EDD disqualified my first 2 weeks without explanation - no interview scheduled

No, EDD doesn't automatically disqualify your first two weeks - something else is going on. This usually happens when there's an eligibility issue they need to resolve. Have you checked your UI Online inbox for any messages? Sometimes they send electronic notifications instead of paper mail.

same thing happened to me last month!! check ur spam folder in email, thats where i found my interview notice. EDD is terrible at communicating seriously

This sounds like a potential employer response issue. When you file for unemployment, EDD contacts your former employer to verify the reason for separation. If they indicated you quit or were fired for misconduct (even if that's not true), EDD will disqualify you until they investigate. The fact that you haven't received an interview notice is concerning because they're required to interview you before making a final determination. You definitely need to contact EDD directly. A few things to do: 1. Check your address in UI Online to make sure it's correct (letters might be going to wrong address) 2. Call EDD first thing in the morning (8:01am) when their lines open 3. If disqualified weeks don't change after 7 days, file an appeal using the link in UI Online or the form that should eventually arrive by mail Don't wait too long on this - appeals have deadlines.

I had this happen and it turned out my employer told EDD I quit when I was actually laid off! The disqualification was removed after my phone interview but I had to wait 3 weeks for that interview to even happen. The system is broken.

You NEED to call them asap. Disqualifications don't just happen randomly and they're supposed to give you notice and an interview. Something's wrong with your claim and the longer you wait the worse it gets. I know calling is a nightmare but it's the only way to fix this.

After trying to call EDD for 3 weeks straight with no luck (constant busy signals and disconnects), I finally used Claimyr and got through to a rep within 25 minutes. It basically calls for you and gets you in the queue, then calls you when an agent is available. Saved me days of frustration. They have a video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km. The website is claimyr.com. Totally worth it when you need to resolve urgent issues like disqualification.

To answer your other question - you only need to file one appeal that covers both disqualified weeks. The appeal form has a section where you can list all affected weeks. Also, while your claim is under investigation/appeal, make sure you KEEP CERTIFYING for benefits each week. If your disqualification is eventually overturned, they'll only pay you for weeks you properly certified for.

Just to add some more info - disqualifications without interviews usually happen in one of these scenarios: 1. Your employer reported you quit or were fired for misconduct 2. There's an issue with your identity verification 3. You reported wages/income during certification that made you ineligible 4. There's a mismatch between your base period wages and what you reported 5. You answered a question on your application or certification that triggered automatic disqualification When you do reach someone at EDD, be sure to ask specifically WHICH of these caused the disqualification so you can address it correctly.

Sorry ur going thru this! EDD is sooooo frustrating. Just a tip - when u finally get someone on the phone, be super nice even if ur angry. The nicer u are, the more they try to help. I learned this the hard way lol

I wonder if its a mistake??? My friend had weeks randomly disqualified and it turned out to be a system glitch when they updated something. EDD never told her, she only found out when she finally reached someone. Definitely call!

UPDATE: I finally got through to EDD this morning! The agent told me my employer responded to their inquiry and claimed I was fired for excessive absences, which is completely untrue. I was part of a layoff affecting 15 people because the company lost a major client. They're scheduling me for a phone interview next week to discuss the discrepancy. The agent said I should gather any documentation that proves it was a layoff (separation letter, emails, etc.) and be ready to explain my side during the interview. Thank you all for your help and advice! I feel much better now that I at least know what's going on.

Great update! For your phone interview, have these things ready: 1. Any written documentation of the layoff (termination letter, emails, text messages) 2. Names of other employees laid off at the same time if you know them 3. Record of your attendance (if you have it) to counter the absence claim 4. Timeline of events leading to your separation Be clear and concise during the interview. If they rule in your favor, the disqualification will be removed and you'll receive payment for those weeks. If not, you'll have the opportunity to appeal. Good luck!

