EDD certification after job offer - paid orientation but no start date yet

He definitely needs to report those 2.5 hours of orientation as work when certifying. EDD requires reporting ANY work and income during a certification period, even if it's just orientation. For the income part, he should report whatever he's going to be paid for those hours (even if he hasn't received the check yet). As for the 'no start date yet' situation, he can continue certifying until he actually works. Once he starts part-time, he'll need to report all hours worked and wages earned during each certification period. EDD will calculate partial benefits based on what he reports. If he earns too much in a week, he won't get benefits for that week. I was in a similar situation last year and the transition was frustrating because of how slow EDD's system is. When I couldn't get clear answers about my specific situation, I used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an actual EDD representative who explained everything. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km. Saved me hours of redial hell.

YES!! Report EVERYTHING! I didn't report a 3-hour training session once and EDD flagged my account for potential fraud. Had to go through a whole phone interview and they almost disqualified me for ALL benefits. Not worth the risk. For the part about calculating partial benefits: when he starts working, EDD uses this formula: Your weekly benefit amount minus (earnings minus $25 or 25% of your earnings, whichever is greater). So if his weekly benefit is $450 and he earns $300 in a week, they'd subtract ($300 - $75) = $225 from his benefit, so he'd get $225 for that week.

Everyone's giving good advice about reporting the orientation hours, but I just want to add something important: your cousin should keep certifying for benefits EVERY certification period until he's working full-time and no longer eligible. A lot of people make the mistake of stopping certification once they get a job offer, but before they're actually earning money. This creates problems if the job falls through or if there are delays with the start date, which happens ALL THE TIME. Also, make sure he answers "Yes" to the question about looking for work during each week, even after getting the job offer. Until he's actually working regular hours, he should continue following all UI requirements.

i think everyones making this more complicated than it needs to be tbh. when i got a job last summer, i just reported the hours i actually worked during each certification period. if he hasnt started yet except for orientation then just report those hours. its literally that simple lol. the EDD form asks if you worked and how much you earned. if he worked 2.5 hours then thats what he puts.

Wait I'm confused about something - does your cousin know for sure that the orientation is paid? Some companies don't pay for orientation or training until you're officially onboarded. He should double-check with HR before reporting income he might not actually receive.

Let me share my experience from last year when I started a new job while on unemployment. For the orientation day, I reported exactly what I worked (4 hours) and my estimated earnings based on what I was told my hourly rate would be. Even though I hadn't received a paycheck yet. For the weird period when I was "hired" but waiting to start, I continued certifying normally (saying I didn't work those weeks). Then once I started working part-time, I reported my actual hours and earnings for each certification week. The most important thing is documentation! Tell your cousin to keep a detailed log of EVERYTHING - dates, times, who he spoke with at the new company, copies of all paperwork. If there's ever a discrepancy later, having these records saved my butt when EDD questioned me about a 3-week period where my employer's records didn't match mine (turned out they had my start date wrong).

Another thing to watch out for: the certification weeks might not align perfectly with his work schedule. EDD certification is Sunday through Saturday, but many employers have different pay periods. He'll need to calculate his hours and earnings based on EDD's calendar weeks, not his employer's pay periods. Also, make sure he knows that he must report GROSS earnings (before taxes and deductions), not his take-home pay. This trips up a lot of people and can lead to unintentional underreporting.

Wow, thank you all for the detailed advice! I'm going to have him: 1. Report the 2.5 hours of orientation and the expected pay 2. Continue certifying normally until he's actually working regular hours 3. Keep detailed records of everything related to the new job 4. Double-check with HR about the orientation pay 5. Calculate his earnings based on EDD's Sunday-Saturday week Sounds like the key is to report everything accurately and keep certifying. I appreciate all your help!

i remember when i first got a job after being on unemployment i was sooooo paranoid about doing everything right!! the anxiety is real! just tell him to be honest about everything and keep all paperwork. i used to take screenshots of every certification screen too just in case. better to be paranoid than deal with EDD overpayment nightmare!!!

One more thing that might help your cousin - if he's really worried about making mistakes, he can call EDD's customer service line to get official guidance on his specific situation. I know the wait times are brutal, but sometimes it's worth it for peace of mind when you're dealing with a transition like this. Also, when he does start working part-time, remind him that he needs to be available for work on the days he's not scheduled. EDD can still ask about his availability and job search activities even when he's working reduced hours. Some people think once they have any job they can stop looking, but that's not true for partial benefits. Good luck to your cousin! The transition period is always nerve-wracking but it sounds like you're helping him handle it the right way.

Just wanted to add from my own experience - when I was in a similar situation, I found it helpful to call the new employer's HR department to get written confirmation of the orientation details (date, hours, pay rate). Having that email or document saved me when EDD later questioned the timing of my employment start. Also, if your cousin is worried about making mistakes, he might want to consider keeping a simple spreadsheet tracking his weekly hours and earnings during this transition period. Include columns for the EDD certification week dates (Sunday-Saturday), hours worked, gross pay, and any notes about the work (like "orientation only" or "regular shift"). This makes it much easier to accurately complete his certifications and provides backup documentation if there are ever any questions. The transition from unemployment to employment can be stressful, but being overly cautious with documentation and reporting is always better than having to deal with EDD disputes later!

