What reasons can you be denied unemployment in California EDD?

Thank you this is really helpful. The letter does mention something about 'misconduct' which makes zero sense because I was laid off in a mass reduction. My employer shouldn't have any reason to contest this. Could they have filed something incorrectly on their end?

100% yes. Employers sometimes report separation reasons incorrectly, sometimes intentionally to avoid their UI tax rates going up, sometimes just clerical errors. When you appeal, gather any documentation you have - layoff notice, severance paperwork, emails about the reduction, anything that shows it was a company-initiated separation. That documentation is gold at a hearing.

this happened to my brother in law, company said he quit but he definitely got laid off, he won his appeal though so its def possible to fight it

I've been at this company for almost 4 years full time so I don't think base period earnings is my issue, but good to know for future reference

wait so they don't just look at your most recent job?? I thought it was based on what you were making before you got laid off

Nope, it's a specific time window. Your most recent quarter often isn't even included in the calculation. A lot of people get tripped up by this, especially if they had a higher salary recently after years of lower pay.

I've been trying to call EDD for days and keep getting the 'we cannot take your call' recording. I'll check this out, I really need to talk to someone before I file my appeal so I know what I'm actually arguing against

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

I was skeptical too but it worked for me. The agent I spoke with pulled up my claim right away and walked me through the whole employer-filed separation notice. Way more useful than anything I got from the website.

gonna save this for later my friend has been trying to reach edd for like two weeks

Hmm, I did have one week where I was dealing with a minor surgery recovery. I answered honestly that I had a physical limitation that week. Could that have triggered this whole denial?

That week might have been flagged, but it typically wouldn't cause a full claim denial - just a disqualification for that specific week or a referral to adjudication for that period. If your denial covers your entire claim, it's more likely employer-related. But definitely mention this when you appeal so it can all get sorted at once.

the able and available thing tripped me up too, i said i was going to a wedding out of town for a weekend and they flagged my whole certification for that week, took forever to get resolved

Oh no, I'm not sure I did this... I registered on UI Online and did everything there but didn't know CalJOBS was separate. How do I check?

Go to caljobs.ca.gov and create an account if you haven't. When you do, put your EDD customer account number in the profile. Then when you call or talk to EDD, mention you've now completed the registration. It may or may not fix the denial retroactively depending on timing but it's important to do either way.

This is accurate - CalJOBS registration IS required but failing to register by itself usually results in a hold or adjudication rather than a full misconduct-type denial. Still worth doing immediately if you haven't though.

wait they can catch that? i thought if it was cash nobody would know

EDD cross-references tax records. Not worth the risk, the penalties are serious and they can garnish future benefits or tax refunds

yeah this is not something to mess around with, edd has been cracking down on this a lot

This is making me feel better about my situation. If my employer misreported the separation I should have a solid case with my layoff documentation.

Document everything. Email confirmations, any company announcements about layoffs, HR correspondence, your last paystub showing regular deductions (not a quit or misconduct pattern). Bring all of it to your hearing.

And take notes during any phone calls with EDD - date, time, the rep's ID number if they give it, and what was discussed. This has saved people during appeals before.

Honestly try Claimyr, I mentioned it above - claimyr.com. I know it sounds weird but it actually got me talking to a real EDD agent when nothing else worked. There's a walkthrough at https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10 if you want to see what it does before trying it.

just watched the video, okay this is interesting. gonna try it tonight

same problem here, can never get through. its infuriating when you have a time-sensitive issue like an appeal deadline

Can I represent myself or do I need a lawyer?

You can absolutely represent yourself. Most claimants do. If the amount at stake is significant or the case is complicated you might want a consultation with an employment attorney but it's not required. The CUIAB website has guides for self-represented claimants.

Agreed, majority of appellants represent themselves successfully. The judge is required to be impartial and will often explain the process as you go. Don't let the formality intimidate you.

whats standby status? never heard of that

It's when EDD knows you have a definite recall date from your employer so they waive the weekly job search requirements. You still have to be available and willing to return when called though.

Good point. Standby claimants sometimes assume they don't need to do anything except certify, but there are still conditions they have to meet each week including being available for their recall.

For most straightforward layoffs the process does go smoothly. The scenarios being discussed here are definitely real but don't freak out - the majority of legitimate layoffs get approved without issues. Just make sure you're doing your weekly certifications on time, completing your job search contacts, and reporting any income accurately.

okay that helps a little. I've been doing my certifications and I'm keeping a job search log so hopefully i'm okay

You're already ahead of a lot of people just by knowing about the job search log requirement. A lot of first-timers don't keep records and then can't prove their contacts if audited.

When you file your appeal, you can request all the documentation EDD used in making their determination - this is called the claims file or case file. You're entitled to see it before your hearing. The administrative law judge will also reference these documents during the hearing so you'll know what evidence was considered.

Oh that's good to know! So I don't need to know exactly what they said before I appeal, I can find out after I file?

Exactly. File the appeal first to protect your deadline, then request the case file. Don't wait to understand every detail before appealing or you might miss the 30-day window.

This is really important advice. The appeal window is firm. File first, investigate second.

This actually makes me feel slightly better. I genuinely can't imagine why my employer would contest a mass layoff - there were 40 of us let go the same day. Could be a bulk filing error on their end.

With mass layoffs especially, the HR team is often overwhelmed and rushing to process everything. A batch filing error affecting multiple employees is very plausible. Your appeal should be straightforward if you have the layoff documentation.

Still frustrating though. The burden falls on the employee to correct a mistake the employer made.

ugh temp workers always get the short end. i worked temp for two years and every time i filed it was a whole thing

Yeah the system isn't really set up for non-traditional employment arrangements. Worth mentioning upfront when you file that you worked through a temp agency so EDD can route it correctly from the start.

Agreed. Being proactive about explaining your employment situation on the initial claim can prevent a lot of adjudication delays down the line.

wait so if i get paid bi-weekly but I earned money in week 1 and week 2 I have to split it between those weeks on my certifications?

Yes exactly. Prorate or split the earnings into the weeks you actually worked them, not the week you received the payment. This trips up SO many people.

This is accurate and really important. EDD's instructions say 'gross wages earned' not received. The distinction matters a lot for accurate certification.

Yes! If you win your appeal, you should receive benefits for all the weeks that were denied going back to when your claim should have started. This is one of the most important reasons to appeal even when it feels like a long shot - you can recover the full unpaid amount if you win.

oh wow okay that changes things. i was thinking about just letting mine go because the process seemed like a lot of work but if i can get backpay maybe its worth it

Definitely appeal. People leave thousands of dollars on the table by not appealing denials they would have won. The process isn't that bad once you understand it.

This is exactly why I'm going to fight mine. I'm owed probably close to $7,000 if I count all the weeks I've been waiting.

Did the EDD agent actually read you what the employer said? Like verbatim?

The agent summarized the key points of what was filed and confirmed the specific disqualification code. It was enough to know exactly what I was dealing with. Combined with requesting the full case file through the appeal I had everything I needed.

Okay I'm going to try this today. I need to know what my employer actually said before I can put together a real appeal. Thank you.

This is incredibly useful, thank you. My letter has a code on it and I just always assumed it was some internal reference number. Going to look it up right now.

Most people miss this. The code is literally the legal basis for the denial. Understanding it is step one of building any appeal.

Good tip. Also the CUIAB website has a searchable database of past appeal decisions which can give you a sense of how similar cases were decided. Great for preparing your hearing arguments.

These California UI code lookups can be really eye-opening. The definitions of 'misconduct' in particular are quite specific and many employer-claimed violations don't actually meet the legal threshold.