That's such great news that you finally got through and found out what's happening! Your employer claiming excessive absences when it was clearly a layoff is unfortunately pretty common - they're trying to avoid having their unemployment insurance rates go up. With your termination letter mentioning downsizing and emails about department-wide layoffs, you should have solid evidence for your interview. Just make sure to stay calm and factual when you present your case. The fact that 15 people were affected really strengthens your position since it clearly shows this wasn't about individual performance. Fingers crossed your interview goes smoothly and you get those disqualified weeks reversed quickly!

So glad you got through and found out what was happening! Your employer claiming excessive absences when you were clearly laid off along with 14 other people is unfortunately very typical - they're trying to avoid the hit to their unemployment insurance premiums. With your termination letter specifically mentioning downsizing and those HR emails about department-wide layoffs, you have really strong documentation. The fact that it was a mass layoff due to losing a major client makes their attendance claim look pretty ridiculous. During your phone interview, just stick to the facts and timeline. Don't get emotional about their false claim (even though it's infuriating). Let your documentation speak for itself. You've got this!

That's awesome that you got through and figured out what was going on! Your employer trying to claim excessive absences when you were clearly part of a mass layoff is so shady but unfortunately super common. They're basically trying to shift the blame to avoid paying higher unemployment insurance premiums. The good news is you have really solid evidence with your termination letter mentioning downsizing and those HR emails about the layoffs. The fact that 15 people were affected at once because of losing a major client makes their attendance excuse look completely bogus. For your phone interview, just present the facts chronologically and let your documentation speak for itself. Don't let their false claim get you flustered - the interviewer will see right through it when you show them the real reason. You've got this handled now!

This is such a perfect example of why the EDD system is so frustrating for honest claimants! Your employer claiming "excessive absences" when you were clearly part of a documented mass layoff affecting 15 people is just shameful. They're literally willing to lie to protect their unemployment insurance rates at your expense. The silver lining is that you have excellent documentation - termination letters mentioning downsizing and HR emails about department-wide layoffs are exactly what you need. When 15 people get laid off simultaneously due to losing a major client, any claim about individual attendance issues becomes obviously false. During your phone interview, just present everything chronologically and factually. The EDD interviewer deals with employer lies like this constantly and will recognize the pattern. Your evidence is solid and the timeline clearly supports your case. This should get resolved in your favor pretty quickly once you have that interview!

So frustrating that employers pull this kind of stuff! I went through something similar where my company claimed I was terminated for "performance issues" when they actually eliminated my entire department. The documentation you have sounds rock solid - a termination letter mentioning downsizing plus HR emails about department layoffs should make their attendance claim fall apart pretty quickly. One thing that helped me during my phone interview was creating a simple timeline document beforehand with dates and key events. Something like: "June 1 - Company announced loss of major client, June 10 - HR sent email about upcoming layoffs, June 14 - 15 employees terminated including myself." Having it written out helped me stay organized and confident during the call. You're in a much better position now that you know what's happening and have time to prepare. The EDD interviewer will see right through your employer's bogus claim when you present the real facts!

Wow, what a journey this has been to follow! I'm relatively new to this community but seeing how everyone came together to help you figure out what was going wrong with your claim has been amazing. Your employer claiming "excessive absences" when 15 people were laid off due to losing a major client is absolutely ridiculous - it's such blatant fraud on their part to avoid higher unemployment insurance costs. The documentation you have sounds bulletproof though. Having both the termination letter that mentions downsizing AND the HR emails about department-wide layoffs gives you everything you need to counter their bogus story. When you present that timeline during your phone interview, it's going to be crystal clear that this was a mass layoff, not anything related to your individual performance or attendance. Thanks for sharing your experience and keeping us updated - it's really helpful for others who might face similar situations. Hope your interview goes smoothly and you get those disqualified weeks reversed quickly!

