EDD eligibility after school ownership change - can teachers quit and get unemployment?

What you're describing might qualify as 'constructive discharge' which can make you eligible for unemployment benefits. When there's a substantial change in your working conditions like you described (new ownership, changed job duties, hostile environment), EDD may consider this as having 'good cause' to quit. Document EVERYTHING - the ownership change, how your job duties changed, any reduction in hours/pay, the firing of your colleagues, etc. When you file, be very specific about these changes in the section where they ask why you left. I went through something similar when my company was acquired and my entire department was restructured.

BE SUPER CAREFUL!! EDD can be really strict about quitting. my freind quit her job becus they changed her schedule and she got DENIED. they told her she shoud have tried to resolve the situation b4 quitting. Maybe talk to the new owners first and tel them your concerns? get it in writing that your unhappy with changes. or see if they'll lay you off instead of you quitting? that woud be better for unemployment!!!

I'm an employment attorney, and this situation comes up frequently with school acquisitions. Here's what you need to know: 1. California recognizes 'constructive discharge' for UI benefits when working conditions become substantially different or intolerable 2. Changes in ownership alone isn't enough - you need to show how specific job conditions changed (which you have with classroom reassignments and curriculum changes) 3. IMPORTANT: You must take reasonable steps to resolve the situation before quitting - document a formal complaint to management 4. If you do quit, when filing for unemployment, use specific language about how the job fundamentally changed from what you were originally hired to do 5. Be prepared for a potential phone interview with EDD where you'll need to explain your good cause reason The threshold question is: 'Would a reasonable person in your situation have felt compelled to quit?' Based on what you've described, you have a strong case, but documentation is critical.

the same thing hapened at my kids private school last year!!! new owners came in fired half the staff and changed EVERYTHING. my daughters favorite teacher quit and she told me she got unemployment becuse they basickly changed her job completly. she had to do a phone interview with EDD and show emails about all the changes. good luck!!

Have you tried calling EDD to ask about your specific situation? I spent WEEKS trying to get through to them when I had a question about my claim last month. Kept getting the 'we're experiencing high call volume' message and disconnected. Super frustrating! I finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual EDD rep in less than an hour. They have this video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km. You might want to ask EDD directly about your situation before quitting since every case is different.

careful with how you report this. i quit my job when new management came in and changed everything BUT i didnt document the changes well enough. got denied benefits because EDD said i didnt prove the job changed significantly. had to appeal and it was a nightmare. GET EVERYTHING IN WRITING!!!

Just wanted to follow up. If you do decide to quit, make sure you're specific in your EDD application. Under 'reason for separation,' DON'T just say "I quit" - explain that your working conditions substantially changed due to new ownership. Use the phrase "constructive discharge" and detail the specific changes that made your position different from what you were hired for. Also, be prepared to show that you tried to remedy the situation before leaving (emails, meeting notes with management, etc). About 60% of my unemployment claim was based on how well I documented and explained my situation.

One additional note: if you have an employment contract for a specific time period (like an academic year), and the new owners are materially changing your job duties mid-contract, you may have additional legal protections. If you can show they've effectively breached the original employment agreement, this strengthens your unemployment claim. Do you have any documentation of your original job duties or classroom assignment that you can compare with the new changes?

omg schools r the WORST for this stuff!!! my cousin teaches at private school and they change the rules ALL THE TIME! she said document document document!!! good luck with everything!!

I think you have good cause to quit based on what you've shared, but here's a suggestion: TIMING matters. If you've been at the school for less than 18 months, wait until you've hit that mark if possible. EDD looks more favorably on claims where you've been employed at the same place for a longer period. It shows you weren't just looking for a quick exit. Also, if you do quit, do it AFTER you've documented attempts to resolve the issues and received responses (or non-responses) from management. This creates a clear paper trail of your good faith efforts.