EDD scheduled second phone interview - normal procedure or red flag?

yep had 2 phone interviews last month. first one was general questions, second one was more specific about some discrepancy in my reported wages. no big deal, just answer truthfully

EDD sometimes schedules follow-up interviews if they need to clarify information or if they received conflicting details from your former employer. Based on what you've shared, it sounds like your employer might have contested something or provided information that doesn't match what you stated. A few things to prepare for the second interview: 1. Review the details you provided in your first interview so you're consistent 2. Have documentation ready about your separation (emails, termination letter, resignation notice) 3. Be prepared to explain specific dates and circumstances again 4. Stay calm and answer questions directly - don't volunteer extra information I went through something similar last year and it turned out my employer had misreported my last day of work. The second interview was just to resolve that discrepancy.

OMG I had THREE interviews!!! Each time I thought it was over and then another notification. I was FREAKING OUT thinking they were going to deny my claim or worse accuse me of fraud!!! By the third interview I was a nervous wreck. But it turned out they were just verifying different aspects of my claim. First was basic eligibility, second was about my work search efforts, and third was to verify identity (which made no sense since I'd already done ID.me). The system is SO BROKEN!!!! 😡😡😡

Having multiple interviews is becoming more common now. EDD is under pressure to reduce fraud and overpayments, so they're doing more thorough verifications. The fact that your payments have continued is actually a good sign - if they suspected serious issues, they might have put a hold on payments. One thing to note: if your employer is contesting your claim, the interviewer should tell you this at the beginning of the call. They're required to disclose if they're investigating a conflict between your statement and your employer's. Also, make sure you're available at the scheduled time. Missing the interview can result in automatic disqualification and you'd have to appeal, which is a whole other headache.

If you're having trouble getting through the EDD phone maze on your own to ask about this, try using Claimyr.com - it helped me actually get through to a rep after weeks of trying on my own. They have a system that connects you directly with EDD agents so you can ask questions about your specific situation. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km that shows how it works. I used it when I needed to find out why I had a second interview scheduled and it saved me tons of stress - I found out it was just a standard wage verification for my situation.

Second interviews usually means theres a issue with ur claim. My friend had 2 interviews cuz her former boss said she quit and she said she was laid off. The second interview was to get more details. She had to provide a bunch of text messages to prove her side. Make sure u have any evidence ready just in case.

I work in HR and can tell you that second interviews happen for a few common reasons: 1. Employer protest/appeal of your claim 2. Wage verification discrepancies 3. Random audit/quality control 4. Issue with your availability for work 5. Questions about your work search activities The fact that your payments are continuing suggests it's likely #3 or #5. If it was an employer protest, they would typically put your payments on hold pending resolution.

I went through something like this in January. Had my first phone interview, everything seemed fine, then out of nowhere they scheduled a second one. Turns out my former employer told them I was fired for misconduct when actually I was laid off with a bunch of other people when the company downsized. Make sure you have emails or any documentation that proves your side of the story! For me, I had the layoff letter which saved me. The second interview was actually super short once I mentioned I had that documentation.

I had a similar experience last year - got scheduled for a second interview about 2 weeks after my first one. In my case, it turned out to be routine wage verification because there was a discrepancy in how my employer reported my earnings vs what I had stated. The interviewer was actually pretty straightforward about it and told me right at the beginning what they were verifying. Since your payments are still coming through, that's definitely a positive sign. If there was a serious red flag or your employer was disputing your eligibility, they would likely have put a hold on your benefits while investigating. My advice: gather all your documentation (resignation email, any texts or communications about your hours being reduced, pay stubs showing the hour reduction, etc.) and have it organized before the call. Even if they don't ask for it during the interview, having it ready will help you answer questions confidently and consistently. The "constructive discharge" angle that @Yara Sayegh mentioned is really important for your situation. When employers drastically cut hours to the point where you can't survive financially, that's often considered grounds for unemployment benefits even if you technically resigned. Just make sure to explain the timeline clearly - when your hours were cut, by how much, and how that made it impossible to continue working there. Good luck with your interview!

