Does unemployment reach out to employer after you file in California EDD?

Wait so my manager could still respond and say negative things about me? Even though I was laid off and not fired?

EDD is specifically asking about the circumstances of your separation. For a straight layoff, there's usually not much controversy for the employer to raise. The bigger risk is when someone quit or got fired, because then EDD needs to figure out why. A layoff where you were just let go through no fault of your own - your employer responding doesn't automatically hurt you. EDD weighs both sides.

the pending status is just standard while they process everything, don't read too much into it yet

HR departments do tend to respond quickly because if they miss it and EDD decides in your favor, they can't appeal it afterward. So in some ways a non-response actually helps the claimant.

Exactly, and the employer not responding means EDD goes on what you told them when you filed.

That's exactly what I want to know - whether the employer has responded and what they said. Did the agent tell you anything else about timing?

The agent said the employer response had already come in and my weeks were just pending normal processing. No interview scheduled, no eligibility question open. So for me it was about a week after filing that the employer had already responded.

Good to know you could get that specific info over the phone. I've been trying to figure out what my employer submitted and UI Online doesn't show any of that detail.

This is why keeping documentation matters so much. Emails, texts, anything that shows what actually happened before you left. At the hearing you're under oath and you present your side directly to the judge.

Wish someone had told me that before my claim got denied. I did find my old emails and they helped a lot at the hearing. Just take screenshots of everything before your work access gets cut off.

The appeal process through the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board is real and it works, but yeah you have to actually initiate it within 30 days of the mailing date on the denial notice or you lose that chance.

Mine does show pending for both weeks I've certified so far. I did do the ID.me verification right away when I filed. Is there a way to know if EDD is waiting on something specific?

UI Online Claim History shows pending but doesn't tell you which specific step is holding it. The only way to find out what's actually open on your claim is to contact EDD directly - either through the message option in UI Online or by phone at 1-800-300-5616 on a weekday.

identity verification held my claim up for three weeks before anything else even processed, so definitely make sure the ID.me step is fully complete

The ten days runs from the mailing date on the DE 1101CZ, not from when they receive it, so employers responding quickly makes sense. Missing that deadline costs them the ability to appeal EDD's decision on your claim.

yeah my last job responded within like 2 days of me filing apparently

Okay that actually makes me feel better. The layoff was real, I have the paperwork, and my wages are all documented. I think I was just paranoid because of the bad relationship with my manager specifically.

A bad personal relationship with your manager doesn't really factor in unless it changed the actual reason you separated. EDD is looking at the category - laid off, fired, quit - and if it's a true layoff, your manager's feelings about you aren't the issue.

my manager hated me too and my layoff claim went through fine lol, the personality stuff doesnt matter to EDD

Both sides have to say layoff for it to go smoothly then? What if they say something like 'reduction in force' or use different wording?

Different wording for the same thing is fine. What would cause a problem is if you said layoff and they said you quit or were fired for cause - that contradiction is what triggers EDD needing to investigate further and potentially schedule an interview.

got caught in exactly that situation, took two months to sort out even though I clearly had a layoff notice in writing

Three and a half weeks total is what I'm hoping for. I'm on week two right now.

Keep certifying every two weeks no matter what. Even if everything looks pending, you have to certify to get paid for those weeks once EDD releases them.

the waiting week thing confused me for so long, I thought my first certification was broken because only one week paid out of the two I certified

Six weeks is rough but at least it worked out. Mine took longer because I didn't understand I needed documentation ready for the interview.

Documentation is huge. I had my layoff letter, my final pay stub showing the separation date, and even a text from my supervisor referencing the company downsizing. The interviewer asked about all of it.

The interview exists exactly for these conflicting-stories situations. EDD hears both sides and then decides - neither the employer's word nor yours is automatically taken as truth.