I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago! The key thing is to be super transparent with EDD - report that orientation time and pay, even if it feels weird since he hasn't "really" started yet. One thing I learned the hard way is to keep track of which certification period the orientation falls into. Since EDD weeks run Sunday to Saturday, make sure he reports those 2.5 hours in the correct week. I made the mistake of reporting orientation hours in the wrong certification period and it created a whole mess to untangle later. Also, once he does start regular work, he should know that EDD has a "benefit year earnings" limit. If he earns too much total during his benefit year, it can affect his remaining claim balance. It's not usually an issue for part-time work, but something to keep in mind if the job turns into more hours than expected. The waiting period for an official start date is so common right now - background checks and paperwork are taking forever everywhere. Just keep certifying week by week and report honestly. Better to over-communicate with EDD than under-report and deal with problems later!

I'm dealing with something similar right now! Just wanted to add that when your cousin reports the orientation hours, he should also make sure to answer "yes" to the question about whether he worked during that certification period. I almost made the mistake of saying "no" because it was "just orientation" but my friend who works at a workforce center told me that ANY paid work counts, even if it's training or orientation. Also, if the employer ends up giving him a different start date than expected, he might want to keep a screenshot or photo of any texts/emails about the timeline changes. I've heard stories of people getting questioned later about gaps between when they said they'd start work and when they actually did, especially if there are delays on the employer's side. The whole process is confusing but it sounds like you're helping him think through all the right details. The fact that he's being careful about reporting everything correctly from the start will definitely save headaches later!

Great job helping your cousin navigate this tricky situation! I went through something very similar last fall. One additional tip that saved me a lot of stress: have him take a photo of his certification screen after he submits it each time, especially during this transition period. I started doing this after I had a panic moment wondering if I had reported my hours correctly one week. Also, since he's waiting for paperwork to clear, he should be prepared that his employer might ask him to complete additional training modules or attend more orientation sessions before his official start date. Each of these should be reported separately if they're paid. I had to do 3 different "orientation" sessions over 2 weeks while my background check was processing, and each one needed to be reported in the correct certification period. The good news is that EDD is pretty used to seeing these kinds of transition situations, especially with how slow hiring processes have become. As long as he's honest and thorough with his reporting, he should be fine. The fact that you're helping him think through all these details shows he's already on the right track!

This thread has been so helpful! I went through a similar transition about 8 months ago and wish I had found advice like this back then. One thing I'd add is that your cousin should also keep track of any mileage or transportation costs for getting to orientation - while he can't deduct these from his EDD reporting, having records of work-related expenses might be useful for tax purposes later. Also, if his new employer uses any kind of employee portal or app, he should log in and take screenshots of his employment status, scheduled hours, or any notices about his start date. I found that having that digital paper trail was really valuable when I had to prove my employment timeline to EDD later. The waiting period between orientation and official start date is so stressful, but it sounds like he's handling it exactly right by reporting everything and continuing to certify. Once he gets into the rhythm of working part-time and reporting his hours each week, it becomes much more routine. The hardest part is really this initial transition period when everything feels uncertain!

I just wanted to jump in as someone who's currently going through the EDD system myself - this thread is incredibly helpful! One thing I'd add that I learned recently is to make sure your cousin keeps his job search activities documented too, even after getting the job offer. Until he's actually working full-time hours, EDD still expects him to be "available and actively seeking work." I made the mistake of slacking off on my job search documentation after getting an offer, thinking I was done, but then my start date got pushed back by 3 weeks due to delays with their IT setup. When I certified during those weeks, I had to scramble to show that I was still looking for work since I wasn't working yet. Also, if his employer gives him any kind of employee handbook or orientation materials, he should save those too. Sometimes they contain important details about pay periods, probationary periods, or part-time vs full-time status that might be relevant for EDD reporting later. The more documentation the better when dealing with EDD! It sounds like you're doing a great job helping him think through all of this. Having someone to help navigate the system makes such a difference!

This is such a comprehensive thread! As someone who just went through this exact situation 2 months ago, I can confirm that reporting the orientation hours is absolutely the right call. I was terrified of making a mistake too, but being completely transparent with EDD ended up being the smoothest approach. One small detail I'd add - when your cousin reports the orientation earnings, he should use the gross amount he expects to receive, but if the actual paycheck ends up being different (maybe they rounded hours differently or there were unexpected deductions), he doesn't need to panic. EDD gets quarterly wage reports from employers, so any small discrepancies usually get reconciled automatically in the system. The hardest part for me was the psychological aspect - feeling like I was "cheating" by continuing to collect benefits while technically having a job offer. But my case worker explained that until you're actually working regular hours and earning enough to disqualify you from benefits, you're supposed to keep certifying. The system is designed to help people transition back to work gradually. Your cousin is lucky to have you helping him navigate this! Having someone to bounce questions off of makes such a difference when dealing with EDD's complexity.