EDD certification confusion - Is work search reporting actually required?

This is a common source of confusion! Here's the deal: Work search IS required for most claimants, but reporting the details in UI Online is technically optional. However, it's strongly recommended that you DO report your activities for two important reasons: 1) If you're selected for an eligibility interview, having documented your work search in the system makes verifying your eligibility much easier, and 2) It creates a record in case there's ever a question about your eligibility later. So while your cousin might be getting away with clicking 'No,' he's still supposed to be actively looking for work AND keeping his own records of those searches in case EDD asks for proof. The system says it's optional to report online, but the actual work search itself isn't optional unless you have a specific exemption.

Ur cousin is playing with fire lol. i got audited last year and edd wanted proof of EVERYTHING. the rep told me tons of people got disqualified cuz they couldnt show any work search records. just sayin

THE ENTIRE EDD SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO TRICK YOU!!! They make it seem optional but then they can deny you benefits later claiming you didn't look for work! This is just ONE example of how they try to trip people up. I always click YES and enter my work search because I don't trust them at all. This is exactly how they catch people to deny benefits and save money. DOCUMENT EVERYTHING!!!

The rules changed after the pandemic too. Before 2023 they were way more relaxed about work search but now they're back to being strict. I have my weekly reminder set so I dont forget to apply to jobs every week. Make sure ur doing activities that count as work search - not just job applications but networking, updating resume, etc all count too.

To directly answer your question: Work search is REQUIRED, but the online reporting of it is technically optional. However, by choosing not to report it online, you're taking a risk if you're ever asked to verify your work search activities. Here's a comprehensive list of activities that count as valid work search activities under EDD guidelines: 1. Applying for jobs (online or in-person) 2. Registering with CalJOBS 3. Posting resumes on job boards 4. Networking events 5. Job interviews 6. Creating/updating résumés 7. Meeting with career counselors 8. Taking job-related classes or workshops 9. Participating in job fairs 10. Contacting previous employers about potential job openings I always recommend recording at least 3 activities per week in the system, even though only 1 valid activity per week is technically required for most claimants.

Just my 2 cents but when I was on unemployment last year I also thought it was optional like your cousin but then I got randomly selected for an eligibility interview and it was a whole thing proving my work search. wish I had just entered it in the system from the beginning would've saved me so much stress

btw y'all trying to call edd is IMPOSSIBLE these days! was on hold for 3 hours yesterday just to get disconnected 😤

Just to add one more thing - different claim types have different work search requirements. Regular UI claims require work search, but if you're on a partial claim, DI, or have a union hiring hall agreement, your requirements might be different. Double-check your specific requirements in your UI Online account messages or your award letter.

As someone who just went through the EDD appeal process last month, I can't stress enough how important it is to document EVERYTHING. I initially thought like your cousin that reporting was optional, but when my claim got flagged for review, having zero documentation in the system made proving my eligibility incredibly difficult. Even though I was actually doing work search activities, I had to scramble to recreate records from my email history and browser bookmarks. The appeals judge specifically mentioned that claimants who use the online reporting system have a much easier time during hearings because there's an official timestamp and record. It's basically free insurance for your claim - takes 5 extra minutes per week but could save you thousands in benefits if you ever get audited. Better safe than sorry!

I went through this exact same confusion when I first started collecting! The wording is definitely misleading - it makes it seem like work search reporting is just a suggestion when it's actually protecting you from major headaches down the road. What helped me was thinking of it this way: the work search requirement itself is mandatory (unless you have specific exemptions), but the system gives you the "choice" of whether to create an official record of your compliance. Why would you NOT want that official record? I've been consistently reporting my activities for 8 months now and it's become routine. I even set calendar reminders to do my job applications early in the week so I can log them right when I certify. It's given me so much peace of mind knowing that if EDD ever questions my eligibility, I have timestamps and detailed records right there in their own system. Your instinct to document everything is spot on - keep doing what you're doing!

