The call in notice response system worked better pre-pandemic when you could visit offices in person. Now it's all phone-based and the infrastructure can't handle the volume.

Final update: Got my call in notice response completed using automated calling service. Took 28 minutes total vs the 6 days I spent trying manually. Should have done it from day 1.

UPDATE: We got the decision letter today!! The judge ruled in our favor! I'm so relieved I could cry. The letter says the previous determination is reversed and my husband is eligible for benefits. It explains that his reduction in hours constituted a constructive discharge (basically forced quit) which qualifies for benefits. Thank you everyone for helping me stay sane during the wait! Now I just hope the payments come through quickly.

Congratulations Gianna! That's such wonderful news! I've been following your story and I'm so relieved it worked out in your favor. The "constructive discharge" ruling is exactly what should happen when employers cut hours to basically nothing - it's not a true voluntary quit when you're forced into that situation. Hopefully this gives hope to others dealing with similar appeals. Wishing you and your husband all the best, and hopefully those payments come through super quickly!

Thank you everyone for all this helpful advice! I'm going to follow the suggestions about creating a paper trail. I just sent a formal email to HR summarizing our conversation and specifically requesting intervention. I'll give them two weeks to address it, and in the meantime, I'll continue documenting any further incidents. I also managed to get through to an EDD representative using the Claimyr service someone suggested. The rep confirmed that harassment can qualify as good cause to quit, but I need to show I tried to resolve it first. They suggested I keep a detailed log with dates/times/descriptions of incidents and any witnesses present. If things don't improve after my formal complaint, I'll draft a resignation letter specifically citing the hostile work environment as the reason. I'm still hoping it won't come to that, but at least I feel more prepared now if it does. I'll update this thread once there's a resolution.

Good luck with your situation! I went through something similar about 6 months ago and it's such a stressful process. One thing that really helped my case was keeping a detailed incident log with exact quotes when possible - EDD asked me very specific questions during my phone interview about what was said and when. Also, don't forget to save any work emails or messages that might support your case. In my situation, my supervisor had sent some pretty unprofessional emails that helped demonstrate the hostile environment. The EDD rep said having contemporaneous documentation (stuff created at the time, not written later) was really important. Really hope HR actually does something to fix this for you so you don't have to leave. But if you do end up quitting, sounds like you're building a solid case. The fact that HR already acknowledged the behavior was inappropriate should definitely help if it comes to that.

Thank you everyone for all this helpful information! I think we're much clearer now on how this works. To summarize what I've learned: 1. He can file for these two weeks and still have benefits available later in the year if needed 2. The claim stays open for 12 months (his benefit year) 3. When he goes back to work, he needs to report earnings on his certification 4. If laid off again, he just reopens the same claim rather than filing a new one 5. He should check if work search requirements are waived, and if not, document some activities just to be safe This community has been incredibly helpful! I'll make sure he keeps all his paperwork organized in case there are any issues down the road.

You've got it exactly right! One more tip - have your husband screenshot or save his UI Online account homepage showing his claim balance and benefit year end date. That way if there are any system glitches later (which unfortunately happen sometimes), he'll have proof of his remaining benefits. Also, construction workers often qualify for higher benefit amounts due to the seasonal nature of the work, so don't be surprised if his weekly benefit amount is decent even for short-term claims. Good luck to both of you!

UPDATE: I just got through on the website (10:45pm). Seems like they've fixed whatever was causing the outage. Try certifying now before everyone else realizes it's working!

I'm dealing with the exact same issue! Been locked out since Sunday trying to certify. This is so frustrating because I have bills coming up too. I tried calling the phone line multiple times but it just disconnects after the "high volume" message. Really hoping this gets resolved soon - it's stressful enough being unemployed without having to worry about technical issues preventing us from getting our benefits. Has anyone had luck with the mobile app or is that down too?