If you were fired can you get unemployment in California EDD?

Wait so EDD actually contacts my former employer too? I didn't realize it was a two-sided thing. Did anything specific come up in your interview that I should be ready for?

The DE 4800 notice actually lists the questions they're likely to ask, which helped me prepare. It's not a gotcha situation - they just want your account of what happened.

The employer gets notified when you file - there's a notice EDD mails them called the DE 1101CZ and they have 10 days to respond. So yes, two-sided from the very start.

That's reassuring. The letter really just says "conduct inconsistent with company policy" which feels very vague to me. I'm hoping vague works in my favor.

vague termination letters are actually pretty common and they don't automatically mean you're out. the interview is your chance to give context

Misconduct in EDD's eyes is a pretty specific thing - it's not just any reason an employer gives. A policy disagreement where you genuinely thought the policy was wrong is a very different thing than, say, theft or harassment.

How long was the interview itself? I keep imagining it being this long interrogation but maybe I'm overthinking it.

Mine was maybe 20 minutes. Mostly just explaining the sequence of events. Bring any notes or documentation you have nearby so you can reference dates if they ask.

Same experience here - my interview was under half an hour. The key is staying calm and sticking to what actually happened without over-explaining.

Has anyone here actually had their claim denied after a firing and then appealed? Wondering what that process looks like just in case.

Appeals go through the CUIAB - you get a Notice of Determination with an Appeal Form (DE 1000M) attached if you're denied, and you have 30 days from the mailing date to file. An administrative law judge hears the case. Keep certifying through the whole process so back weeks can be paid if you win.

That's exactly right - never stop certifying during an appeal. EDD can only pay weeks that were actually certified.

So I might get that notice and think I'm approved but actually still be in limbo? Good to know, I would have definitely misread that.

Lots of people confuse the DE 429Z for an approval letter. It just tells you the potential weekly amount based on your wage history. The actual eligibility decision comes separately.

Exactly - no approval letter exists as such. If EDD decides you qualify, the payments just start showing up after you certify. If they deny you, you get the Notice of Determination.

Completely wrong - firing doesn't automatically disqualify anyone. EDD looks at whether there was actual misconduct, not just whether a termination happened.

yeah figured, just wanted to double check bc he was pretty confident about it

This myth comes up constantly and it's worth correcting wherever you see it. The firing starts the process, it doesn't end it.

I had no idea about CalJOBS being required. I'll get on that today. Do I need to have my resume polished or does just having something posted count?

Just having it posted is what matters for the EDD requirement. You can refine it over time but don't let perfect be the enemy of getting it up before the deadline.

CalJOBS also has job listings and workshop resources if you want to use it beyond just the resume requirement. The America's Job Centers sometimes run free events through it.

Can I certify before my phone interview happens or do I have to wait until after?

You certify on EDD's schedule regardless - the interview is a separate process. Those weeks will stay Pending in your Claim History until EDD makes the eligibility decision, but you still need to certify them so they can be paid once the decision comes through.

This is an important point - certify even when everything shows Pending. Those weeks only get paid if they were certified, so skipping them could mean leaving money on the table.

My highest earnings were from about 8 months ago when I was picking up overtime. Hope that falls in the right period.

8 months back should be well within the standard base period for a claim filed now. The Unemployment Benefit Calculator on EDD's site can give you an estimate before the DE 429Z arrives.

Alternate base period exists too if the standard one doesn't generate a valid claim - EDD applies it automatically, you don't have to ask. But it doesn't bump up your weekly amount if the standard period already makes a valid claim.

That's true - an employer that doesn't respond to the DE 1101CZ within 10 days loses their ability to appeal EDD's decision afterward too.

Interesting that the employer can just not engage. Mine seems like the type to fight everything so I'm not counting on that, but good to know it's a factor.

So the first week is always unpaid no matter what? Even if EDD decides in my favor?

Yes, one week unpaid per claim - it's served on that first eligible week and doesn't change the total weeks you can collect. It's just how the program is structured.

i thought the waiting week was something they could waive sometimes?? like during emergencies

That happened in some specific circumstances in past years but under current rules there's a standard one-week unpaid waiting period on every new claim. No waiver available now.

