Does California EDD actually check your job searches when you certify?

That's reassuring to hear I'm doing it right. Do you know roughly how often these audits happen? Like is it a small percentage of claimants or more common than that?

From what I've seen in my own experience they seem to target people whose claim patterns look unusual - like if you never seem to be getting any interviews or if your search activities all look identical week to week. Variety in your job search methods also matters.

Oh wow that's kind of scary actually. Did she end up being okay? Did they actually contact the employers she listed?

yeah she was fine, they just wanted her written log. i dont think they called anyone but they definitely reviewed the records she submitted

Wait so volunteer work actually counts? I didn't know that. And I've been trying to call EDD for a week now with no luck so I might look into that Claimyr thing.

Never heard of that service before but I've wasted literally entire mornings on hold with EDD so this sounds like it could be useful

does claimyr work for people who have issues with their job search being flagged specifically or just general questions? asking because mine got flagged last month

This is super helpful, thank you. So just clicking through Indeed listings doesn't count, you have to actually submit an application? That makes sense.

wait so if I applied to the same company twice for two different jobs that's okay? I did that last month and wasn't sure if it would cause issues

@above - yes, different positions at the same employer within the same benefit year is fine. What's not allowed is applying for the exact same position at the same company repeatedly just to pad your numbers.

also just want to add that networking contacts can count too - like reaching out to someone in your industry to ask about openings counts as a job search contact as long as you document it properly

That inconsistency is kind of stressful to hear about. At least if it were consistent you'd know what to prepare for.

Yeah it's one of those California EDD things where the rules are technically clear but the enforcement feels random. Best protection is always to have thorough documentation.

Oh no, that sounds awful. Did you eventually get your payments released? And did you have to actually appeal formally or did they just review and reinstate?

They reinstated after I submitted a bunch of documentation showing I actually did apply to all those places - had confirmation emails from like 8 of the employers. It wasn't a formal appeal hearing but I had to write a whole explanation letter. Was super stressful.

this is really important advice, the repetitive description thing is something a lot of people don't realize can get flagged

That's a really smart approach. I might add a notes column to my spreadsheet for follow-up actions.

Following up on applications you listed is genuinely good both for actually finding a job AND for your EDD documentation. Win-win approach.

You're probably right about this. Most compliance is likely algorithmic pattern detection with human review triggered by anomalies. But that's exactly why repetitive or templated entries get flagged - the algorithm catches patterns that look non-genuine.

Doesn't matter if the odds are low honestly. The consequences of getting flagged are severe enough that it's not worth cutting corners. Three weeks without payments when you're unemployed is devastating.

oh yeah def not saying people should fake stuff, just curious about how the system actually works behind the scenes

This is really helpful to know about. So the rep can actually advise you on what to submit during an audit review? That's way more useful than I expected.

Yes! They can't tell you what to write obviously but they can clarify what specific documentation they're looking for and the submission deadline. That alone was huge for me.

Same experience here - the EDD agents are actually way more helpful than people expect when you finally do get through to one. The problem is just getting to that point.

I'm not in either of those situations but good to know for others. My layoff was pretty permanent unfortunately.

wait what is standby status exactly? i thought you had to actively look for work no matter what

Standby is when your employer expects to rehire you within 60 days - like a seasonal layoff or temporary shutdown. You still have to be able and available for work but the job search contacts requirement is reduced. You have to actually request and be approved for standby though, it's not automatic.

Interesting, so they do actually call employers at least in some cases. That confirms I should make sure every application I list was a real genuine application and not just a tentative click.

This is the kind of real-world confirmation that matters. Official EDD documentation won't tell you exactly how verification works operationally.

Position title and method of contact are both required fields on the job search record. Going forward make sure you capture those for every contact. For past weeks, go back to your email and browser history and try to reconstruct the details as accurately as possible. It's not ideal but documented records are better than incomplete ones.

omg okay i'm going to spend this weekend going through my email to fill in the gaps. thank you

Your confirmation emails from employers when you apply online will have the exact position title and the date - that's actually the most reliable source. LinkedIn also keeps application history if you used that.

This is practical advice. I've been saving the actual job posting URLs in my spreadsheet which I think is a good move.

Saving posting URLs is great. Even if the posting comes down later you have evidence you saw a real listing for a real position at a real company on a real date.

Mine was 3 weeks. I think 6 weeks is on the longer end but not impossible especially if they need you to submit documentation and then review it. The review timeline after you submit documentation can be another 2-4 weeks on top of any time you took to respond.

This is exactly why it matters to respond to any audit letter IMMEDIATELY and as thoroughly as possible. Every day of delay on your end extends the timeline.

yeah my neighbor was slow to respond because she was panicking and didn't understand the letter. so the delay was partly on her end. stressful situation

Oh this is relevant to my situation too since I'm in graphic design! I've been wondering the same thing.

Portfolio submissions and project inquiries absolutely count as job search contacts as long as you can document them. An email to a creative director asking about freelance or full-time design work is a legitimate contact. Just make sure you document the person's name, company, the date, and that you were specifically inquiring about employment.

okay that makes sense. i've been saving all my outreach emails so i should be covered, i just wasn't sure if it looked too informal compared to submitting through a job board

This is actually really reassuring perspective. Thank you. I think I needed to hear this because I've been spinning out a little.

Totally understandable to be anxious about it. The California EDD system can feel really adversarial even when you're doing everything right. But genuine claimants who document properly have very little to worry about.

11 days for reinstatement is actually much faster than what some other people in this thread experienced. I'm filing this away in case I ever need it.

This is a really helpful concrete outcome. Knowing the timeline and process makes the whole thing less terrifying.

Yeah the unknown is the worst part. Once you know the actual process and timeline it becomes manageable even if stressful.

Oh this is a really important distinction. I always make sure I get to the confirmation screen but now I'm going to start taking screenshots too just in case.

wait i might have done this with indeed. going to check my applications vs saved jobs right now

Yeah check the difference between 'Applied' and 'Saved' in your Indeed account - completely different sections. Applications will show a confirmation status, saved jobs are just bookmarks.

That actually makes the whole system make more sense - it's not all manual verification, there are data checks too. Good to understand how it works.

This is accurate - cross-matching with employer payroll records and state wage data is one of the primary ways California EDD catches inconsistencies. For job search verification specifically it's more about the documentation audit process but yes the system has multiple verification layers.

Exactly. The technology-based cross-matching is primarily for earnings verification but the overall point is the system isn't just relying on one manual verification method for anything.