If I get fired do I get unemployment in California EDD?

Wait so they actually contact my old employer?? I didn't know that. What if my employer lies about why they fired me, is there any way to fight that?

Yes EDD contacts them. And if your employer misrepresents the reason, that's when the adjudication process becomes really important. You'll get a chance to give your side of the story, and EDD weighs both accounts. Keep any documentation you have — emails, your termination letter, any written performance reviews — all of that helps your case.

same thing happened to me, my old boss tried to claim misconduct and I got to tell my side and ended up getting approved. just be honest and give them specifics

ok that's reassuring, did your friend have to do anything special or just file normally?

just filed normally i think. they had to answer questions about why they were let go and describe what happened. got approved after like 2 weeks

I've already tried calling twice and got disconnected both times. So frustrating. I'll look into this claimyr thing, thanks

I've heard of Claimyr from a few people in this sub. Seems like it's useful specifically when your claim is in adjudication and you need to actually talk to someone to understand what's happening

does it actually work? seems too good to be true honestly

I mean I can only speak to my own experience but it worked for me. Got connected in like 40 minutes vs calling for 2 weeks straight getting nowhere

This is super helpful, the letter really just says termination of employment and nothing about cause. Does that work in my favor?

Generally yes. A vague termination letter makes it harder for your former employer to claim specific misconduct. Just be consistent in how you describe the separation when EDD asks.

wait so if i was fired for being late too many times does that count as misconduct?? asking for myself lol

Attendance issues are a gray area. Habitual tardiness CAN be misconduct if you were warned multiple times and kept doing it anyway. But if there were circumstances outside your control, or if the employer's policy wasn't clearly communicated, it might not rise to the misconduct standard. Would really depend on the specifics.

11 weeks is insane im sorry. did you try requesting a callback instead of waiting on hold?

yes tried that multiple times. half the time no one calls back and the other times I missed the call because it came from a blocked number and I didn't pick up

This is unfortunately really common when a claim is contested. Have you tried reaching out through your state assembly member's office? They have EDD liaisons and can sometimes get a status update faster than calling directly.

no i didn't know that was a thing. how do I find who my assembly member is?

Oh I hadn't even thought about that. I worked there for 2 years full time so hopefully I'm fine on that front?

2 years full time you should be totally fine. the base period is usually the first 4 of the last 5 completed calendar quarters before you filed, so with 2 years you'd have plenty of wages on record

yeah 2 years full time is way more than enough to meet the earnings requirement

Standard processing without any issues is usually 2-4 weeks. But if your employer contests the separation it goes to adjudication which can add several more weeks. Have you gotten any notices in your UI Online inbox or by mail?

checked my UI online and there's nothing except it saying pending. no mail either. is that normal

Pending without any notices after 3 weeks is a bit unusual. Could mean it's being reviewed or the employer response triggered adjudication quietly. I'd try to call EDD or use a service like Claimyr (claimyr.com) to actually reach someone — there's a demo video at https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10 that shows how it works. Getting a live agent to pull up your claim is really the only way to find out what stage you're in.

ok gonna try that. I'm scared to call but I think I have to

I was just about to file today — so you have to verify through ID.me? Is that required for everyone now?

I believe it's required yes, EDD uses ID.me for identity verification. you'll need a government ID and they might do a facial recognition thing. some people have trouble with it if the lighting is bad or the ID is old/worn

yes ID.me verification is a required step. do it as soon as you file, don't wait on that part or it'll slow everything down

This is really encouraging, thank you. Did you do anything special to describe it or just kept it simple?

just kept it simple and factual. didn't go on and on or try to make myself look super innocent. just said what happened factually. I think overthinking it makes it worse

honestly this is good advice. EDD just needs the facts to make their determination. no need to write a novel

Wait you have to keep filing every week even before you're approved? That seems confusing

Yes, this is really important. You file your initial claim, then you start your weekly certifications the following week. Even if you haven't gotten an approval yet, you keep certifying. If you stop and then get approved, you'll have gaps in your payment weeks that you can't recover.

I didn't know this and I missed like 2 weeks of certifying because I assumed I had to wait for approval first. Is there any way to retroactively certify for those?

You might be able to call EDD and request a backdated certification for missed weeks, but it's not guaranteed. That's another reason having access to a live agent matters — Claimyr at claimyr.com has helped people I know actually get through to request things like that. Their video demo is at https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10 if you want to see how it works before trying.

Unfortunately your sister has this wrong — it's a really common misconception even among HR professionals sometimes. Being fired does not automatically disqualify you in California. Only firings involving specific misconduct as defined by California UI Code disqualify you. Regular performance-based terminations, restructurings, and vague terminations very often result in approved claims.

oh wow ok I will tell her she was wrong lol. good to know

This myth genuinely stops a lot of people from even filing when they absolutely should. Always worth filing and letting EDD make the determination rather than assuming you won't qualify.

How did you manage to actually get through on the phone? That seems to be the hardest part

honestly it took a ton of tries. I called every day for two weeks at different times — early morning seemed slightly better. but it was still mostly luck when I finally got through

the early morning thing is real but it's still not reliable at all. I called at 8:01am three days in a row and still got the high call volume message and disconnected

Ugh okay so realistically if I file today and get approved in say 3 weeks, I'm looking at payment for week 2 onward from when I filed, not week 1?

Exactly. File as early as possible. The clock starts on the week you file, so every day of delay pushes your first payment further out. File today if you can.

yeah the waiting week is brutal when you're trying to figure out bills. good reason to file immediately

Do they tell you when the interview is or does it just show up with no warning?

They're supposed to send you a notice with the scheduled time. But people have reported sometimes missing the notice if they're not checking both their UI Online inbox AND physical mail. Check both regularly once you've filed.

I missed my adjudication interview because I only checked email and didn't look at my UI Online inbox for a while. Had to call and reschedule which added more time to my claim. Don't be like me, check all your communication channels constantly

This is unfortunately true. It's a common employer strategy. But California EDD adjudication is supposed to apply the legal standard objectively. Having documentation is key — emails, performance reviews, anything written is much more persuasive than a verbal account.

100% this happened to me. My employer claimed insubordination. I had email records that showed nothing like that happened and EDD sided with me.

employers should face consequences for filing fraudulent misconduct claims but they basically face zero accountability for it. the whole system is tilted toward employers its infuriating

Great question and really important distinction. If you refused to resign and were formally terminated, that is a discharge, not a voluntary quit. This matters enormously for your claim because voluntary quits have a much higher disqualification bar — you basically have to prove good cause for quitting. If they fired you after offering you the option to resign and you declined, make sure you describe it as a termination, not as you leaving voluntarily.

ok good because I was second guessing myself. the manager literally said the words 'you're terminated' after I said I wouldn't resign so I'll describe it exactly that way

Yes always describe exactly what was communicated to you. If they said 'you're terminated' that is the factual record of what happened and that's what you should report to EDD.

Same, I just filed this morning and I'm already obsessively refreshing. I feel your pain

the waiting is genuinely so stressful. try to limit how often you check, it doesn't make it move faster and just stresses you out more

rationally I know this but try telling my anxiety that lol

This is the post I needed. Saving this. Thank you so much, this whole thread has really calmed me down. Going to file right now.

Great summary. I'd add — don't ignore any mail or UI Online notices even if they seem procedural or routine. Missing a deadline on something that looks like a form letter can seriously delay or jeopardize your claim.

good luck OP, the system is annoying but manageable once you know what youre doing. update us when you hear back!

Will do! Just submitted my initial claim. Fingers crossed