Can I file unemployment if I quit? My situation with California EDD

The documentation part is reassuring to hear. I saved every email I sent to HR plus photos of the broken equipment. Will EDD actually ask me to send that stuff in or just talk through it on the phone?

During the interview they mostly want to hear your account of events - what happened, when, who you talked to, what they said back. You can mention the documentation to show you tried to resolve it. EDD may or may not ask you to submit anything after, but having those records ready means you can speak specifically and confidently instead of vaguely.

The part about the DE 4800 showing up in UI Online too is super helpful, I didn't know that. I kept refreshing my email waiting for something and missed my first scheduled interview because I never saw the letter in time.

Hours getting cut from 38 to 14 is wild - did EDD end up treating that like a quit or more like a partial layoff? I'm wondering how they classify it when the employer changes conditions so drastically.

The agent said EDD would look at whether the change was substantial enough and whether I had a good reason to leave over it - basically they don't just rubber stamp it either way. I got the Notice of Determination a few weeks after the interview.

Pending for weeks after filing when you quit is honestly the norm from what I can tell. EDD has to look into the circumstances before they can make any decision, so the wait doesn't necessarily mean anything bad.

That's genuinely relieving to read. I was second-guessing myself because I gave two weeks notice instead of just walking out, and I wondered if that made it look like I wasn't that upset about conditions.

Giving notice doesn't hurt your case - it actually shows you weren't impulsive about it. What EDD cares about is the reason you left, not whether you gave notice. If anything it shows you handled things professionally.

Wage theft claims going through EDD and being approved is something I've wondered about. Good to know the documentation angle is what made the difference.

Eight weeks without hearing anything is genuinely rough. For what it's worth, adjudication on a quit claim can take longer because EDD contacts the employer too - both sides give their account and then EDD makes a determination. That doesn't make the wait easier but you're not necessarily forgotten.

They contacted my employer and my employer apparently said I quit voluntarily without cause which is a lie. I'm going to have to fight this.

If EDD sides with the employer and denies you, the Notice of Determination that arrives will have an Appeal Form (DE 1000M) right on it. You have 30 days from the mailing date on that notice to appeal in writing. Keep certifying through the whole process - if you win on appeal EDD can only pay back weeks you actually certified for.

Okay this is actually an important distinction. So I need to come into that interview ready to really explain and back up my reasons, not just show up and assume EDD will figure it out?

Exactly. Walk them through every specific thing - dates, what broke, who you told, what they said, how long it went on before you decided to leave. The more concrete you are the better.

The fired vs quit difference in how EDD looks at things is something I genuinely didn't understand until I went through my own claim. Wish someone had explained that before my interview.

I had no idea about the CalJOBS requirement at all. Does EDD send that notice in the mail or does it show up in UI Online?

Came in the mail for me. Watch for the DE 8405 specifically - the 21 days start from the date printed on that notice, not when you actually receive it, so open it right away when it arrives.

The CalJOBS thing tripped me up too. I registered but forgot to actually post a resume and payments stopped for two weeks before I figured out why. Post the resume on the same day you register.

25 minutes is longer than I expected. I'll definitely write out a timeline before my interview. Did they give you any sense during the call about how it went, or was it totally neutral?

Completely neutral - just facts and dates, then said the determination would come by mail. No hints either way. The waiting after was the hardest part honestly.

The fact that you won after documenting HR complaints over months is exactly what I needed to read today. I have emails too, just have to hope EDD actually weighs them.

California EDD is every two weeks, not weekly. Each certification covers a two-week period. The first time you certify it's usually about two weeks after EDD processes your application, and that first one typically covers the waiting week plus one paid week.

Oh good I was doing it right then, I just wasn't sure because someone in another forum said weekly and I panicked. Every two weeks through UI Online.

The waiting week trips a lot of people up too - there's always one unpaid week at the start of a claim. It doesn't reduce what your claim can ultimately pay, it's just a one-week wait built into the system.

How formal is the appeals hearing? I keep imagining it like a courtroom and getting anxious about it.

Testimony is under oath and there's a judge, so it has some formality to it - but plenty of people represent themselves without an attorney and win. Having your documentation organized matters more than legal expertise.

Just filed my own written appeal this week. Already sent the DE 1000M. Certifying every two weeks while I wait.

I hadn't thought about the amount yet, I've just been focused on whether I'll get anything at all. Good to know there's a calculator I can use to get a rough idea.

