Can travel nurses get unemployment in California? My EDD claim keeps getting flagged

That's really helpful context, thank you. My agency did say something vague about 'future opportunities' when my contract ended but nothing concrete. Does that vague statement count as reasonable assurance of continued work? Because I've heard that phrase matters a lot.

The 'reasonable assurance' language is huge. If they gave you anything in writing about upcoming placements that could complicate your claim. Verbal assurances are harder for them to use against you though.

Ugh that's what I was afraid of. I've been trying to call EDD for two weeks and can't get through. It rings forever then disconnects or I get told call volume is too high.

SAME. I swear getting through to a live person at EDD is basically impossible. I've called literally 47 times in 10 days for my own claim issue and not once got a human.

I'm going to look into this right now honestly. Three weeks of adjudication with no explanation and no way to reach anyone is incredibly stressful when you have rent due.

does this actually work? i'm always skeptical of these things

I get the skepticism but it legitimately worked for me. I'd been trying on my own for 2+ weeks with zero luck and got through within a day using it. Just sharing because I know how desperate that situation feels.

several people in my nursing Facebook group have mentioned this too. seems like it's become pretty known among healthcare workers dealing with EDD issues

Oh wow I had not thought about this at all. I've been listing travel nursing positions in my job search activities. Should I also be applying to local hospital staff positions to show local availability?

Yes, this is actually important. Your job search log should show a mix - local per diem or staff positions AND travel contracts. Shows EDD you're genuinely available for work in California, not just holding out for a specific type of assignment.

idk i feel like EDD shouldn't care either way if you're a licensed nurse there's clearly work available lol but i get that they're picky about the rules

11 weeks is terrifying to hear. I genuinely don't know how I'd survive that financially.

This is why getting someone on the phone matters so much. An EDD rep can actually push your file forward in many cases whereas sitting in the queue just means waiting for an automated review that takes forever

Yeah if I'd known about resources to actually reach EDD faster I would have used them. I just kept waiting and hoping.

This breakdown is really helpful. On point 2 - the agency said verbally there 'should be more assignments coming' but put nothing in writing. Is verbal assurance enough for them to deny my claim?

Verbal assurance is harder to prove so it's less likely to be disqualifying than written assurance. BUT the agency may have submitted documentation to EDD as part of their response to the claim. That's exactly why talking to an EDD rep is so valuable - they can tell you specifically what's in your file.

also worth noting that even if they DID give you reasonable assurance, EDD considers whether that assurance was reasonable based on ALL circumstances. a vague 'there should be more work' from a staffing agency that hasn't actually offered a new contract for 3+ weeks is pretty weak assurance

Smart. I do have my contract end documentation. I should probably gather all of that together in case they request it during adjudication.

Yes, compile everything now before you need it. Contract start and end dates, any communication about new assignments (or lack thereof), your earnings statements. Makes the process much smoother if they send you a request.

Yes I've been certifying every Sunday for both weeks in each period. That part I've been really careful about.

ok good just making sure. I made that mistake and it caused a whole mess.

I worked through two different agencies over the last 18 months. And actually I'm not sure if both are showing on my claim - how do I check that?

Log into UI Online and look at your claim details. It should show all employers EDD identified from your base period wages. If one is missing, that's something you'd need to call in to correct. Which is back to the call volume problem unfortunately.

This is another scenario where having Claimyr to reach an actual agent is genuinely useful. Missing employer wage information can stall a claim indefinitely if nobody catches it. An agent can verify what's in the system and make corrections.

Yes, travel nurses on UI still need to meet California's job search requirements unless they qualify for standby status. Standby is an exception that allows you to waive the job search requirement - but you have to be formally attached to an employer who expects to recall you to work. A vague promise from a staffing agency probably doesn't qualify.

oh interesting i did not know standby was a thing

Standby for travel nurses is actually complicated because staffing agencies sometimes try to claim their workers are on standby to prevent UI claims, when the claimant hasn't been given a specific return date or confirmed new assignment. EDD looks at this closely.

Per diem seems even more complicated honestly. At least my contracts have clear start and end dates. Did you eventually win your appeal or adjudication review?

Yes but it took 8 weeks and me finally getting through to someone on the phone who actually looked at my file. The availability thing was the whole issue - I was available FOR shifts but none were being OFFERED to me which is a huge difference.

This is such a common issue in healthcare - the availability vs. lack of work distinction. EDD sometimes conflates the two. Being licensed and willing to work doesn't mean work is actually available to you.

That's actually reassuring to hear. I've been catastrophizing thinking adjudication means they're going to deny me.

Most people who stay on top of certifications and respond quickly if EDD reaches out do get through it fine. The nightmare stories are usually from people who didn't know they needed to respond to something or couldn't reach EDD to provide info.

This. My 11 week adjudication wasn't because they were going to deny me, it was just because nobody was actively working my file. Once someone actually looked at it it resolved pretty fast.

Just checked - there's nothing in my inbox. Just the standard 'claim under review' message. No requests for information.

ok then yeah it's probably just the queue. frustrating but at least nothing is pending on your end

Thank you, I'm actually going to try this today. The not knowing is the worst part and if there's a way to actually find out what's causing the hold I want to do it.

Second this. Getting actual eyes on your file is the only way to know what's really going on. EDD's portal shows almost no useful information.

That's an interesting angle I hadn't considered. My pay during travel contracts was significantly higher than standard nursing pay. Do you think that actually causes more scrutiny?

Not always but high earnings sometimes correlate with employer disputes because the employer's UI tax rate is affected by how many claims are filed against them. Staffing agencies have a LOT of claims filed against them so they often dispute more aggressively to protect their rates.

This is accurate. Large staffing agencies often have dedicated UI management teams whose entire job is to respond to and dispute unemployment claims. It's not personal - they do it systematically. Which is why having your documentation solid is important.

Honestly in my experience there's no magic time anymore. The call volume is high every day. I've had luck early on Wednesdays before but it's not consistent.

I kept a literal spreadsheet of call times for 3 weeks. Tuesday 8:01am was marginally better but we're talking getting through 1 out of 7 tries instead of 1 out of 15. Still terrible.

This is kind of why I stopped trying to game the timing and just used Claimyr. Let them deal with the hold queue while I got on with my day.

UPDATE: So I did use Claimyr and actually got through to an EDD agent yesterday! The agent told me the hold was because my staffing agency responded to the claim saying I had 'reasonable assurance' of a new assignment. The agent walked me through submitting a statement explaining that no specific assignment had been offered and the agency's statement was vague. She flagged my file for expedited review. Feeling cautiously optimistic now.

That's exactly the scenario I suspected. Good luck - the fact that you can now provide your side of the reasonable assurance issue should help a lot. Keep certifying!

Great update! For anyone reading this later - this is the exact reason why getting through to an actual EDD agent matters so much for travel nurse claims. The online portal tells you nothing and the resolution is often something simple that just needs a human to look at it.

Really glad you got some actual information finally. The reasonable assurance dispute is very winnable when you have the facts on your side - vague verbal promises without a specific assignment don't meet the legal standard.

Pro tip: as soon as your contract end date is confirmed, get something in writing from your agency about whether they have a specific new assignment for you or not. That documentation will be incredibly useful if your claim gets disputed.

Also consider filing your claim as soon as your last day of work is completed. Don't wait. Your benefit year starts from when you file, not when your contract ended.

This is all so helpful, thank you. I had no idea about the benefit year starting from when you file vs contract end date.