EDD employee privacy breach - who to contact about unemployment staff misconduct?
So I'm dealing with a really uncomfortable situation involving an EDD representative who took my unemployment claim call a few years back. This person and I have mutual connections on Facebook (we had hundreds of mutual friends) but he never disclosed this when taking my call. Now we've had a personal disagreement completely unrelated to EDD, and suddenly his friends are harassing me online saying stuff like "get a job" - obviously referencing private info about my unemployment claim that he must have shared. This feels like a serious privacy violation and abuse of position. I've already: 1. Filed an online complaint with EDD (no response) 2. Submitted some kind of report to the Attorney General's office 3. Planning to file a police report for harassment But I'm not getting anywhere! Who else can I contact about this kind of EDD employee misconduct? Is there a specific department that handles privacy violations by staff? Has anyone dealt with something similar?
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CosmicCruiser
Wow that's completely unethical and probably illegal! EDD employees have access to all your personal information and they're not supposed to share ANYTHING with anyone. You need to contact the EDD Privacy Office directly at privacy@edd.ca.gov - put PRIVACY BREACH in the subject line. Also file a complaint with the California State Auditor's whistleblower hotline at (800) 952-5665. Document EVERYTHING - screenshots of their comments, any proof of the Facebook connection, dates when you spoke with this person at EDD, etc.
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Mateo Hernandez
•Thank you so much! I didn't know about the EDD Privacy Office. I'll email them today and call that whistleblower hotline too. I've been keeping screenshots of everything so far.
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Aisha Khan
thats messed up but good luck proving it happened. edd is a disaster and they never respond to complaints. my friend had someone look up her info too and nothing ever came of it
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Ethan Taylor
•Actually, they take these privacy violations VERY seriously. My cousin works for a different state agency and said these kinds of breaches can get people fired instantly. It's a big deal if they can prove it.
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Yuki Ito
This is a serious issue that falls under several regulations. Here's what you should do immediately: 1. File a formal complaint with the EDD Civil Rights Office: 800-884-1684 2. Contact the California Information Practices Act coordinator for EDD 3. File a complaint with the State Personnel Board against the employee 4. Contact your state representative/assemblymember's constituent services 5. Document everything meticulously (dates, screenshots, witnesses) State employees accessing confidential information for personal reasons is a terminable offense. The Civil Rights Office should take this very seriously as it could potentially be a violation of various state and federal privacy laws.
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Mateo Hernandez
•Thank you for this detailed list! I didn't even think about contacting my state representative. I'll definitely reach out to the Civil Rights Office too. Do you know if I should mention this was about an unemployment claim specifically when I contact them?
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Yuki Ito
•Yes, absolutely mention it was an unemployment claim. Be very specific about dates, the type of claim (regular UI, etc.), and exactly what personal information you believe was compromised. The more specific you are, the easier it will be for them to identify which employee accessed your records and when. They have audit logs of every access to your information.
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Carmen Lopez
Definitely contact the EDD's Information Security Office too at security@edd.ca.gov. This is a breach of the confidentiality agreement every EDD employee signs. They can track exactly who accessed your information in their systems and when. Also, if you're having trouble getting through to file these complaints, you might want to try Claimyr (claimyr.com). They're usually for helping people reach EDD agents about claim issues, but they might be able to help connect you with the right departments for this situation too. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km Keep pushing on this. What that employee did is absolutely against policy and probably illegal under California information privacy laws.
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Mateo Hernandez
•Thank you! I'll email the Security Office right away. And thanks for the Claimyr tip - I've been so frustrated trying to reach anyone who can actually do something. I'll check out that video.
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Andre Dupont
OMG this happened to my sister!!! an edd worker told her neighbor about her unemployment claim!!! she reported it but nothing happened for like 6 months then suddenly she got a letter saying they "took appropriate action" whatever that means lol. keep calling them EVERYDAY dont give up!!
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QuantumQuasar
•Did your sister ever find out what the "appropriate action" was? I'm curious if they actually fire people for this or just give them a slap on the wrist. Either way, definitely agree that persistence is key with EDD complaints.
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Andre Dupont
•not really they wouldnt tell her cuz of "personnel confidentiality" which is so messed up considering THEY violated HER confidentiality!!! but her neighbor later mentioned the person no longer worked there so maybe fired?? who knows
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Ethan Taylor
This is why I always use fake names on social media... too many people can access your private info these days. But seriously, I think you should also file a complaint with the Federal Department of Labor since EDD gets federal funding. Those unemployment records are protected by federal privacy laws too. Here's their contact: 1-866-487-2365
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QuantumQuasar
The California Department of Technology has an Information Security Office that oversees all state departments including EDD. They take data breaches very seriously. Contact them at security@state.ca.gov with all the details. Make sure to specifically mention this was a "privacy breach by state employee" in the subject line. And if all else fails, local news stations LOVE these kinds of stories. A call to a consumer protection reporter might light a fire under EDD to actually investigate.
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Mateo Hernandez
•The news angle is something I hadn't considered! I really hope it doesn't come to that, but it's good to know there are options if the official channels fail me. I'll contact the Department of Technology too - thank you for that specific email address.
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Aisha Khan
just wondering but how do u know for SURE it was him who told his friends? maybe they just guessed you were on unemployment or someone else told them? not defending the guy just saying u need solid proof before accusing an edd worker
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Mateo Hernandez
•Fair question. The timing is suspicious - I had a disagreement with him, and then suddenly his friends (who I've never interacted with) started making these comments. One specifically referenced the exact month I filed my claim, which isn't something they could have guessed. But you're right, I need to be careful about direct accusations without absolute proof.
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CosmicCruiser
UPDATE US on what happens! This is really important for everyone to know about. State employees accessing confidential data for personal use is a huge problem across many agencies. Your complaint could help strengthen protections for all of us.
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Mateo Hernandez
•I definitely will! I've already emailed the Privacy Office and Security Office today. I'm calling the Civil Rights Office tomorrow. I'll post updates as I get responses. Thanks everyone for all your helpful suggestions!
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