How to get unemployment insurance for my business owners who got laid off in California EDD

The date on the notice is from almost two weeks ago, does that mean I already missed the window?

The 10 days runs from the mailing date on the form, so if it was postmarked recently you may still be in time — phone EDD at 1-800-300-5616 and ask, they handle employer questions on the same line. Don't just sit on it.

My old employer never responded to mine and EDD still approved me, so it does keep moving either way. But yeah the employer loses their chance to appeal if they miss it.

They've already filed, actually. One of them told me his claim shows Pending in UI Online and he's not sure why.

Pending usually just means EDD is still processing — could be they're waiting on your employer response or just normal queue time. Tell him to keep certifying every two weeks and not stop just because it says Pending.

Pending drove me crazy for three weeks on mine. Eventually it cleared and they paid all the back weeks at once.

So the pending on my former employee's claim might literally just be waiting for me to respond to that notice?

That's exactly what the agent told me about mine. Get that response in and it should move quickly.

Hadn't heard of that approach for getting through to EDD, might try it for my own situation where the pending has been sitting for six weeks.

Does the amount they paid out in benefits actually change what I pay in future UI taxes?

It affects your employer reserve account and can influence your tax rate over time, but honestly that's a conversation for a payroll accountant or a CPA who knows California employer tax rules — EDD's pages don't walk through the rate calculation in a way I'd trust myself to explain.

Same thing happened with the small business I work for. The charges show up on that DE 1545 and finance just handled it from there.

I almost missed mine because I didn't realize the 21 days started from the date on that DE 8405, not from when I actually received it. Check the date printed on the form, not when it arrives in your mailbox.

CalJOBS registration is pretty quick once you sit down with it, maybe 20-30 minutes including the resume upload. Tell them to do it right away and not wait.

I'll pass that along. I don't think any of them mentioned getting that form yet but it might just be on its way.

That's actually reassuring. I was worried that if I said something wrong in my response it would somehow block their claims.

For a layoff due to lost contracts, really all you're doing is confirming dates and that there was no work available. That's it.

Yep. The burden question only comes up when someone was fired — employer has to show misconduct. For a layoff it's pretty clear cut.

Usually it goes quiet after the initial response unless one of the employees had something unusual about their separation. EDD only reaches back out if there's a question about eligibility or if someone appeals a denial. For a no-fault layoff with clean records, most employers just respond once and that's the end of their involvement.

You'll still get the DE 1545 when benefits are charged to your account, but that's informational mostly. No action required unless the wage figures on it are wrong.

EDD can verify wages through your state tax records even without an employer response — your W-2s and the state payroll data are usually enough. It might take a little longer but a closed employer doesn't automatically mean your claim stalls.

My claim has been Pending for almost four weeks and I'm starting to get really worried about rent.

Keep certifying regardless of the Pending status so those weeks stay on the books. When EDD processes the claim they can pay all certified pending weeks at once.

I had no idea California didn't tax it until I did my taxes last year. Saved me from a nasty surprise.

You can also opt into 10 percent federal withholding when you certify so it's not a lump sum hit in April. I wish someone had told me that earlier.

I told all three of mine to file right away — one already did, the other two I'm going to follow up with after reading this thread.

The claim week starts from the Sunday of the week they file, not the day they were laid off, so every week they wait is a week they may not get back.

That's a really important point. No retroactive claims — EDD goes from the Sunday the application is submitted.

How long did yours take start to finish from the day you filed?

About three weeks from filing to first payment, which I've heard is pretty normal for a standard layoff with no eligibility questions.

Three weeks feels like forever when you're waiting on rent money but that does sound like a typical timeline.

I got a phone interview even on what I thought was a clear layoff. Turned out there was some language in my separation paperwork that made it look ambiguous. EDD just needed me to explain the situation and it was resolved quickly.

Good point — sometimes the reason code the employer puts on their response triggers a review. It doesn't mean trouble, EDD just wants to make sure the record is accurate.

What happens if you miss the phone interview? Do they reschedule it or just deny you?

If you miss it you're supposed to phone EDD at 1-800-300-5616 the same day to explain. If you don't, EDD decides from whatever information it already has, which could mean delays or a denial. They say you should contact them before the interview time if you need to change it, with at least a day's notice.

I definitely thought my claim was messed up when my first payment was for one week instead of two. No one explained the waiting week to me upfront.

EDD explains it on the DE 429Z — that's the award notice that shows your weekly benefit amount. It's worth reading that form carefully when it arrives.

Your employer can't tell you whether you qualify — that's completely EDD's call. File the claim and let EDD decide. Part-time wages absolutely count in the base period calculation.

EDD looks at wages earned in the base period, which is basically the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you filed. If you had enough wages in that window you likely have a valid claim. File and find out.

Filed this morning after reading this. Didn't realize I could just go ahead regardless of what my old boss said.

All three of mine are California-only workers as far as I know, but good to know that exists.

Yeah it's a pretty specific situation. For most people filing online through myEDD is the fastest route.

Identity verification was holding mine up too. The DE 1326C letter explaining what to do showed up in my mailbox almost two weeks after I filed. If you don't get that letter, check your EDD mailing address is correct.

How did you know to look at the ID.me step specifically? Did the agent just bring it up or did you have to ask?

The agent pulled up my account and could see that the ID.me verification was incomplete — I hadn't gotten any letter or notification about it, so I had no idea. The agent told me exactly what to do next and said once it was confirmed the pending weeks would process.

I did not know that's what CASDI was for. I always wondered what that deduction was.

Common confusion. Workers never paid into unemployment — it's entirely the employer's side of the equation.

Important clarification. I've heard people say they 'paid into unemployment' but that's not accurate for California — the UI tax is on the employer, not the employee.

My weekly amount on the DE 429Z was lower than I expected because one really good quarter I had fell outside the base period window. The timing of when you file actually matters for which wages get counted.

Exactly right. The standard base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters — so your most recent earnings might not be in it yet depending on when you file.

There's something called an alternate base period EDD can use if the standard one doesn't generate a valid claim at all, but it's not something you can request to get a higher weekly amount — EDD only uses it if the standard base period doesn't have enough wages to qualify.

Just to add — the work search requirement is waived in some situations, like if EDD determines you're attached to a union hiring hall or in certain training situations. EDD tells you if you're exempt; otherwise assume it applies.

Good addition. I assumed it always applied and kept my records just in case.

That's actually a really clear way to frame it. I was treating this like I had to manage my workers' claims somehow on top of running my response, and I don't — I just respond to my form and they handle theirs.

Exactly. Your part is one response form. Their part is filing, identity verification, CalJOBS, certifying every two weeks. EDD's part is in the middle tying it together.

Drywall business owner I know went through something similar and was surprised how hands-off the employer role actually is once you submit that one response.

I reported a one-time severance payment on my certification and EDD still paid me for that week. Came through without any issue.

Yep, that lines up with how it usually works for straightforward company-policy severance. Always report it though — don't try to guess whether it matters, let EDD decide.

What about vacation payout they included in my final check?

Vacation pay is also on EDD's list of things to report. Same rule — report it and let EDD determine how it affects your payment for that week. EDD's pages don't spell out the exact formula publicly, so just be accurate on the form.

Good move getting that response in. The timing really does make a difference for the pending weeks.

Your former employees filing this week rather than waiting another week is the right call — the Sunday start date means every week counts.

Pausing to try Claimyr again since my own claim had a new issue pop up — a certification question I answered wrong in an earlier week flagged something. The agent walked me through what to do, which is contact EDD through the UI Online message system to report the correction, since the Report Wages option only works before you certify that week.