About Our Branches

The Administration Branch provides administrative support to help carry out our mission. The branch brings solutions to the Department’s business needs while making sure we follow statutes, regulations, and policy. The branch is made up of three distinct divisions.

The Business Operations Planning and Support Division:

• Manages our portfolio of facilities statewide.
• Operates the fully-integrated, computer-controlled printing and mail operations.
• Handles purchasing and contracting functions.
• Manages our fleet vehicles.
• Provides conference planning and transit services to our staff.

The Fiscal Programs Division:

• Represents the Department in financial matters with state and federal agencies.
• Develops recommendations for budget and distribution.
• Administers accounting systems.
• Maintains overall accountability for the Department’s funds.

The Human Resource Services Division oversees our workforce management in:

• Recruitment and hiring.
• Civil service testing.
• Position allocation.
• Employee benefits and payroll.
• Training and development.
• Labor relations.
• Health and safety.
• Adverse actions.
• Workers’ compensation and reasonable accommodation.
• Employee assistance.

The Disability Insurance Branch (DIB) administers the State Disability Insurance (SDI) program which provides partial wage replacement benefits to eligible California workers. Within the SDI program are two benefit programs: Disability Insurance (DI) and Paid Family Leave (PFL). The branch also administers the Nonindustrial Disability Insurance (NDI) and NDI Family Care Leave programs for the Department of Personnel Administration.

The DI program provides eligible workers with benefits for a maximum of 52 weeks for their own non-work-related illness, injury, or pregnancy.

The PFL program, the first of its kind in the nation, provides benefits to eligible workers to bond with a new child, care for a seriously-ill family member, or participate in a qualifying event because of a family member’s military deployment to a foreign country. Benefit amounts are the same as DI but are limited to eight weeks.

The DIB has more than 1,500 employees who serve customers such as California taxpayers, employers, claimants, medical communities, and voluntary plan administrators. DI claims management offices are located throughout the state and the PFL call centers and claims management office are in Fresno. Three call centers are dedicated to responding to DI calls and two call centers handle PFL customers. The DIB Central Office in Sacramento supports executive staff and field operations by developing policies, procedures, and training materials, and coordinating services with other EDD programs.

For more information about DI and PFL, visit Disability Insurance Benefits and About Paid Family Leave.

The Information Technology Branch (ITB) delivers accessible, reliable and innovative Information Technology solutions in support of our mission.

In partnership with our program branches, the ITB provides our customers with secure and convenient means to file benefit claims, search for jobs and training, manage payroll taxes, and access other services through online systems like Unemployment Insurance Online (UI Online), State Disability Insurance Online (SDI Online), CalJOBS, and e-Services for Business. The ITB also provides critical operational services by connecting over 160 field offices statewide and by providing service desk and other production services support to all of our employees throughout the state.

The ITB is made up of five divisions, and Information Security Office, responsible for helping protect our information assets, and the Benefit Systems Modernization Project, a project that will modernize the Unemployment Insurance, Disability Insurance, and Paid Family Leave benefit systems.

The Policy, Accountability, and Compliance Branch (PACB) provides important audit, investigation, survey, evaluation, and review services to the programs administered by us and our partnering agencies. These services help programs operate effectively and efficiently, meet federal and state statutory and regulatory requirements, and protect the billions of dollars in financial assets that pass through us annually.

The PACB has approximately 125 dedicated staff in 20 different classifications including:

• Analysts
• Auditors
• Investigators
• Administrative support staff
• Supervisors and managers
• Executives

The Audit and Evaluation Division (AED) provides value-added services to the director and executive staff through consultation services including:

• Surveys.
• Research.
• Statistical analysis services.
• Audit and evaluation services of Department programs and processes.

The Compliance Review Office within the AED ensures the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and Wagner-Peyser programs are administered to meet federal and state laws, regulations, policy directives, and Uniform Guidance guidelines.

The Investigation Division (ID) conducts both internal and external investigations to determine if fraud or embezzlement was committed against our benefit programs. The ID also investigates allegations of criminal and administrative misconduct by our employees or vendors, and physical assault incidents or other acts and threats of violence against our employees, properties, customers, and vendors located on our property.

The Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs Office (LIAO) develops legislative proposals and analyses and recommends Department positions related to proposed and active legislation affecting our programs. The LIAO also serves as the primary contact for constituent inquiries from the Legislature and Congressional members on EDD matters.

The Monitor Advocate Office makes sure that migrant and seasonal farm workers receive the same employment services as all other customers.

The Public Affairs Branch (PAB) provides the following to promote the use and understanding of EDD programs and services:

• Outreach
• Marketing
• Communication
• user experience design
• Spanish translation

The PAB is made up of:

• Media Services
• Strategic Communications
• Web Business Services

Media Services provides information on EDD services, programs, and policies to the general public and news media.

Strategic Communications directs and coordinates all forms of marketing and public education efforts, and manages the EDD brand.

Web Business Services provides Spanish translations of all EDD content for public consumption, manages web content, and ensures user-centered design principles are applied to EDD online services.

The Tax Branch (TB) administers the collection, accounting, and auditing functions of California’s payroll tax program. The program consists of Unemployment Insurance and Employment Training Tax, which are employer contributions, and State Disability Insurance and Personal Income Tax, which are withheld from employees’ wages. Each year, the EDD collects more than $76.5 billion dollars in payroll taxes and processes more than 51.6 million employer tax documents and remittances.

The Unemployment Insurance (UI) Branch manages the UI program in California. This is a short-term wage replacement program for unemployed people that is funded by employers.

The UI mission is to provide unemployment insurance services to California’s workers and employers. These services help support California’s economy by providing income replacement and assisting in the reemployment of workers.

The UI Branch has four divisions with many field offices throughout California, and performs the following major functions:

• Files UI claims.
• Determines claimant eligibility.
• Pays UI benefits timely and accurately.
• Analyzes and applies federal and state laws as they apply to the UI Program.
• Plans and assists in automation projects.
• Maintains the integrity of the UI Program and UI Trust Fund.

This Branch helps people find jobs and build skills. They work with a variety of partners to offer these services at America’s Job Center of California^SM locations and throughout the state. This includes programs under the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and the Wagner-Peyser Act. These programs help all types of job seekers, including unemployed people, young workers, veterans, people with disabilities, and farmworkers. They also manage CalJOBS^SM, an online tool that connects job seekers with employers, training and help with career planning.

The Branch has four divisions:

• Three field divisions that provide employment services to the public.
• The Central Office Division supports staff in the field and gives guidance to WIOA-funded partners.