The emotional toll is real. Every day I refresh UI Online hoping something has changed and there's nothing new.

The Pending status just sits there and doesn't tell you much. Once the DE 4800 showed up with the interview date and time I felt better just having something concrete to work toward.

The interview scheduling letter was genuinely the most calming thing in the whole process for me too - it meant EDD was moving on the claim.

Three violations listed and you still ended up getting through to an agent and moving forward? That's genuinely encouraging to hear.

The length of the termination document doesn't determine the outcome - what matters is what EDD decides after hearing both sides. Mine moved through the process normally.

Useful to know you can confirm interview scheduling details by actually reaching an agent. The UI Online homepage is supposed to show it but sometimes it updates slowly.

Good call, I'll set up direct deposit now. Didn't even think about that part.

Payment info updates daily in UI Online and you can also check on 1-866-333-4606 which runs 24 hours - useful for checking after hours without sitting on hold.

So I literally just wait for the call at the time on the form? I was going to try to call in and was confused about how that worked.

Exactly - you don't call in. The interviewer calls at the scheduled time, so just have your phone on and available. If the number is unfamiliar, answer it.

Missing the interview causes real delays - EDD can make a decision based only on what they already have, which usually means less information in your favor. Same-day call to EDD if something goes wrong.

I actually didn't know California doesn't tax them. Good to know. I'll probably do the federal withholding just to be safe.

Tax withholding choice comes up each certification so you're not locked in - you can change it. The 1099G also shows up in UI Online under Payments if you need it before the mail arrives.

Employers do have reserve accounts that can be affected by claims, but they cannot deny your claim - EDD decides, not your employer. Filing is your right and your former employer threatening you over it is not how the system works.

Never let an employer's interests stop you from filing. EDD's job is to decide your eligibility based on the law, not based on what your former employer wants.

yeah ok filing today then lol

This is practical advice I can actually do right now. Making that timeline tonight.

Any documentation you have helps too - emails, text messages, anything that records what actually happened around the time of the firing. You don't submit them to EDD in advance but having them in front of you during the call is useful.

They gave me two weeks of severance. I'll definitely report it. Didn't know I needed to flag it on the certification though.

Report it in the week the money applies to, not necessarily when it's paid. The certification will ask about wages and income for that period.

Vacation payout and in-lieu-of-notice pay also get reported the same way - when certifying, not when physically received if there's a delay.

30 days from mailing date, not from when I get it. That's the kind of detail I would have missed. Thank you.

The mailing date is printed right on the notice. If you're close to the deadline and mailing your appeal back, send it certified mail so you have proof of the date.

Has anyone here actually gone to a CUIAB hearing? Wondering how formal it really is.

Went through one two years ago. Formal in the sense that it's recorded and testimony is sworn, but the judge is there to understand what happened, not to trip you up. Having your documents organized matters more than knowing legal procedure.

The written decision from the judge gets mailed afterward. If you disagree with that too, there's a second-level appeal to the full board.

26 weeks max. Got it. That's about 6 months which I'm hoping is more than enough but good to have the ceiling in mind.

Worth noting: if you find a new job and then lose it again while your benefit year is still open, you reopen the same claim rather than filing a fresh one. Done through UI Online.

wait so my check never had unemployment taken out?? i always assumed it did

Correct - the CASDI line is SDI and PFL. UI taxes are entirely on the employer side. You still qualify based on your work history regardless.

This comes up all the time and it's a good thing to know clearly: the fact that your paycheck didn't have a UI deduction line doesn't mean you didn't earn the right to file.

Didn't know the live chat had those hours. I'll try that if I have a question before the interview notice arrives.

Live chat can get busy too but it moves faster than holding on the phone in my experience. Good for simple status questions.

Three weeks from interview to first payment is reassuring to hear as a rough timeline. I'll definitely report back.

Timeline varies but that's pretty typical in my experience too. The interview to decision window is usually faster than the application to interview window.

Routing this back to the original question for anyone reading later: yes, fired workers qualify regularly in California - the interview is what determines it, not the termination itself.