No Accountability, No Service, No Explanations
The State of California Employment Development Department is an abysmal disaster and everyone who works there should be held accountable. They have zero accountability and are either incapable of resolving issues because they sincerely don't want to or because they are entirely incompetent. In 2020, 2021, and 2022 I had a seasonal job with the same organization. The work is remote. Due to the nature of the job, once the season is done, employees are laid off. This is a qualifying factor to receive unemployment assistance on the EDD website, with "Laid off due to work being seasonal" an option. I received unemployment via EDD on those three occasions until I found new employment. Earlier this year, my contract finished once more and I applied for EDD. For nearly two months they asked me again and again and again to sign and resubmit documents I'd already presented 100 times. After TWO months of doing this and not receiving any money, they sent me a letter in the mail denying me assistance due to my job's office being located in Washington D.C. What? It's always been in D.C. It was in D.C. the three times they previously gave me assistance, and it's still in D.C. The work is REMOTE. I explained this on the phone a million times to different employees, but it doesn't get through to them at all. For this arbitrary reason, they decided not to give me assistance. I wrote a letter appealing this, but based on how response the EDD employees are (whether it's via the phone or online) it is unlikely I will get a response. My father's situation is even worse. He was forced to retire due to his age (he's in his 70s) from a company he's been working at for several decades. EDD provided him with money until they arbitrarily decided not to. After many phone calls, they would force him to re-open his claim nearly every time he logged onto the website. After getting through to a representative on the phone, the representative had the audacity to tell him that it's random, some people are forced to re-open their claims, some several dozen times, some a hundred times, some just once. He said this as if it's normal and all just part of the system. If this wasn't bad enough, getting through to an actual human on the phone is borderline impossible. And once you do get through, they put you on hold (with the promise of the wait time only being a minute) for you to wait either an hour or wait an hour and have your call dropped. If you do get through, they'll transfer you to three or four different people, forcing you to restate your inquiry each time. There is no communication between employees there. No one passes on the message. There is also no proof of a caller's message being delivered. For all I know, the letters I've sent will sit atop a desk for years. I've accepted it's very unlikely I'll get the money I'm owed. They do this on purpose, hoping people will lose patience/hope and just give up. It's not as if we don't want a job. My father was forced to retire, whereas I have a master's degree and have been working since I was 16. I would love to find full-time employment that provides me with a livable salary. That's much more preferable than dealing with these inconsiderate EDD people. Long story short, good luck to others out there who genuinely need money. You'll wait months and it'll be impossible for you to reach an actual human being to help resolve your issues.
By David L.