If your position is eliminated are you eligible for unemployment in California?

This is really helpful, thank you. So when I fill out the initial claim form and it asks why I left, I should be clear that my position was eliminated and explain the transfer situation too?

Yes, be thorough and accurate on the initial claim. Explain the restructuring, that your specific position was eliminated, and give honest details about the transfer offer including the commute increase. California EDD will likely contact your former employer for their version anyway, so consistency matters a lot here.

also make sure to keep documentation of anything they gave you in writing about the elimination. any emails or letters saying your position was eliminated - save all of that

Did your claim go straight through or did it go into adjudication? That's what I'm most worried about.

mine went into adjudication for like 2.5 weeks but then got approved. they just wanted to verify the circumstances of the separation. once EDD confirmed with my employer that the role was eliminated I was good

I've never heard of that. Does it actually work? I keep reading horror stories about people never getting through to EDD.

It worked for me - I was genuinely skeptical too but I had already wasted so much time on hold. Got through to an agent and they were able to tell me my claim was moving forward and what documentation they needed. Huge relief.

seconding this, used it when my claim got flagged and needed to talk to someone. the regular EDD phone lines are basically impossible

Good to know this exists. I've been avoiding calling EDD at all because of how bad I've heard the wait times are

It was definitely a broad restructuring - about 12 people across the department lost their jobs. It wasn't targeted at me specifically.

ok then you're probably fine. i got paranoid when i was in a similar situation because i thought EDD would somehow think i did something wrong. but if it's a genuine layoff they can verify it pretty easily

The pay would have been similar actually, just the commute was the main issue. Does the commute factor alone carry enough weight?

It can, especially combined with the fact that the work itself was in a completely different field from your experience. California EDD looks at the totality of circumstances when evaluating suitable work. Document your commute situation - write down the exact distances and times so you have it ready if asked.

this is the kind of info i wish i had when i went through my layoff. ended up in appeals because i didn't know any of this stuff

Haha okay that's reassuring, thank you. Did you have to explain the transfer refusal in your claim?

yeah i just explained it honestly and they approved me. i think as long as you're telling the truth and the position really was eliminated you're good

Wait, I can file weekly certifications before the claim is even approved? I didn't know that.

Yes! This is really important. File weekly certifications every week starting immediately. If your claim gets approved, all those weeks you filed for get paid retroactively. If you wait until you're approved to start filing, you miss out on those weeks entirely.

THIS. so many people miss out on weeks of benefits because they didn't know this. file your weeklies from day one.

can confirm, lost two weeks of benefits my first time because I waited. don't make that mistake

This is actually a common misconception. Declining a transfer to a position that isn't suitable work is not considered a voluntary quit under California unemployment law. The burden is on EDD to show the offered position was suitable before a refusal can be used against a claimant. Given the commute increase and different job duties described here, this seems like a strong case that it wasn't suitable work.

oh okay that makes sense. i always assumed if you turned down any job offer from your employer it would hurt your claim

A lot of people think that actually. The suitable work standard exists precisely to protect people from being forced into jobs they can't reasonably accept just to avoid losing benefits.

Five weeks with no information sounds awful. How did you finally get through to someone?

eventually got through after probably 30+ attempts. wish i had known about tools like Claimyr back then, honestly would have saved me a lot of stress. you can find it at claimyr.com - it helps you get connected to an actual EDD rep. heard from others in this forum it works pretty well for situations like adjudication where you really need answers

I'm bookmarking that in case I need it. Really hoping my claim goes smoothly but good to have options.

Oh I hadn't thought about that. I'll reach out to HR and confirm how they're reporting it.

Good. Get it in writing if you can - even just an email response from HR confirming the classification. Saves a lot of back and forth with EDD later.

yes this is really important advice. had a coworker whose employer accidentally coded the separation wrong and it took months to sort out

Thanks, it's reassuring to hear from multiple people who've been through it.

just make sure you meet the base period wage requirements too - gotta have earned enough in the base period to qualify for any benefits at all. but at 6 years with the company you're probably fine

For standard claims right now processing is typically 3-5 weeks from filing to first payment if everything goes smoothly and there are no issues. If the claim goes into adjudication it can be longer - anywhere from 2-8 weeks additional depending on complexity. Starting your weekly certifications immediately is crucial regardless of processing time.

ugh okay. and if they said budget cuts but there were also some performance conversations before, does that matter?

The reason for separation matters a lot for EDD eligibility. If there were performance issues involved, EDD may investigate more closely. Budget cuts/layoff would be covered, termination for misconduct could result in disqualification. Be truthful on your claim about the actual reason - misrepresenting it can cause bigger problems later.

Do they ever actually ask to see the job search log or is it just something you maintain yourself?

EDD can request your job search records during an audit. They don't always, but it happens. Keep detailed records - employer name, contact information, position applied for, date, and method of contact. Don't just write vague notes.

I got audited on my job search activities once. had decent records but they were pretty casual. they accepted them but definitely learned my lesson to keep better records after that

That's lower than I expected honestly. I was hoping it would cover more of my expenses.

yeah it's rough. UI is really designed as a bridge not a full replacement. the job search requirement is also there to keep people actively looking rather than treating it as a long-term solution

and benefits typically last up to 26 weeks in California assuming no extensions. so about 6 months to find something new

I was skeptical about third party services for government stuff but I've heard this one mentioned a few times now. might try it if my claim hits any snags

The way I think about it - I spent weeks trying the regular EDD phone line and got nowhere. At some point you just need to talk to a person and if this gets you there it's worth it.

Okay this is now the third time someone has told me this so I am absolutely going to set a weekly alarm. Noted!

good. set two alarms. EDD is genuinely merciless about this particular thing

the certification window is Sunday through Saturday and you can file starting on Sunday. most people do it Sunday morning to get it out of the way for the week

I wasn't planning on doing any freelance but good to know. What if I do like a one-time thing for a neighbor or something, does that count?

technically yes any income should be reported. practically speaking one small thing is unlikely to cause issues but it's genuinely better to just report it. EDD will take any amount earned that week into account and adjust your benefit payment accordingly rather than disqualifying you.

This is correct. California EDD has a partial benefit formula - if you earn wages during a week you're claiming, they calculate your benefit using an earnings disregard provision. You don't lose all your benefits just because you earned some money that week, but you do need to report it accurately.

This is exactly what I needed to hear, thank you. I'm going to file tomorrow.

Good luck! One last tip - after you file online through UI Online, screenshot your confirmation and note your claim ID number somewhere safe. You'll need it for any calls or correspondence with EDD.

Great advice on the confirmation screenshot. Also sign up for text or email notifications in your UI Online account so you get alerts when there's any movement on your claim rather than having to log in constantly to check.