EDD eligibility interview next week - what to expect and how to prep?

I had my eligibility interview back in January. Mine lasted about 25-30 minutes but I've heard they can go from 15 minutes to an hour depending on how complicated your case is. The interviewer will definitely ask why you left your job. Since you quit, they'll focus on whether you had "good cause" to leave - which means you need to convince them your work situation was so bad that any reasonable person would have quit too. Make sure you have specific examples of the hostile environment with dates if possible. They'll probably ask questions like: - What specific incidents made the workplace hostile? - Did you try to resolve the issues with your employer before quitting? - Did you report the hostile behavior to HR or management? - Were there any witnesses to the incidents? Be honest but focus on the facts rather than emotions. Good luck!

they basicly want 2 no if u had a gud reason 2 quit. if u quit w/out gud reason they deny u. i had 2 do interview last yr n they askd bout my last job n why i left n if i lookd 4 other jobs b4 quitting. make sure u say u had NO CHOICE but 2 quit cuz of unsafe wrking conditions.

I work in HR and can share some insight on these interviews. The EDD interviewer has specific guidelines they follow to determine if you had "good cause" for voluntary quit cases. Here's what you should be prepared to discuss: 1. The specific hostile incidents (dates, what happened, who was involved) 2. Any steps you took to resolve the situation before quitting 3. Why continuing employment became so intolerable that quitting was your only reasonable option 4. Documentation of incidents or complaints The interviewer is trying to establish if you exhausted all reasonable alternatives before quitting. Have your documentation organized and ready - they may ask you to fax or upload it after the interview. Interviews typically last 15-30 minutes. They'll also verify your employment dates and final wages with your employer. Your former employer will be contacted for their side of the story, so be prepared for them to possibly dispute your claims. Stay calm, stick to facts, and explain why the situation made continued employment impossible. Good luck!

I wouldn't directly accuse your former boss of lying, as that could come across as defensive. Instead, simply present your evidence and calmly explain that "there may be different perspectives on what occurred." Then focus on your documentation and any witnesses who can corroborate your experience. If you have text messages, emails, or witness statements, mention that you have these forms of evidence available.

EDD interviews are THE WORST!!! They ALWAYS side with employers and don't care about workers at all!!! I had one last year and the interviewer barely let me talk and just kept cutting me off. Then they denied my claim even though I had proof my boss was horrible!!! The whole system is rigged against us!!!

I've been through this exact situation! My advice is to write down everything you want to say before the interview. They move pretty quickly and you might get nervous and forget important details. I made a bullet point list with: - Specific hostile incidents with dates - Who witnessed each incident - What steps I took to resolve it (complaints to HR, etc) - Why continuing to work there was impossible My interview lasted about 20 minutes. The interviewer was professional but definitely wasn't there to be my friend. Just answer questions directly and stick to facts. Having documentation really helped my case. Also, I had so much trouble reaching EDD to reschedule when something came up - spent days calling that impossible phone number. I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got through to an agent in under 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km. Just mentioning in case you need to reach them about your interview or have questions after.

My interview was scheduled for 30 mins but only took about 15. They just wanted the basic facts. Kinda rushed through everything but I still got approved. Just be super clear about why you HAD to quit. They're mainly looking to make sure you didn't just quit because you felt like it or because you didn't like your boss (which isn't enough). Hostile work environment CAN qualify as good cause if you explain it right. Oh and they recorded my interview which made me nervous lol. Just a heads up in case they do that with yours too.

I had my interview in March after I quit my toxic retail job. The lady who interviewed me was actually really nice and understanding. She asked me: 1. Why did you leave your last job? 2. What attempts did you make to fix the situation? 3. Were there any final incidents that made you quit when you did? 4. Did you give notice? The whole thing took maybe 20 minutes. I got approved a week later. Just be honest and explain clearly why the situation was so bad you had to leave. Good luck!

Thanks everyone for all the helpful advice! I feel much more prepared now. I'm going to spend tonight organizing my documentation and making bullet points of the key incidents with dates. I'll update after my interview to let you know how it went!