Can you file for unemployment if you are fired in California?

This is really reassuring thank you. They mentioned performance issues but it always felt like the expectations kept changing on me. Would I need to document that for my claim?

Yes, keep everything. Emails, any performance reviews, that write-up documentation, texts from managers - anything that shows the timeline of what happened. California EDD may reach out to your former employer to get their side and you want to be ready with your own records if the claim gets flagged.

same thing happened to my cousin, she got fired for 'not meeting goals' and still got approved after like 3 weeks

Ok so 'termination for cause' on the paperwork doesn't necessarily mean California EDD will agree it was misconduct? My employer can say whatever they want on that form but EDD makes their own determination?

Exactly right. Your employer's characterization of the termination is just their side of the story. California EDD makes an independent determination based on the facts both sides present. The employer has to actually prove misconduct occurred, it's not just automatically accepted because they wrote 'for cause.

this is the part nobody tells you!! i got fired and thought i was totally disqualified and didnt even file for like 2 months. finally filed anyway and got approved. lost so much money by waiting

Oh wow, I've already tried calling twice and got disconnected both times. Saving this for sure. Did they help you understand what was actually happening with your claim or just connect you?

The Claimyr service just gets you to an actual EDD agent - then you talk directly with them and can ask whatever you need. The agent I spoke with walked me through exactly where my claim was in the process and what the employer had submitted. Way better than staring at UI Online hoping for updates.

seconding this, I used claimyr.com when my adjudication was dragging on for weeks and finally got real answers instead of the endless hold music

I think I was pretty brief on that section when I filed this morning. Can I go back and add more information?

You can't really edit a submitted claim but if they send you a questionnaire as part of adjudication (which they likely will given that your employer called it 'for cause'), that's your chance to give the full detailed explanation. When you get that notice, respond thoroughly and within the deadline they give you.

YES this is so important. I answered a questionnaire super vaguely the first time and got denied. Then on appeal I wrote out like two full pages explaining everything and got approved. The detail really does matter.

Yeah that was kind of my logic too, file and see what happens. I just didn't want to do something wrong.

you're not doing anything wrong by filing when you think you might qualify. that's literally what the system is for

This is incredibly helpful. The expectations were genuinely inconsistent - my last review 8 months before the write-up was actually positive. Is it worth getting documentation from coworkers about the shifting standards or is that too much?

Coworker statements can help on appeal if it gets there, but for the initial adjudication focus primarily on your own documentation - performance reviews, emails with your manager, the write-up itself and any response you provided to it. The contrast between a positive review and then a write-up six months later actually tells a story on its own.

Can I ask - does this adjudication process pause your benefits from being paid or do you still get paid while they investigate? I'm in a somewhat similar situation and been told conflicting things

Wait I didn't know about this - so I should be certifying weekly even right now while it's in adjudication? I haven't done my first certification yet, is there a window I need to do it in?

Your first certification becomes available about two weeks after you file your initial claim - there's a waiting week built in. Log into UI Online and check your certification schedule. Missing certification weeks means you cannot get paid for those weeks retroactively so stay on top of it.

this saved me so much money knowing this. i kept certifying for 5 weeks during adjudication and when it finally approved all 5 weeks paid out at once. do not skip your certifications people

wish someone had told me this the first time i filed, i stopped certifying after 2 weeks thinking it was pointless and lost those weeks forever

Not wrong about the delay tactics honestly. My former employer submitted like 40 pages of documentation to EDD during my adjudication which then required me to respond to all of it. Took 7 weeks total. Got approved in the end but it was exhausting.

That's honestly terrifying to hear. I really can't go 7 weeks without income. Are there any resources for people in adjudication limbo?

not really through EDD directly. some people have luck with local Legal Aid offices if it becomes an appeal situation. also worth calling EDD directly to check status - or using something like Claimyr if you can't get through, I know people have had luck getting actual human answers that way without spending all day on hold

California does have state disability and other programs but none of them are quick either. Honestly the best thing for adjudication situations is having emergency savings, which most people don't have, which is why this is so stressful. Not super helpful advice I know.

How long did the whole appeal process take for him if you don't mind me asking?

the initial adjudication took like 4 weeks, denial, then appeal took another 8 weeks before his hearing. so roughly 3 months total from filing to final approval. he had to scramble financially the whole time but it worked out

The appeal hearings are actually pretty fair in my experience. It's an Administrative Law Judge who hasn't been involved in the prior decision - they start fresh. Having documentation really matters at that stage.

Thank you for summarizing this, it's exactly what I needed to hear. I feel so much better about having filed.

bookmarking this thread for when people ask me this question, it comes up constantly

Also worth noting that even if you get disqualified initially, the appeal process exists for a reason and the success rate on appeals for non-misconduct terminations is actually pretty decent from what I've seen discussed

That's a surprisingly useful tip, thank you. I'll keep that in mind.

This is actually a reasonable point - using correct terminology throughout the process (discharge, separation, misconduct, adjudication) shows you're engaging seriously with the process which can matter in interviews.

lol i never knew the word 'discharge' applied to getting fired, always associated it with the military

Correct - California EDD requires you to conduct and document work search activities every week you certify. Currently it's 3 work search activities per week. These can be job applications, attending job fairs, contacting employers, registering on job boards, etc. Keep a log with dates, company names, contact info, and the type of activity. You can be audited on this.

I did not know this, thank you! Is there a specific format they want the job search log in, or just anything documented?

There's no required format but your log should capture: date, employer or activity name, contact information if applicable, position applied for, and method of contact. UI Online has a section where you self-certify that you completed job search activities when you do your weekly certification.

CalJOBS registration is also technically required - make sure you register there if you haven't already

Yes I will absolutely be picking up every unknown call for the foreseeable future lol. And yeah I've already added claimyr.com to my bookmarks from earlier in this thread.

the unknown number thing caught me off guard. saved the EDD number in my contacts so i recognize it but they don't always call from the same number apparently

They called me from like 4 different numbers during my claim. Now I just pick up everything.

Honestly that makes a lot of sense and kind of makes me feel less targeted. They're probably doing this with every terminated employee.

Exactly. HR departments at larger companies especially have protocols to contest all separations regardless of circumstances. It's just procedure. EDD knows this and factors it in.

Absolutely will do. This whole thread has been so much more helpful than anything I found googling before. I feel like I actually understand the process now and have a plan. Will update when I hear back from EDD.

Good luck!! Performance-based firings really do tend to go well in adjudication, fingers crossed for you

rooting for you! the system is stressful but you're doing everything right