This is exactly why I always tell people to keep EVERYTHING when they get laid off - emails, letters, witness contacts, anything that documents what really happened. Your employer's claim about "excessive absences" is so obviously false when you have proof that 15 people were terminated simultaneously due to the company losing a major client. I went through something similar where my employer tried to claim I was fired for "poor performance" when they actually closed our entire location. Having documentation saved me weeks of stress and uncertainty. Your evidence package sounds perfect for the phone interview. The combination of your termination letter mentioning downsizing + the HR emails about department layoffs should shut down their bogus attendance claim pretty quickly. EDD interviewers deal with these employer lies constantly and know what to look for. Just stay calm, present your timeline clearly, and let the facts speak for themselves. You've got this handled now!

This thread has been such an incredible resource! I'm dealing with a similar situation where my employer is disputing my claim, and seeing how you handled this gives me so much hope. The fact that your employer tried to claim "excessive absences" when you were clearly part of a documented mass layoff of 15 people is just outrageous - but unfortunately seems to be way more common than I realized. Your documentation sounds absolutely perfect for proving your case. Having both the termination letter that specifically mentions downsizing AND those HR emails about the department-wide layoffs should make their attendance excuse completely fall apart during your interview. One thing I learned from my own research is that EDD actually tracks these patterns of employer fraud, so when they see a company claiming individual performance issues but the claimant has proof of mass layoffs, it raises immediate red flags about the employer's credibility. Wishing you the best of luck with your phone interview - sounds like you're incredibly well-prepared and should get this resolved in your favor quickly!

This is such a perfect example of why documentation is everything when dealing with EDD! Your employer claiming "excessive absences" when you have proof of a mass layoff affecting 15 people due to lost contracts is absolutely shameless - but sadly very typical. They're literally committing fraud to avoid paying higher unemployment insurance premiums. The good news is you're in an incredibly strong position now. Having both your termination letter that mentions downsizing AND those HR emails about department-wide layoffs gives you rock-solid evidence. When you present this during your phone interview, it's going to be crystal clear that their attendance claim is completely fabricated. I went through something similar where my employer tried to claim I was fired for "insubordination" when they actually eliminated my entire team. The key is staying calm and factual during the interview - let your documentation do the talking. EDD interviewers see these employer tactics constantly and know exactly what to look for. You've got this! With that level of evidence, you should get those disqualified weeks reversed pretty quickly once you have your interview.

Just wanted to jump in as someone who's been through the EDD maze before - your situation is unfortunately very common but you're handling it exactly right! The fact that your employer claimed "excessive absences" when you were clearly part of a mass layoff affecting 15 people is such obvious fraud on their part. They're literally willing to lie to avoid paying higher unemployment insurance rates. Your documentation sounds absolutely bulletproof though. Having both the termination letter that specifically mentions downsizing AND those HR emails about the department-wide layoffs gives you everything you need to demolish their bogus story during your phone interview. One tip for the interview - if possible, try to get contact info for some of the other 14 people who were laid off with you. Having witnesses who can confirm it was a mass layoff due to client loss (not individual performance issues) can really strengthen your case, though your written documentation should be more than enough. You're going to get through this! With that level of evidence, those disqualified weeks should get reversed pretty quickly once you have your interview.

This is such a great success story and learning experience for everyone! It's incredible how your employer tried to claim "excessive absences" when you were clearly part of a mass layoff of 15 people due to the company losing a major client - that's textbook employer fraud to avoid higher unemployment insurance premiums. The documentation you have is absolutely perfect for your upcoming phone interview. Having both your termination letter that specifically mentions downsizing AND those HR emails about department-wide layoffs creates an ironclad case that completely contradicts their bogus attendance claim. As someone who's navigated EDD issues before, I can tell you that interviewers see these employer tactics constantly and know exactly what to look for. When you present your timeline and documentation, it's going to be crystal clear that this was a legitimate layoff, not anything related to your individual performance or attendance. Just stay calm and factual during the interview, and let your evidence do the talking. With this level of documentation, you should get those disqualified weeks reversed pretty quickly. Thanks for sharing your experience and keeping us updated - it's incredibly helpful for others who might face similar employer pushback!