Substitute teacher with W2 from staffing agency - EDD eligibility during summer break?

I was in a similar situation last year! Since you're employed by the staffing agency and not the school district, the "reasonable assurance" rule might not apply to you like it does for district-employed substitutes. I filed for unemployment during summer break and got approved because my agency couldn't guarantee me work during that period. Make sure when you file that you clearly indicate you work for a staffing agency and not directly for schools. They might still interview you to verify your employment situation though. The key is whether your agency can offer you non-school work during summer.

The previous commenter is partly right, but there are some important details to understand. EDD evaluates substitute teacher claims case-by-case. The critical factors are: 1. Whether your agency will provide you with comparable non-educational work during summer 2. If they've given you any written "reasonable assurance" of work resuming in fall 3. Your work history pattern (have you consistently not worked summers?) Many substitute teachers are denied benefits during recess periods if they have reasonable assurance of returning to work when school resumes. However, agency employees are treated differently than direct district hires. You should apply and be prepared for an eligibility interview.

my cousin is sub teacher 2 n she gets unemplyment every summer but shes direct w/ district. agency stuff might b different cuz they could say u can work other jobs thru them maybe?? worth trying tho

I filed for EDD last summer as a sub but got denied because of the "reasonable assurance" rule they mentioned. They said since I had worked the previous school year and was expected to return in fall, I wasn't eligible during summer. So frustrating! But that was as a direct district employee, not through an agency like you.

The difference between your situation and district-employed substitutes is significant for EDD purposes. Under California Unemployment Insurance Code Section 1253.3, school employees may be ineligible during recess periods IF they have reasonable assurance of work when school resumes. However, this often doesn't apply to agency employees who are not directly employed by educational institutions. When you file, be very specific about: 1. You work for a private staffing agency (provide exact name) 2. You are paid by the agency, not schools 3. You have no written guarantee of work resumption 4. The agency does/doesn't offer non-educational work You'll likely need an eligibility interview. Be prepared with pay stubs showing your employer is the agency, not the district.

If ur trying to get ahold of EDD to ask about this specific situation, good luck!!! Been calling for 2 weeks about my claim and cant get through AT ALL. Always says "we're experiencing high call volume" and hangs up on me!!! So frustrating!!!

wait i just remebered someting! my friend who does substitute teaching thru an agency got benefits last summer but she had to do this thing where she proved the agency didnt offer her any other work during summer months. she showed them emails or something??

Thanks everyone for all the helpful responses! I'm going to apply when the school year ends and make sure to clearly document that I work for the agency rather than directly for schools. I'll gather my paystubs and any communications from the agency about summer availability (or lack thereof). I'll update this thread with what happens in case it helps other substitute teachers in similar situations!

Good luck! One last tip: when you certify for benefits, make sure you indicate you're "able and available" for work. Some substitute teachers make the mistake of saying they're only available for teaching positions, which can complicate their claim. Unless you have specific work restrictions, you should be open to suitable work in other fields during your unemployment period.