This confusion is super common and honestly, the EDD system's wording doesn't help at all! I went through the same thing when I first started claiming benefits. Here's what I've learned after being on unemployment for about 6 months: Yes, work search is required for most people, but the online reporting really IS technically optional. However, I strongly recommend doing it anyway because: 1. It creates an automatic paper trail with timestamps 2. If you get selected for an audit or interview, you're already prepared 3. It helps you stay organized and remember what you've done each week 4. It shows good faith effort to comply with requirements I keep a simple spreadsheet too where I track company names, positions, dates, and application methods. That way I have backup records outside the EDD system. It takes maybe 10 extra minutes per week but the peace of mind is worth it. Your cousin might not have had issues YET, but I've seen too many posts here about people getting hit with overpayment demands or losing appeals because they couldn't prove their work search. Don't risk it - document everything!

I had this exact same confusion when I started my claim! The system's wording is really misleading - it makes work search reporting seem optional when the underlying requirement definitely isn't. I've been clicking "Yes" and documenting everything for the past 4 months, and honestly it's become second nature now. What really convinced me to always report was talking to a friend who works at the local workforce development office. She said she's seen so many people get tripped up during eligibility reviews because they couldn't provide adequate documentation of their work search efforts. Even if you're doing the work search activities (which you legally have to), not having records can make it nearly impossible to prove during an audit. I think of the online reporting as free insurance for my claim. It takes maybe 5 extra minutes each week when I certify, but it creates an official timestamp and record that's much harder to dispute than handwritten notes or trying to recreate activities from memory months later. Plus, it actually helps me stay accountable and organized with my job search - I know I need at least 3 activities to report each week, so it motivates me to be consistent. Your instinct to document everything is absolutely right. Better to be over-prepared than scrambling to prove eligibility later!

I went through this exact same confusion when I first started collecting benefits! The way EDD words that question makes it sound like work search reporting is just a nice-to-have feature, but the reality is much more nuanced. Here's what I learned after doing some digging and talking to other claimants: work search activities are absolutely required for most people (unless you have specific exemptions), but documenting those activities in the UI Online system is technically optional. However, "optional" doesn't mean "smart to skip." I've been religiously clicking "Yes" and entering all my work search activities for the past year, and here's why I recommend you keep doing the same: 1. **Audit protection**: If EDD ever reviews your claim, having everything documented in their system with timestamps makes the process so much smoother 2. **Appeal advantage**: Multiple people here have shared stories about appeals going better when they had official records in the system 3. **Memory helper**: It's easy to forget what you did weeks ago, but the system keeps track for you 4. **Shows good faith**: Even if it's "optional," it demonstrates you're taking your obligations seriously Your cousin might be getting lucky for now, but why risk it? The extra 5-10 minutes per week to document everything is such a small price to pay for the peace of mind. Keep doing what you're doing - you're being smart about protecting your claim!

I'm so glad you asked this question because I was dealing with the exact same confusion when I started my claim a few months ago! The system really does make it seem like reporting is just a suggestion, which is super misleading. Here's what I've learned: the work search requirement itself is NOT optional (unless you have specific exemptions), but choosing to document it in the UI Online system technically is. However, after reading horror stories on this forum about people losing appeals and facing overpayment demands because they couldn't prove their work search activities, I decided to always click "Yes" and document everything. I think of it this way - why would I NOT want an official record with timestamps proving I'm complying with the requirements? It literally takes me maybe 5 extra minutes when I certify, but it could potentially save me thousands of dollars and months of stress if I ever get audited. Your cousin might be getting away with clicking "No" for now, but he's essentially gambling with his benefits. The smart money is on documenting everything like you're already doing. Trust your instincts on this one - you're being way smarter than people who think they can just wing it and hope they never get reviewed!

I was in the exact same boat when I first started my claim! The wording is definitely confusing and makes it seem like reporting is totally optional. After being on unemployment for about 8 months now, I can tell you that documenting everything in the system has been one of the best decisions I made. Here's the reality: work search IS required for most claimants, but the online reporting is technically optional. However, I learned the hard way that "optional" doesn't mean "smart to skip" when I got randomly selected for an eligibility review about 3 months into my claim. Thankfully I had been documenting everything from day one, so when they asked for proof of my work search activities, I just had to reference what was already in their system with timestamps and everything. The EDD rep even told me that cases go much smoother when people use the online reporting feature because it creates an official record that's hard to dispute. She said they see too many people struggle during reviews because they tried to recreate months of activities from memory or scattered notes. Your cousin might be lucky so far, but he's basically playing unemployment roulette. The extra few minutes it takes to log your activities each week is such a small price to pay for that peace of mind. Keep doing what you're doing - you're protecting yourself the smart way!

