Getting Through to EDD in California
Busy Messages and Disconnections Plague the Unemployed
May 31, 2009
The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that California's unemployment rate reached 11 percent in April 2009.
The increase in this rate has caused the state's Employment Development Department, which handles all unemployment insurance and disability insurance claims, to be overwhelmed with calls and paperwork from Californians that need aid.
Filing an Unemployment Claim in California
The easiest way to file for unemployment in California is online. Electronic forms can be filled out and processed, and paperwork is sent to the filer in a few days, followed by claim forms that must be filled out weekly and mailed in to receive benefits.
Though the process can be easy, not every claim can be filed online (such as claim renewals if a person is laid off, reinstated, then laid off again) and sometimes there is a problem with an application that requires a filer to contact the unemployment office with questions.
Some workers simply need answers to questions they have about their forms or the process. This is when the trouble begins.
EDD's Busy Signals, Disconnects and Messages
When calling the unemployment department's 800 number, filers can expect to first hear one of two messages. The first begins with "Thank you for calling..." and explains that the call volume is high, when the best time to call is and then hangs up.
The second message starts with "Welcome to the..." and when claimants hear this message, they are taken through a series of options, one of which allows them to connect with a representative.
Unfortunately, as the volume of unemployed people in California swells, there are often too many people already on hold to speak with a representative. The caller is disconnected from the system.
EDD also offers an email option, in which those who have questions can email the department and wait for its response. In many cases, this method is faster and it can take 2 to 5 days to receive a reply either by email or by phone.
Some filers report having called the office literally thousands of times without getting through to a live human being.
A Frustrating Unemployment Process
California-based writers John Henion and Tania Khadder, themselves laid off during the economic meltdown, publish a blog called Unemploymentality. The blog defines unemploymentality as "a transformative state of mind that is the result of a sudden loss of job." In it, they discuss what it's like being unemployed and urge others to contribute their stories.
In a January 8, 2009, post, "Thanks to the EDD, I am slowly losing my mind," Khadder documents her difficulty getting through to California's unemployment office in order to clear up an error on her claim form.
When Khadder, after having unsuccessfully tried to contact a representative by phone, went to her local office, she was greeted by a room full of phones. Apparently, there is no physical location where Californians can wait in line and talk to a real person about their claims. Everything must be done by phone or through email.
The security guard informed her that very few people get through, but when they do, they pass the phone to others in the calling room so they can get their questions resolved.
EDD's Solutions and Recommended Contact Methods
The Employment Development Department says unemployment insurance claims have risen 80 percent in 2009 when compared to the same time in 2008. It notes that due to the increased number of claims filed, it has moved employees from phone duties to claim processing so citizens get their checks in a timely fashion.
New employees are being added to deal with increased demand as training time available and funding will allow.
To be better-served, California's Employment Development Department recommends ways for filers to get in touch:
- Phone volume is lower on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Those planning to call should do so on those two days and avoid Mondays, the busiest day.
- File online and send questions via email. People who are filing unemployment for the first time should file online to get their benefits faster. Local unemployment centers also have computers that claimants without Internet access can use.
Source:
California Employment Development Department: Contacting UI
