Can I reopen my EDD claim after short employment period? Worried about previous employer blocking benefits

Yes, you can reopen your existing claim since your benefit year hasn't expired. Log into UI Online and look for the "Reopen Claim" button. Be prepared to explain what happened with the short-term job. If you weren't fired for misconduct, you should still be eligible, but EDD will likely contact both you and the employer for details. Make sure you're honest about why the employment ended. If the employer disputes and says it was misconduct, EDD will schedule a phone interview to determine eligibility.

when they fired u did u ask y? always get it in writing even if u have to email them after n say "just confirming our conversation that i was let go due to not being a good culture fit" so they respond n u have proof!!!

THE SAME EXACT THING HAPPENED TO ME LAST YEAR!!! my old boss tried to say I was fired for attendance but I had TEXT MESSAGES proving I called in properly every time!!! EDD did a phone interview with me and I was so nervous but they approved me anyway because the company couldn't provide any proof of their claims. Just make sure you answer the phone when EDD calls for the eligibility interview!!!!!

"Not a good culture fit" is actually common code for a no-fault termination. This works in your favor because it's not misconduct. When you reopen your claim, you'll need to report this employment including start date, end date, and reason for separation. The system will likely flag this for an eligibility interview because you had a job end between certification periods. Your best approach is to request a Record of Employment or separation letter from your former employer to document the official reason. In your eligibility interview, stick to the facts without emotional language. Simply state that you were informed you weren't a good culture fit, but no specific performance issues were cited. In California, the burden of proof for misconduct falls on the employer. If they can't demonstrate willful misconduct that harmed their business interests, you should remain eligible. Also, keep certifying for benefits while waiting for the determination - you'll get back pay if approved.

If you're having trouble reaching an EDD rep (which is almost guaranteed with this situation), I highly recommend using Claimyr. It helped me get through after trying for 2 weeks on my own. They connect you directly to an EDD agent so you can explain your situation and check your claim status. I watched their demo video (https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km) and it worked exactly as shown - got through to a rep in under 25 minutes. You can find them at claimyr.com - seriously saved my sanity during my claim issues.

wait im confused i thought if you get a new job your unemployment claim is closed forever? is that wrong?

You need to DOCUMENT EVERYTHING. I had a similar situation and the employer told EDD I voluntarily quit when they actually laid me off! I had to appeal and wait MONTHS for a hearing. I won because I had emails showing they eliminated my position, but it was incredibly stressful. Send an email to your former boss AND HR summarizing your termination conversation. Something like "As discussed in our meeting on [date], my employment was terminated because I was not considered a good culture fit despite my work performance being satisfactory." Force them to create a paper trail by responding. Also, request your personnel file in writing - in California they legally have to provide it within 30 days.

One important thing to note: when you reopen your claim, you'll need to satisfy the work search requirements again. Make sure you're looking for work and documenting your job search activities for each week you certify. Even though you're reopening an existing claim, you still need to be able to show that you're actively seeking employment. Since you only worked at the marketing firm for 3 weeks, that employment won't significantly impact your weekly benefit amount calculation either.

this happened to my cousin last year n he got his benefits no problem. dont stress 2 much about it but definitely call edd to make sure ur doing everything right