Confused about partial unemployment - should I certify or wait for employer to handle it?

Your employer cannot certify FOR you. That's not how EDD works!! Your company might be submitting some kind of work share program paperwork or simply verifying your reduced hours when EDD contacts them, but YOU still need to certify every two weeks. Don't wait - certify for those weeks ASAP before they expire!

my company said the same thing last year lol... turns out they were just filling out the employer portion of the work share program but I STILL had to do all my own certifications! don't trust your manager about EDD stuff, half the time they have no clue how it actually works

This sounds like your employer is participating in the Work Sharing UI program, which is different from regular partial unemployment. With Work Sharing, your employer does submit a plan to EDD, but you as the employee still need to complete bi-weekly certifications. The advantage is that the employer pre-certifies that the reduction in hours is due to business needs, not employee fault. You should: 1. Ask your HR department specifically if they've enrolled in the Work Sharing program 2. If yes, ask if they've provided your name to EDD as part of the plan 3. Regardless, log into UI Online and certify for any weeks you've had reduced hours 4. Make sure to accurately report all hours worked and wages earned Don't wait any longer to certify - you typically only have 14 days after the certification becomes available.

I went through this exact thing with my retail job! Our manager kept saying corporate was "handling it" but really they were just verifying our hours when EDD contacted them. I ended up missing out on like 5 weeks of benefits because I thought I didn't need to certify! Don't make my mistake!!!!

If you're having trouble reaching EDD to clarify this situation, I'd recommend using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They helped me get through to an EDD representative in under 20 minutes when I had a similar confusion about my partial claim. The rep explained exactly what my employer could and couldn't do regarding my claim. There's a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km. Getting direct answers from EDD saved me a lot of stress.

YOU CANNOT WAIT!!! Your employer is probably confused or misinformed! I worked for EDD for 5 years and this is one of the most common mistakes people make. Your employer can't certify for you - EVER. They might be doing Work Share or just verifying your hours when contacted, but YOU MUST CERTIFY YOURSELF! If you don't certify within 14 days of when the weeks become available, they become LATE CERTIFICATIONS and you risk not getting paid at all! Log in TODAY and certify for those weeks!!!

As a follow-up to my earlier comment, I want to share some additional important information about partial unemployment and Work Sharing: 1. Regular Partial UI: You file your own claim, certify every two weeks, and report all earnings. Your weekly benefit is reduced based on your earnings. 2. Work Sharing UI: Your employer enrolls in the program, submits a plan to EDD, and provides a list of affected employees. You still need to certify, but the program has different rules for calculating benefits. In either scenario, you must certify yourself. No employer can certify on your behalf. This is a common misconception that unfortunately causes many people to miss out on benefits they're entitled to receive. Check your UI Online account today and complete any pending certifications. If you have trouble, you may need to contact EDD directly for assistance.

My company did something similar last year during our slow season when they reduced everyone to 24 hours. Turns out what they meant was they were filling out some forms on THEIR end to verify they were reducing hours due to lack of work (not firing people). But I still had to certify myself every two weeks and report my exact hours and earnings! Don't trust your manager on this! They usually have no clue how unemployment actually works.

Update: I finally managed to reach someone at EDD! You were all right - my employer enrolled in the Work Sharing program, but I still need to submit my own certifications. The EDD rep said this is one of the most common misunderstandings with the program. I was able to certify for all three past weeks, and the rep said I should receive payments within 3-5 days. She also told me to make sure I enter my hours and wages EXACTLY as they appear on my pay stubs to avoid problems later. Thank you everyone for your help! I would have kept waiting for my employer to "handle it" if not for your advice.