When you get fired from a job can you collect unemployment in California EDD?

Performance quota stuff and no written warnings - honestly your situation sounds worth applying for. The way California EDD looks at it, getting fired doesn't automatically mean you're disqualified. EDD has to decide whether what happened counts as misconduct, and that's on your employer to prove, not on you to prove you didn't do it. File right away through myEDD at https://myedd.edd.ca.gov/ because your claim starts from the Sunday of the week you apply - waiting around costs you money.

Termination paperwork sitting on my kitchen counter right now - went through almost this exact thing six months ago. Filed online and EDD scheduled a phone interview because there was a question about why I lost the job. Used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to a live EDD agent beforehand because I had questions and couldn't get anyone on the phone at 1-800-300-5616. They walk you through the hold so you end up talking to an actual agent - there's a video on their site showing how reaching a live person at EDD works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10. The agent I talked to pulled up my account and confirmed which weeks were showing as pending and that the interview had been scheduled - the date and time were also on my UI Online homepage. At the interview itself I explained the situation and EDD sent me a Notice of Determination after.

Your coworker is wrong and it's a super common misconception. Getting fired doesn't automatically cut you off from benefits - what matters is WHY you got fired. There's a real difference between getting let go because your numbers were down versus getting caught stealing or intentionally ignoring safety rules. Performance issues where the employer kept moving the goalposts sounds like it could land in your favor, but EDD makes that call after talking to both you and your former employer.

Apply NOW regardless of how you feel about your chances. Waiting even a few days is real money out of your pocket because the claim goes back to the Sunday of the week you file, not the day you got fired. Even if EDD has questions about your case and puts it in adjudication, you need to have an active claim for any of those weeks to eventually get paid. Don't let the uncertainty talk you out of applying.

The quota situation you described is actually really relevant for your interview. EDD is going to ask you specifics - when the targets changed, whether you were given notice, whether there was any progressive discipline. Write down a timeline now while it's fresh. Dates, what your supervisor said, whether anything was in writing. You won't have that paperwork in front of you during the phone interview so getting it into your memory now is worth doing.

ok so I keep seeing people talk about the phone interview but I'm confused - is that the same thing as an appeal? Because someone told me if I get denied I have 30 days to appeal but I don't know if the phone interview is part of that or separate

Something worth knowing about the actual phone interview: the notice they send (DE 4800) lists out the questions they're likely to ask. It tells you the specific date and time the interviewer will call and also shows up on your UI Online homepage. Keep your phone with you and answered at that exact time - if you miss it you need to phone EDD that same day, otherwise they'll make a determination based only on whatever your employer told them.

EDD Unemployment Benefit Calculator on their site can give you a rough idea of what your weekly amount might be based on your past earnings, before you even get the official notice. Your actual weekly benefit amount will be on the Notice of Unemployment Insurance Award (DE 429Z) that comes in the mail a couple weeks after you apply. California goes from $40 to $450 a week max.

Real talk about the work search part that people skip over - once you're approved and certifying, you need to be actively looking for work every week you claim benefits. EDD doesn't publish a specific number of contacts you have to make but keeping notes on where you applied and when is just smart because if EDD ever asks you want to have an answer. Also CalJOBS registration is required for most claimants within 21 days of getting the registration notice (DE 8405).

Had a firing situation last year where my employer tried to frame it as misconduct. What actually saved me was just being specific during the interview - not emotional, just factual. The EDD interviewer asked me detailed questions and gave me plenty of time to explain. After it was done the determination came by mail and I was approved. Didn't need a lawyer or anything fancy.

My first week trying to reach EDD after applying was a nightmare - kept getting disconnected or just hold music forever. Final check on my last paycheck was late and I needed to know if I should report that dollar amount for the week I received it or the week I actually earned it. Ended up using Claimyr to get through to an EDD agent. The agent told me wages get reported for the week they were EARNED, not when the check hits your account - so the late check still counted against that last week of work, not the week I got paid. That cleared up something I would have definitely reported wrong.

Eight weeks into my claim right now and certifying every two weeks is pretty low effort once you get the hang of it. You just answer questions about whether you worked, your earnings if any, and whether you were able and available for work. The two-week cycle felt confusing at first but UI Online walks you through it. First certification usually starts about two weeks after EDD processes your application.

JUST TO ADD because I saw someone mention this - unemployment benefits are NOT deducted from your paycheck. I know people always say 'I paid into unemployment' but that's not how it works in California. Your employer pays the UI tax, not you. What comes out of your check for SDI covers disability and paid family leave, completely different program. Doesn't change whether you should file but worth knowing so you understand what you're entitled to.

The first certification you do after getting approved usually covers the waiting week and one paid week - EDD has a mandatory one-week unpaid waiting period on every claim. So even though you certify for two weeks at once, the first payment is typically for one week. It doesn't reduce what your claim can ultimately pay, it's just the first week of every claim is unpaid. After that you get paid for both weeks of each certification period.

Applied to a few positions at a competitor the same week I got let go from my last job. DE 429Z came in the mail confirming my weekly amount. The other thing I'll say is EDD reaching out to your old employer is not necessarily bad - in my case the employer actually didn't respond within their window and EDD moved forward based on my information. Employer response or no response, EDD still makes the call.

Switched to direct deposit through myEDD after my first week because I wanted faster access than waiting to see if the Money Network card came. Payments usually post within 24 hours of certifying online either way. Payment info is also updated daily in UI Online under the Payments section and you can check by phone on 1-866-333-4606 anytime, that line runs 24 hours.

The DE 429Z that arrives in the mail is not an approval - I want to be clear about that because I made the mistake of thinking the award letter meant I was definitely getting paid. That letter just tells you what the claim COULD pay if EDD decides you're eligible. The actual eligibility decision for a fired-for-misconduct situation comes after the interview. You'll know you're approved when the weeks start showing as paid in UI Online.

DE 1080CZ notice showed up in my mailbox two weeks after my interview - mine was a denial. I appealed using the DE 1000M that came with it, wrote a letter explaining everything I remembered about how the quota changes were handled, and sent it to the address on the notice. Heard back with a hearing date at least 10 days before the actual date. Ended up representing myself at the hearing in front of an administrative law judge and explained the whole sequence. Telling it in a clear order helped more than anything.

Weekly benefit amount question that might also apply to OP - my employer switched me from full time to part time the month before I was finally let go, so my last quarter of earnings was lower. Someone here told me EDD would use the standard base period which is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters. That lower quarter did factor in since it fell within that window. EDD automatically checks if the alternate base period would make a valid claim when standard doesn't work - but it doesn't bump up your weekly amount if you're already eligible under the standard. Just wanted to flag this in case you had any similar wage fluctuations.

Last paycheck from my retail job had vacation payout included and I wasn't sure whether to report it when certifying. Used Claimyr to reach an EDD agent who pulled up my account and confirmed the vacation payout needed to be reported for the week it was earned. Agent said EDD decides how those earnings affect my payment for that week. That cleared up a lot of confusion because I'd heard conflicting things about whether vacation pay even matters.

Two months in on my claim after a termination situation similar to yours - honestly the anxiety before applying was worse than the process itself. EDD is not trying to trick you. The phone interviewer I talked to was straightforward and listened to my full explanation. Apply today, verify your identity through ID.me when prompted, have your last employer's information ready including their full address, and just answer everything honestly. The process works if you work it.