Can you get unemployment for job abandonment in California EDD?

My supervisor was basically creating a hostile work environment - screaming at me in front of customers, refusing to approve my schedule changes for a medical appointment, stuff like that. Does that count as good cause?

Yes, hostile work environment and denial of medical accommodations are both factors EDD considers when evaluating good cause for leaving. You'll want to document as much as possible - any texts, emails, witness names, dates of incidents.

i quit for similar reasons last year and got denied first time then appealed and won so don't give up if they deny you

I didn't realize the benefit year started from filing date. Filing today then.

same advice I got - file first, ask questions later basically lol

How long does adjudication usually take after I submit the questionnaire?

Typically 3-6 weeks in my experience but I've heard of people waiting longer. Keep filing your weekly claims during adjudication even though you won't get paid right away - if you're approved those weeks get back-paid.

THIS. do not stop filing weekly claims during adjudication. I stopped because I thought there was no point and then when I got approved I lost like 4 weeks of benefits. Learned that lesson the hard way

Seriously considering this because I've tried calling EDD twice and got disconnected both times. Did you have to do anything complicated to use it?

Nope, pretty straightforward. I was skeptical at first honestly but after getting hung up on for the fifth time I was willing to try anything. Being able to actually TALK to an EDD agent and ask specific questions about how they'd view my situation was really valuable.

gonna look into this. been trying to reach EDD about my own claim for a week now

I didn't go to HR because honestly HR at this company was a joke - the supervisor's wife worked in HR. Would that matter?

Actually yes - if HR had a conflict of interest that made internal reporting futile, that can be argued as part of your good cause. Document that relationship and explain why reporting wasn't a viable option.

ok fair point, didn't think about the HR conflict angle. that could actually help your case

EDD contacts the employer as part of the claims process and the employer reports the separation reason. If the employer reports job abandonment or no-call no-show, EDD will see that. Employers and claimants sometimes report different separation reasons which is actually one of the main things that triggers adjudication.

oh wow I had no idea EDD contacts the employer. that's actually really important to know going in

yeah my employer and I told completely different stories about why I left and it caused like a 7 week adjudication delay. make sure your account matches whatever paper trail exists

Good to know there's a backup plan. What kind of evidence do they want at the appeal hearing?

Any written documentation of the conditions you left because of - texts, emails, HR records, witness statements if you can get them, medical records if health was involved. The ALJ will also let you tell your story verbally which is different from the written questionnaire EDD gives you initially.

won my appeal after being denied by EDD. the ALJ was way more understanding than I expected. don't give up if you get denied

Gig workers have a different path - you'd need to establish you were misclassified as an independent contractor rather than an employee for regular UI. That's a separate and more complex process. The good cause voluntary quit analysis in this thread mainly applies to traditional W2 employment.

ugh of course it's more complicated. thanks for clarifying though

Honestly hadn't thought of that. My relationship with the employer is pretty torched at this point but maybe worth one conversation.

it's worth trying, the worst they can say is no. frame it as you not wanting to escalate anything further rather than as a demand

this actually works sometimes. employers don't always fight unemployment claims even when they technically could

3 activities per week - does applying for jobs count or do they want specific things like networking events or interviews?

Applying for jobs counts and is actually the most straightforward way to meet the requirement. Attending a job fair, networking, or doing an interview all count too. You log these in UI Online when you certify for your weekly claim.

also register with CalJOBS if you haven't already - it's technically required and EDD does check it

I hear you - this is exactly when I used Claimyr to get through to EDD. claimyr.com. Check out the demo video at https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10. After weeks of getting nowhere by calling directly it was a relief to actually reach someone who could explain the specific reasoning behind the denial. Might help you understand what to shore up for your appeal.

trying this right now because I'm at my wit's end honestly

Also - for your appeal, you don't necessarily need EDD to explain the denial to build your case. The Notice of Determination should cite which specific section of UI code you were denied under, and you can build your appeal around directly addressing that language

This is really helpful context. So I shouldn't even use the term 'job abandonment' in my questionnaire - just frame it as leaving due to hostile working conditions?

Exactly. Use the language that frames your situation in terms of good cause - hostile work environment, unsafe conditions, failure to provide medical accommodation. 'Job abandonment' is your employer's characterization. Your characterization is that you left due to intolerable conditions that gave you good cause.

This is accurate and important. The framing matters enormously in how EDD evaluates your claim.

Unfortunately if it's been 6 months the appeal window has almost certainly closed. However you can potentially file a new claim if you have qualifying wages in a new base period, or look into whether there are any extraordinary circumstances that could get the appeal window extended - that's rare but does happen.

figured as much but worth checking. thanks

There's a kernel of truth there but it's more nuanced. If EDD determines you voluntarily quit without good cause, there's a disqualification period - not a flat 10 weeks. If they find you DID have good cause, there's no penalty waiting period. The 10 week figure your cousin mentioned might be from an outdated rule or a misremembering. The actual disqualification for voluntary quit without good cause under current California UI code can vary.

ok so it's not definitely 10 weeks. good to know because I've been scared to file for my own situation thinking I'd have to wait forever regardless

File regardless. Waiting only hurts you. Even if there's a disqualification period, you want your benefit year established and you want those weeks being counted.

That's a great idea. I'm going to start building that timeline today while everything is still fresh in my memory.

Do it now seriously. Details get fuzzy fast and specific dates and descriptions are so much more credible than vague recollections

Work history requirements for California UI are based on wages earned during your base period - which is the 12 months ending about 5-6 months before you file. A 3-week job is probably not enough on its own but if you have wages from other jobs in that base period you may still qualify. EDD calculates your weekly benefit amount from your highest earning quarter in the base period.

oh ok so it's not just my most recent job that matters. that actually makes me feel better I've had multiple jobs this year

How did you actually get through to an EDD agent? That seems like the hardest part right now.

I used Claimyr - claimyr.com - after failing to get through on my own for days. There's a walkthrough at https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10. Honestly the ability to ask an EDD agent for guidance on how to frame my questionnaire response before I submitted it probably made the difference between getting approved and denied.

Ok I'm definitely using this. The questionnaire is what I'm most nervous about and getting real guidance from an EDD agent before submitting sounds incredibly valuable.

This whole thread has been incredibly helpful. I went from feeling like my situation was hopeless to actually having a clear action plan. Filing today, building my timeline document, planning to call EDD through Claimyr before submitting my questionnaire. Thank you all.

Good luck - your situation actually sounds like it has a decent shot at good cause approval given what you've described. Stay organized and don't stop filing weekly claims no matter what.

Come back and update us. Threads like this help the next person searching for the same thing.