Can I get EDD benefits if I leave my job due to medical condition my employer can't accommodate?

You might qualify for UI benefits in this situation, but it depends on how everything is documented. If your employer lets you go because they can't accommodate your medical condition, that would typically make you eligible for UI since you're not being fired for misconduct. If you quit, it gets trickier - you'd need to prove you had "good cause" to leave, which medical reasons can satisfy IF properly documented. Without your doctor willing to provide documentation, this becomes challenging. Have you tried speaking with a different doctor about your situation? Sometimes getting a second medical opinion can help, especially one who better understands the employment implications.

ur doctor sounds TERRIBLE tbh. mine wrote me a note no problem when i had similar issue. maybe try different doc??? good cause for quitting def includes health reasons that ur employer cant/wont fix.

I dealt with something similar last year. Here's what you need to know: 1. If your employer terminates you because they can't accommodate your condition, you're generally eligible for UI benefits as this is not misconduct. 2. If you quit, you'll need to prove you had no reasonable alternative. Document EVERYTHING - emails about accommodation requests, responses, any meetings about your situation. 3. You'll need medical documentation showing your condition is incompatible with your current role. EDD may schedule a phone interview to discuss these details. 4. Look into the "Nonavailability" rules with EDD - if your medical condition restricts what jobs you can take, you may need to address this in your application. My advice is to try to get the employer to make the termination decision rather than quitting if possible. It makes the UI claim much more straightforward.

The EDD system is designed to DENY people like us. I had a serious back injury, employer wouldn't accommodate, and I got DENIED benefits initially because they said I "wasn't available for work" due to my condition. Had to fight for MONTHS to get my benefits! The whole system is rigged against people with medical issues. They expect us to either be 100% disabled (for SDI) or 100% able-bodied (for UI). There's no middle ground for those of us with conditions that vary or only affect certain types of work!

I successfully navigated this situation last year. When my employer couldn't accommodate my medical restrictions, I requested they lay me off rather than quitting. This approach worked well for my UI claim. Make sure you get everything in writing. Have your doctor document your condition and specific work limitations. When you apply for UI, be prepared to explain during your eligibility interview why your medical condition constituted good cause for leaving. By the way, when it comes time to actually file and deal with EDD, I had trouble reaching anyone for weeks. I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an EDD rep within 20 minutes after trying for days on my own. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km. It was worth it to finally get answers about my specific situation.

My situation wasnt medical but I kno EDD will call u for a phone interview if u quit or if theres any question about why u left ur job. Be prepared to wait WEEKS for this call and have all ur documents ready when they call!!

To address your follow-up question about documentation, EDD typically looks for: 1. Medical documentation clearly stating your condition and specific work restrictions 2. Evidence showing you attempted to resolve the issue with your employer 3. Documentation of any accommodation requests and your employer's responses 4. A chronological record of events leading to your separation The most important thing is showing that continuing in your current position would be detrimental to your health AND that you attempted to preserve the employment relationship through reasonable accommodations or alternative positions. Also, when you apply, make sure you're available for and able to perform some type of work, even if it's different from your previous job. Being completely unable to work would direct you toward disability rather than unemployment.

One more thing to consider - if your employer protests your UI claim (and many do automatically), be prepared for a LONG fight. My employer claimed I could have done the job despite my doctor's restrictions. The EDD initially sided with them until I appealed and had a hearing. If this happens, you might need to get a lawyer involved. There are some nonprofits that help with EDD appeals if you can't afford representation. Start researching those now just in case.

my bfs cousin went thru this n he got approved after his doctor wrote a letter saying he tried to get reasonable accommodashuns from employer but they cudnt provide them. hope this helps!