Will EDD approve my claim after being forced to resign due to relocation and commute issues?

You need to be extremely careful with how you present this situation to EDD. In California, quitting due to childcare responsibilities or commute distance CAN be considered good cause, but only under specific circumstances. The key is to emphasize that the change in working conditions (requiring in-office work when remote was feasible) made continued employment impossible for you.\n\nDuring your phone interview:\n- Clearly explain that your employer changed your working arrangement after your relocation\n- Emphasize that other employees are permitted to work remotely\n- State that a 5-6 hour daily commute is unreasonable, especially with young children\n- Mention that your supervisor specifically advised you to resign and apply for benefits\n- Have documentation of any emails/texts showing they suggested resignation\n\nAvoid saying you \

Thank you so much for this detailed advice. I do have text messages where my director suggested I resign and apply for unemployment - should I offer to share these during the interview or wait until they ask for proof? I'm so nervous about saying something wrong and getting denied.

I went thru something similar last yr but my commute would have been 3hrs each way after my company relocated offices!!! They denied my request to wrk remotely even tho my entire team was allowed to work from home 2x a week. EDD denied my claim initially saying I VOLUNTARILY quit but I appealed and eventually won. The key was proving the commute was \

It's such a relief to hear you won your appeal! Did you have any documentation that helped your case? I'm trying to gather everything I can before this phone call. And thank you for the tip about not focusing solely on childcare - I'll definitely emphasize the unreasonable commute and the different treatment compared to other employees.

this happened to my sister too! edd denied her at first but then she won on appeal. just be honest. they can check with ur employer anyway.

Your situation is a common gray area with unemployment eligibility, but you do have several factors working in your favor. The EDD considers whether a reasonable person would have quit under similar circumstances.\n\nFor your phone interview:\n\n1. Use precise language - don't say you \

This is incredibly helpful, thank you! I hadn't thought about calculating the exact financial impact of the commute, but that makes perfect sense. Between gas, wear and tear on my car, and potential childcare costs for the extended hours, it would have been financially impossible. I'll definitely prepare all these points before my interview.

The EDD is going to deny you because you QUIT. Doesn't matter what your employer said, unemployment isn't for people who choose to leave their jobs. You should have just refused to come in and made them fire you if you wanted benefits.

This isn't accurate. California recognizes numerous \

Having trouble reaching the EDD for your phone interview? I was in a similar situation and kept missing their calls or getting disconnected. I finally used Claimyr.com and it changed everything. They helped me get through to an actual EDD agent within 10 minutes when I'd been trying for days on my own. You can see how it works in their demo video: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km\n\nThe agent I spoke with was super helpful and explained exactly what documentation I needed to prove my case. Really worth it when your benefits are on the line.

Thank you for the recommendation! I'm worried about missing their call since my toddler is super loud sometimes. I'll check this out to make sure I can connect for my interview.

Ugh EDD is sooo frustrating! When they call make sure your ready with ALL ur docs and don't let them rush you. They tried to rush me off the phone when I had an interview. And remember its THEIR job to determine if you qualify, not your old company! Your boss isn't the one who decides if you get unemployment no matter what he promised!!

One additional point to consider: in your situation, the substantial distance of your new residence (2.5 hours away) might actually work against you, as the EDD could argue that your relocation was voluntary and created the hardship. However, you have two strong counterarguments:\n\n1. Your 9-year employment history shows commitment to the company\n\n2. The company's inconsistent remote work policy (allowing some employees but not you) demonstrates potentially unequal treatment\n\nDuring your interview, I recommend emphasizing that you made good faith efforts to continue working despite the relocation, and that your employer's refusal to accommodate remote work (while allowing it for others) left you with no reasonable alternative but to leave. This frames the separation as being initiated by the employer's actions rather than your personal choice.

This is KEY point!! When i had my interview the EDD rep kept saying

just wondering - did ur employer give u anything in writing about suggesting u resign and apply for benefits? my friend's company did something similar but then contested her claim anyway! make sure u have proof.

I have some text messages where my director suggested this route and said the company wouldn't contest it. I also saved emails discussing the remote work denial. Hoping this is enough because I don't have anything formal from HR about it.

Based on your updates in the comments, it sounds like you have good documentation with those text messages and emails. One final recommendation: prepare a concise, chronological summary of events that you can reference during your call.\n\nInclude:\n1. Date of relocation and reason (housing costs)\n2. Date you requested remote accommodation\n3. Dates of key conversations about work arrangements\n4. Date and specifics of when your director suggested resignation\n5. Official separation date\n\nHaving this timeline ready will help you stay organized during what can be a stressful interview. And remember, if you're initially denied, you have the right to appeal, which many claimants win when they have documentation like yours.