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - got my second interview notice yesterday and I'm honestly pretty anxious about it. My first interview was about 3 weeks ago too and seemed to go smoothly. The interviewer asked about my last day, why I left, etc. and I thought we were done. Reading through everyone's experiences here is really helpful though. It sounds like second interviews are becoming more common, especially with all the fraud prevention measures they've put in place. I'm trying to stay positive since my payments haven't stopped either. @Zainab Omar - your situation with the hours reduction sounds really tough. I hope the "constructive discharge" angle works out for you. It's frustrating when employers try to force you out by making the job impossible to sustain. I'm going to take everyone's advice and gather all my documentation before the call. Better to be over-prepared than caught off guard. Thanks for starting this thread - it's reassuring to know we're not alone in dealing with these multiple interviews!

Just went through this exact situation last month! Had my first interview in early February, thought everything was fine, then got scheduled for a second one about 3 weeks later. I was so stressed thinking they were going to deny my claim or find some issue. Turns out it was just routine verification - they wanted to clarify some details about my work search activities and confirm a few dates. The interviewer was actually pretty friendly and explained that they're doing more thorough reviews now as part of their fraud prevention efforts. The key thing is to stay consistent with what you said in your first interview. I'd recommend writing down the main points you covered in that first call while they're still fresh in your memory. Also, like others mentioned, having documentation ready is super important even if they don't ask for it. Your situation with the hours reduction definitely sounds like constructive discharge to me. I had a friend who went through something similar where her employer kept cutting her shifts until she basically had to quit. She was able to get benefits because the EDD recognized that the employer was essentially forcing her out. Don't stress too much about it - the fact that your payments are continuing is really encouraging. If there was a major red flag, they would have put a hold on everything while investigating. This is likely just their new normal process. You've got this!

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Got my second interview notice last week and I've been anxious about it ever since. My first interview was about a month ago and seemed straightforward - just basic questions about my separation and eligibility. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly helpful and reassuring. It sounds like these multiple interviews are becoming the new norm rather than something to panic about. The fact that so many people have gone through 2-3 interviews and still gotten their benefits approved gives me hope. I'm definitely taking the advice about gathering all documentation beforehand. I've been digging through old emails and texts to make sure I have everything organized. It's better to be over-prepared than caught off guard with questions I can't answer clearly. The constructive discharge discussion is really interesting too. I didn't realize there was an actual term for when employers essentially force you out by making the job unsustainable. That knowledge could be helpful for a lot of people in similar situations. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's made this whole process feel a lot less scary knowing we're all navigating this together!

I went through this exact situation about 6 months ago! Had my first interview which went fine, then got scheduled for a second one about 2-3 weeks later. I was panicking thinking they were going to deny my claim or accuse me of fraud. Turns out it was just additional verification because my employer had provided conflicting information about my separation date. The second interview was actually shorter than the first - the interviewer just needed to clarify a few specific details and confirm my version of events. A few tips that really helped me: - Write down everything you remember from your first interview while it's still fresh - Gather ALL relevant documentation (emails, texts, pay stubs, etc.) even if you think it might not be needed - Be prepared to explain your hours reduction situation clearly - that definitely sounds like constructive discharge - Stay calm and stick to the facts The fact that your payments haven't stopped is really encouraging. In most cases where there's a serious dispute or fraud concern, they'll put a hold on benefits immediately. This sounds more like routine verification that's become standard practice. You've got this! The anxiety is totally normal but it sounds like you have a solid case, especially with the hours reduction forcing you to resign.

I just went through this same situation a couple months ago! Got my second interview notice about 3 weeks after the first one and immediately started spiraling thinking they were going to take away my benefits. Turns out it was totally routine - they just needed to verify some wage information because there was a small discrepancy between what I reported and what my employer submitted. The second interview was actually only about 10 minutes compared to the 30+ minute first one. A few things that helped me prepare: - I made notes right after my first interview about what questions they asked and how I answered - Had all my documentation organized in folders on my computer so I could quickly find anything - Made sure my phone was fully charged and I was in a quiet place with good reception The interviewer was actually really professional and started by explaining exactly what they needed to clarify, which immediately put me at ease. Since your payments are still coming through, that's definitely a good sign - they usually freeze payments if there's a serious eligibility concern. Your hours reduction situation definitely sounds like constructive discharge to me. I'd recommend having specific dates and documentation of when your hours were cut and by how much. Pay stubs showing the reduction would be really helpful evidence. Don't stress too much about it - this seems to be their new standard process rather than a red flag. You'll do great!

