Work
Unemployment, disability, leave, and injury check
Find the right office after a layoff, cut hours, sickness, family care, a new child, or a work injury.
Why it matters
These are different programs. The reason you miss work decides which office and papers come first.
Directory shelf
Work
Pay, breaks, worker status, job benefits, and injury routes.
First moves
- 1
Save your last day, hours cut, pay stubs, schedule, employer name, doctor notes, injury report, and claim notices.
- 2
If you were laid off or your hours were cut and you can work, start with unemployment at EDD.
- 3
If you are sick, hurt, pregnant, or healing and it did not happen at work, check Disability Insurance.
- 4
If you need time for a new child, family care, or a military family need, check Paid Family Leave.
- 5
If you got hurt or sick because of work, DWC says to report it right away and ask for DWC 1.
- 6
Use UI Online for unemployment. Use SDI Online for Disability Insurance and Paid Family Leave.
- 7
Ask your doctor about forms if EDD needs them.
- 8
Keep every EDD, employer, doctor, and workers' comp notice. Put due dates on your calendar.
- 9
If you are a 1099, gig, or contract worker, check worker status too. The label can affect the path.
Watch for
- 1
Unemployment asks if you can work, are ready to work, and are looking for work.
- 2
EDD usually asks unemployment claimants to certify every two weeks.
- 3
Disability Insurance is for your own health problem. Workers' comp is for a work-caused injury or illness.
- 4
EDD says DI timing starts when disability starts. Filing too early or too late can hurt.
- 5
Paid Family Leave is for family leave, not your own health problem.
- 6
EDD says PFL timing starts when family leave starts.
- 7
A workers' comp claim starts with DWC 1. Give it to your employer and keep a copy.
- 8
DWC says the employer must give or mail a claim form within one working day after learning about the work injury or illness.
- 9
Do not guess if benefits overlap. Ask EDD, DWC, or a real adviser.
- 10
Job-protected leave, paid sick leave, private plans, union benefits, and employer rules are separate.
- 11
If a denial, appeal, doctor form, certify date, or hearing notice arrives, read the deadline first.