I totally understand your confusion - I went through this exact same thing when I started my claim! The way EDD words that question is so misleading. It makes work search reporting sound completely optional when really you're just choosing whether or not to create an official record of something you're legally required to do anyway. I've been documenting everything for about 5 months now and it's honestly become routine. What really sealed the deal for me was realizing that those few extra minutes each week could potentially save me from weeks of stress and thousands in overpayments if I ever get audited. I know people like your cousin who click "No" and haven't had problems yet, but they're essentially betting that they'll never get randomly selected for review. The way I see it, EDD is giving you a free tool to protect your claim - why wouldn't you use it? I actually keep a simple notebook too where I jot down company names and dates as backup, but having everything timestamped in their official system gives me so much peace of mind. Plus it helps me stay organized and motivated with my job search since I know I need activities to report each week. Your instincts are spot on - keep documenting everything. Better to be over-prepared than scrambling later!

This thread perfectly captures the confusion so many of us face with EDD's confusing wording! I've been on unemployment for about 4 months now, and like many others here, I initially thought the work search reporting was truly optional because of how the system presents it. What changed my mind was getting a notice about a potential eligibility interview (which thankfully got cancelled), but it made me realize how unprepared I would have been if I hadn't been documenting everything. I had been clicking "Yes" and entering my activities mostly out of paranoia, but that scare made me understand it's really about protecting yourself. I think the key insight from everyone's responses is that there's a difference between what's technically required by law (work search activities) and what's practically smart for protecting your claim (documenting those activities). The system gives you the choice to create an official record, and choosing not to is basically gambling that you'll never need to prove your eligibility. For anyone reading this who's still on the fence: it literally takes 5-10 extra minutes per week when you certify. Compare that to potentially losing weeks or months of benefits if you can't prove your work search during a review. The math is pretty clear - those few minutes are the best insurance policy you can get for your unemployment claim!

I'm dealing with this exact same confusion right now! Just started my claim two weeks ago and have been going back and forth on whether to document everything or not. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - it's clear that while the system makes reporting seem optional, the smart move is definitely to document everything. What really convinced me was seeing how many people have had close calls or actual issues during eligibility reviews. The "free insurance policy" way of thinking about it makes perfect sense. I'd much rather spend those extra few minutes each week than potentially face months of stress trying to recreate my work search history from memory. One thing I'm curious about though - for those of you who've been documenting for a while, do you find that having that official record in the system actually helps motivate you to do more job search activities? I'm wondering if it might actually improve my job hunting consistency knowing I need to have something to report each week. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this thread should honestly be pinned for all new claimants to read!

This has been such an enlightening thread to read through! I'm about 3 months into my unemployment claim and have been consistently documenting everything, but honestly wasn't 100% sure I was making the right choice until now. Seeing all these real experiences from people who've been through eligibility reviews, appeals, and audits really drives home why that "optional" reporting is actually essential. What strikes me most is how many people mentioned that EDD reps specifically told them cases go smoother when activities are documented in the system. That's basically official confirmation that while they can't require the online reporting, they definitely prefer and expect it. For anyone still debating this - I think the consensus here is crystal clear. The work search requirement itself is mandatory, and the smart money is on documenting everything in the system even though reporting is technically "optional." Those few extra minutes per week could literally save your entire claim if you ever get reviewed. I'm definitely going to keep doing what I'm doing and document every single activity!

This entire discussion has been incredibly valuable! I'm currently 2 months into my claim and have been documenting everything from the start, but I'll admit I was second-guessing myself because of friends like your cousin who just click "No" and seem fine. What really stands out to me from everyone's responses is how the system is essentially offering you a choice: take 5 minutes to protect yourself, or gamble with your benefits. When you frame it that way, it's a no-brainer. I actually had a mini panic attack last month when I got what I thought was an eligibility review notice (turned out to be something else), but having all my work search activities already documented in the system with timestamps gave me immediate peace of mind. I can't imagine how stressful that would have been if I had to scramble to prove months of job searching from scratch. For anyone still debating - the "technically optional" wording is misleading. Sure, you CAN skip the reporting, but you'd be choosing to make your life potentially much harder later. Your instinct to document everything is absolutely right. Keep doing what you're doing and don't let your cousin's seemingly easy approach tempt you into taking unnecessary risks with your benefits!