EDD notifies the employer that you filed, and they respond about the separation circumstances. The specific dollar amounts on your claim aren't what that notice is about - they're responding to eligibility questions, not your payment details.

ok that makes sense, i was picturing them getting like a full breakdown of my payments which felt weird

This is so important. I nearly missed my window because I assumed the clock started when I opened the envelope. It's the date printed on the notice itself.

And keep certifying during the appeal. EDD can only pay back those pending weeks if you actually certified for them.

Good to know even though I'm hoping I won't need to appeal anything.

Adjudication - is that different from the phone interview? I keep seeing both terms.

The adjudication is the whole process of EDD investigating and deciding an eligibility question. The phone interview is one step within that process - it's how EDD collects information from you directly when there's something to resolve.

Good distinction. Adjudication is the umbrella term, the interview is one specific tool EDD uses during it. Someone can have adjudication going on without an interview if EDD decides it has enough information.

And that non-response has real consequences for the employer - they lose the ability to appeal EDD's decision afterward. So silence from them typically works in the claimant's favor.

yeah made sense in my case, it was a retail job and they laid off like 40 people at once, they prob just didn't have bandwidth to respond to all of them

I did get that DE 8405 and I haven't registered on CalJOBS yet. I'm on day 14. Going to do that today.

Get on it right away given your timeline. The registration isn't complicated - create an account, fill in your work history, post a resume. It doesn't have to be perfect, just complete.

CalJOBS also has job listings and resume help resources if you want to actually use it beyond just the EDD requirement.

EDD's contact with the employer is about the separation circumstances and wage verification, not about your ongoing certification answers or job search. Your former employer reaching out to you directly is on them, not something EDD facilitates.

Ended up just not responding to them. Seemed like they were fishing for a reason to contest my claim.

I'm hitting three weeks this Friday. Really hoping something changes by then.

If nothing has moved by then, contact EDD through the message option in UI Online first since it creates a written record. Phone as backup if you need faster clarity.

early morning or Monday calls tend to have shorter waits from what i've heard

Monday was actually the worst day for me - Fridays right at 8am worked best. Your mileage may vary.

Working for a nonprofit doesn't change how your claim works as a claimant. Nonprofits described in 501c3 have an option on the employer side about how they fund unemployment, but from your side of the claim you file and are paid exactly like anyone else.

Oh that's a relief, I was worried I was in some different category that would complicate things.

The only things that make a claim process differently are the reason for separation, your base period wages, and identity verification. The type of employer doesn't change your rights as a claimant.

Day nine is cutting it close but still within the window. Glad it worked out for you.

Barely in time. The agent also mentioned the pending weeks would process within a few days after that which is exactly what happened.

The standard base period looks at the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before your claim starts. So depending on when exactly you're filing, those four months at the higher-paying job might partially or fully fall outside the standard base period window. EDD's Unemployment Benefit Calculator on their site can give you an estimate, and the real number will be on your DE 429Z once EDD processes everything.

So I might be getting my weekly amount based on the older lower wages even though my recent job paid more?

Possibly, depending on the timing. The alternate base period uses the last four completed quarters instead of the standard window, but EDD only uses it automatically if the standard base period doesn't give you a valid claim at all - it doesn't kick in just to get you a higher weekly amount. Your DE 429Z will show what base period they used.

This is a really common frustration - people expect their most recent higher wages to count and sometimes the calendar quarters just don't line up that way.

Ask EDD responses are hit or miss - sometimes useful, sometimes just a copy-paste of the FAQ. For specific claim status questions like whether an employer responded, the phone line is definitely better.

What I ended up getting from Ask EDD was a message saying to check UI Online for claim status, which just sends you back to the pending screen. Not helpful when pending is exactly what I was asking about.

The live chat through the Help button in UI Online is another option on weekdays between 9am and 2pm. Sometimes faster than the phone for quick status questions.

This is exactly the reassurance I needed honestly. Same situation - documented layoff, bad personal relationship with manager. Good to hear from someone who came out the other side fine.

Keep certifying, finish your CalJOBS registration, and let the process run. Most layoffs with clean paperwork just work out.