EDD benefits for reduced hours during pregnancy - employer cut me to 13hrs/week

Yes, you absolutely qualify for partial unemployment! This is called a "reduction of hours" claim. You didn't quit or request reduced hours, so you meet the basic eligibility requirements. When your employer reduces your hours by more than 20% without your consent, you can receive partial benefits. Here's what to do: 1. File a regular UI claim through UI Online 2. When asked why you're filing, select "Still working but had hours reduced" 3. Report your current weekly earnings when you certify 4. Keep documentation from your doctor showing you're cleared for 40hrs EDD will calculate a benefit amount based on your previous full-time earnings, then subtract a portion of your current part-time earnings. You'll receive the difference. Side note: what your employer is doing might be pregnancy discrimination. Consider consulting with an employment attorney about this situation.

OMG this happened to me last year!! Not the pregnancy part but my hours got cut from 38 to like 15 and I was FREAKING OUT about bills. I filed for unemployment and got partial benefits that really helped. But be careful when you certify - you HAVE to report all income correctly each week or you might get hit with an overpayment notice later (happened to my cousin and it was a nightmare). Def apply asap because EDD takes forever to process claims sometimes!!

You might want to look into if this is a case of pregnancy discrimination too. If they cut your hours specifically because you're pregnant (even though your doctor cleared you for full time), that could be illegal under California law. The reduction from 18 to 13 hours seems suspicious if it happened after you provided medical documentation saying you could work 40 hours. But yes, you can absolutely apply for UI benefits for reduced hours. When you certify each week, make sure you accurately report any hours you do work and wages earned. The EDD system will calculate how much partial benefit you're eligible for based on your previous earnings and current reduced income.

i think your eligtible but the real problem is going to be getting through to an EDD rep on the phone if you have any issues with your claim. i was in a simlar situation (not pregnant but hours cut) and had to call like 50+ times and never got through. finally i used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an EDD agent in like 20 minutes. they have a video showing how it works here https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km it was actually really helpful because the EDD rep explained exactly how to report my partial wages and how the calculation works. made a huge difference in getting my claim processed correctly.

This is 100% ILLEGAL what they're doing to you!!!! Cutting hours of a pregnant woman is textbook discrimination and you need to report them to the labor board IMMEDIATELY!!! My cousin went through this exact thing and won a huge settlement because it's against the law to reduce hours during pregnancy if you're medically cleared to work. The unemployment is just a bandaid on the real problem which is your employer breaking the law. But yes file for UI right away while you figure out the discrimination part.

make sure you enter your earnings correctly when you certify. alot of people mess this up when getting partial benefits. you enter the amount before taxes for the week you worked, not when you get paid. and EDD has a formula where they don't count the first $25 or 25% of your earnings (whichever is more) so you still get some UI benefits even with part-time work.

Since you're 6 months pregnant, I also wanted to mention that after your pregnancy, you'll likely qualify for California State Disability Insurance (SDI) followed by Paid Family Leave (PFL). These are separate from unemployment and provide partial wage replacement when you can't work due to pregnancy/childbirth and when bonding with your new baby. But for your current situation, UI for reduced hours is the right approach. Make sure you complete your weekly certifications accurately - report all hours and earnings for the week you worked them (not when you get paid).

i had my hours cut last year and got partial uneployment. but the weird thing was my benefit amount was really low like $78/week even though i was making decent money before. turned out they were using my earnings from the wrong quarter to calculate my benefit. had to call and get it fixed. so if your weekly amount seems super low, double check the calculation.

Thank you everyone for all this helpful advice! I've started my UI claim online and am documenting everything carefully. I'm going to speak with my union rep tomorrow about the possible discrimination aspect too. Quick follow-up question: once I start receiving partial benefits, if my employer increases my hours back to full-time, do I just stop certifying? Or do I need to formally close my claim? I'm worried they might temporarily give me more hours just to get me off benefits and then cut them again after a few weeks.