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.