation and their stated reason are something EDD does look for.

Going to try Claimyr today honestly. I cannot take another week of staring at 'pending' with no information.

Really glad to hear it worked for you. I'm going to try it too because I've been stuck the same way.

did you have to wait long once you used Claimyr or did it connect you pretty fast?

It was much faster than the regular hold line. The YouTube demo at https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10 explains how it works pretty clearly if you want to see before trying.