Worth running it just so you're not completely surprised when the Notice of Unemployment Insurance Award (DE 429Z) arrives. That notice shows your actual weekly benefit amount and your maximum total - check those numbers and if anything looks wrong you have 30 days to appeal it.

Wait the DE 429Z isn't the approval notice? I thought getting that in the mail meant you were approved. Someone told me that.

Ohhhh okay that makes way more sense now. I was confused because I got the DE 429Z and thought I was done but my claim still showed Pending everywhere.

Same confusion I had. Got excited when the DE 429Z showed up and then nothing changed in UI Online for another two weeks. The interview determines the actual eligibility piece.

Really glad this got cleared up in this thread. I would have made the same assumption.

The getting cut off before reaching anyone is exactly what I'm dreading. How long does the UI Online Pending status typically stay before something changes?

For mine it was about three weeks total from filing to the interview, then another two weeks after that before the determination came. The Pending won't move until the interview is done and you've certified.

Unpaid wages as a reason for quitting is something EDD genuinely takes seriously - it's one of the more clear-cut 'good cause' situations from what I've seen people report. Having any records of those promised payments would help in the interview.

Does the work search requirement apply even while EDD is still deciding whether my quit qualifies? I'm not sure if I should be applying to jobs before I even know if I'm approved.

Yes - the requirement applies to every week you certify, not just after approval. If you're certifying you should be looking for work. The certification itself will ask whether you were available for and looking for work each week.

I made the mistake of not looking seriously for the first few weeks assuming the claim wasn't going to work out. Had to scramble to have anything to report when I certified. Start looking right away.

The partial earnings formula does exactly what you described. So if your weekly amount is, say, $380 and you earned $120 from part-time work, EDD wouldn't count the first $30 (25% of $120 is more than $25 so that's the floor), and would subtract the remaining $90 from your $380, paying you $290 for that week.

That's exactly the math. I was making it more complicated in my head than it actually is.

Part-time work while on a claim is allowed? I genuinely thought doing any work at all while getting unemployment was going to get me in trouble.

The 'week earned not week paid' rule is something I would have gotten wrong for sure. I would have reported it on whatever week the deposit hit my account.

A lot of people do it that way at first. If you've already certified a week wrong, don't just leave it - contact EDD through a message in your UI Online account or by phone to get it corrected. Overpayments are a headache to deal with later.

Got dinged with an overpayment notice once because I reported the pay date instead of the week worked. Eventually resolved it but it took months and was incredibly stressful. Report by when you worked it, full stop.

I haven't set up direct deposit yet, I should probably do that before any payment actually processes.

You can change it at any point in myEDD (https://myedd.edd.ca.gov/) - doesn't have to be before the first payment. If the first one goes to the card you can redirect future ones to direct deposit whenever you get it set up.

Went back and forth between the card and direct deposit twice. The timing was about the same for me both ways, honestly.

I had no idea California doesn't tax unemployment. That's actually a relief given how tight things are right now.

Federal side still applies so it's worth considering the withholding option at each certification, especially if you'd rather not deal with a tax bill come April. Some people prefer to just keep the full amount now and handle taxes later.

Opting into the 10% withholding each time I certified was the right call for me - it felt like less money coming in but tax season was way less stressful.

Filing the appeal and continuing to certify is exactly the right move. Bring every piece of documentation you have to the hearing - employment dates, written complaints, anything that shows you raised the issue before you left.

The appeals judge looks at the evidence fresh - EDD's initial decision isn't the final word. Administrative law judges reverse EDD fairly regularly when the documentation supports the claimant's account.

Eight weeks of pending just to get denied on a quit claim with legitimate documentation is genuinely infuriating. The appeal is the right path.

Medical documentation for a stress-related quit is something I hadn't considered might work. It sounds like EDD actually weighed it seriously in your case.

The agent couldn't tell me how EDD would decide, obviously. But knowing going in which aspects of my situation were flagged let me prepare the right parts of the story instead of just trying to cover everything at once.

Having that heads-up about what EDD flagged so you could prep the specific part is legitimately useful. Glad you got the information before the interview instead of going in blind.

The 'say it out loud' advice is something I would not have thought to do on my own. I'm definitely doing a practice run this week before the actual interview. Thank you to everyone in this thread - I came in genuinely confused about whether I had any shot at this and I feel like I actually understand what I'm heading into now.

You've got more going for you than most people starting this process - documentation, a clear reason, and you tried to fix it before leaving. The interview is yours to tell.

Keep us posted on how the interview goes. The documented unsafe conditions plus HR attempts to fix it is as strong a foundation for a quit claim as you're going to find.