I'm currently going through this exact same situation! Just got my second interview notice yesterday and I've been reading through all these responses - it's such a relief to know this is becoming more common and not necessarily a red flag. My first interview was about a month ago and seemed to go smoothly. The interviewer asked standard questions about my last day, reason for leaving, availability for work, etc. I thought everything was resolved but then got the notice for interview #2 scheduled for next week. Like many of you, my payments have continued without interruption which seems to be a good sign based on what everyone's sharing here. I'm definitely taking all the advice about gathering documentation and being consistent with my previous answers. What's been most helpful is learning about constructive discharge - I had no idea there was an actual term for when employers make conditions so difficult you're forced to quit. My situation was different (company restructuring eliminated my position but they offered me a role with significantly less pay and responsibilities), but it's good to know EDD recognizes these kinds of scenarios. Thanks to everyone for sharing your experiences! This thread should be pinned for anyone dealing with multiple EDD interviews. It's made me feel so much more prepared and less anxious about the whole process.

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Just got notice for my second interview this morning and immediately started panicking until I found this thread. My first interview was about 2 weeks ago and seemed pretty standard - questions about my separation, work search, etc. I really thought we were done. Reading everyone's experiences here has been incredibly reassuring. It sounds like multiple interviews are just the new normal with all the fraud prevention measures they've put in place post-pandemic. The fact that so many of you went through 2-3 interviews and still got approved gives me a lot of hope. I'm definitely taking all the advice about documentation seriously. Already started gathering emails, pay stubs, and any texts related to my job situation. Better to be over-prepared than scrambling during the call. The constructive discharge discussion has been eye-opening too. I didn't realize that was an actual legal concept. My situation was a bit different - my employer kept changing my schedule with basically no notice, making it impossible to find reliable childcare. Eventually I had to quit because I couldn't keep arranging last-minute care every few days. Hoping that might fall under similar protections. Thanks to everyone for sharing your stories! This thread has turned what felt like a crisis into just another step in the process. Really appreciate you all taking the time to help others navigate this stressful system.

I just had my second EDD interview last week and wanted to share my experience to hopefully help ease some anxiety for others going through this! My situation was pretty similar to many mentioned here - first interview went fine about 3 weeks prior, then got the dreaded second interview notice. I was convinced something was wrong, especially since the notice just said "eligibility determination" with no specifics. Turns out it was purely routine verification. The interviewer explained upfront that they're now doing more thorough reviews on all claims as part of enhanced fraud prevention measures. She just needed to verify a few dates and clarify some details about my work search activities. The whole thing took maybe 15 minutes compared to my 45-minute first interview. A few things that really helped me prepare: - I wrote down everything I could remember from the first interview to stay consistent - Had all documentation organized and easily accessible (emails, pay stubs, resignation letter, etc.) - Made sure I was in a quiet place with good phone reception The interviewer was actually very professional and put me at ease right away by explaining what they needed to verify. Since my payments had continued throughout the process, there were no surprises or red flags. To anyone waiting for their second interview - try not to stress too much! Based on all the experiences shared in this thread, it really seems like this is just their new standard operating procedure rather than a sign of problems with your claim. Just be honest, stay consistent, and have your documentation ready. You've got this! And thank you to everyone who shared their stories here - this thread was a huge help when I was panicking about my own situation!

I just went through my second EDD interview yesterday and wanted to add my experience to this incredibly helpful thread! Like so many of you, I was really anxious when I got that second interview notice about 3 weeks after my first one. My situation was wage verification - apparently there was a discrepancy between what I reported and what my employer submitted for my final pay period. The interviewer was very straightforward about it and the whole thing only took about 10 minutes once I explained the timing of my last paycheck and provided the pay stub details. What really struck me was how routine this seemed to the interviewer. She mentioned that second interviews have become much more common since they've increased their verification procedures. It's clearly not the red flag I thought it was! For anyone still waiting for their interview, I'd echo all the great advice here: - Gather ALL your documentation beforehand - Be prepared to explain dates and circumstances clearly - Stay consistent with what you said in your first interview - Don't panic if your payments are continuing - that's usually a good sign The constructive discharge discussion in this thread has been really eye-opening too. It's great that people are learning about their rights when employers make working conditions impossible. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences here - this thread seriously saved me from weeks of unnecessary stress! Hopefully it continues to help others going through the same situation.