Which of the following is an example of seasonal unemployment? Trying to figure out if my California EDD claim qualifies

Wait, so even with a definite return date in November I still have to actively apply to other jobs? That feels kind of pointless if I'm just going back in a few months.

EDD's rule is that you have to be genuinely available and looking every week you certify - the return date is a fact about your situation but it doesn't suspend the requirement. If a full-time job came along you'd presumably take it, right? That's the logic.

Confirmed this from my own seasonal hotel gig ending last winter. The interviewer on my DE 4800 phone interview asked whether I'd accept other work if offered, and I said yes, and that was what mattered to them.

Nope, there's no special seasonal lane. EDD treats it as a layoff - you're out of work through no fault of your own, so you're eligible, but you go through the exact same process as anyone else who got laid off.

Huh, good to know. I've been telling people at my lodge job that we don't qualify because we always come back. I was totally wrong then.

A lot of people think that! The 'you'll be rehired' part is about the employer, not EDD's eligibility rules. EDD looks at whether you're out of work right now and whether you're available.

I did get something in the mail but I honestly didn't read it carefully enough. Let me go check what it says. I definitely set up a CalJOBS account but I'm not sure if I actually posted a resume.

Go post the resume today if you haven't - seriously, that's the one that catches people off guard. The clock on that DE 8405 date moves fast.

Missed this exact deadline on my claim two summers ago and had a week of payments held. Had to call EDD and explain I'd registered but not posted the resume yet. Got it sorted but it was stressful.

Different situations. A furlough is usually temporary unpaid leave from a job that still exists and you're still technically employed - like the company needs to cut costs for a few months. Seasonal work ending means the position itself stops existing until next season, so you're actually separated from employment. EDD treats them differently because of that.

Oh okay that actually makes a lot of sense. So seasonal ending = actual layoff, furlough = more complicated?

Basically yes. A furlough situation often needs EDD to look at whether you're 'unemployed' in their definition, while a seasonal ending is usually cleaner - job over, you're out of work, file your claim.

What did you end up doing?

Applied to stuff, certified honestly that I was looking, and when October came I told EDD I was returning to my seasonal employer and stopped certifying. No issues. I think as long as you're actually available to take other work in the meantime it's fine.

This is reassuring. I genuinely would take another job if something good came along - I'm not just waiting around for November.

Mine actually came in at $390 a week which surprised me because I wasn't making huge money at the resort. I guess those busy holiday weekends pushed my highest quarter up.

Exactly - December through February at a ski resort is probably a strong quarter. That's how the base period math works in your favor sometimes.

Mine was lower than I hoped because my highest quarter was still pretty lean. The EDD Benefit Calculator on their site gives you a rough estimate before the DE 429Z arrives, worth running your numbers there.

Totally different things. A phone interview (DE 4800 is the notice for it) is when EDD has a question about your eligibility - like why you left, whether you quit vs. were laid off, stuff like that. An appeal is what you file after EDD issues a Notice of Determination and you disagree with the decision. The interview comes before any decision, the appeal comes after.

Oh wow I completely mixed those up. So getting a DE 4800 doesn't mean you're being denied, it just means they want to ask questions?

Right. For seasonal workers, EDD might want to confirm the separation was truly a layoff and not something else. The interview is just their fact-finding step.

Thank you, that clears up so much. I've been dreading mine thinking it meant bad news.

Mine have been processing okay so far but I'm bookmarking this in case it changes. The DE 1326C is the identity one right?

Yes - if you applied online and ID.me worked, you won't get it. But if there was any hiccup with ID.me verification, EDD mails that form and your payments sit pending until it's resolved.

Had the same thing. ID.me said I was verified but EDD's side hadn't synced yet. Calling EDD directly got it cleared in one conversation.

This is my third season there, so I have prior years too. Does EDD look back at multiple years or just the last year?

The standard base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before your claim started. So roughly the last year and a bit - multiple resort seasons could definitely be in there depending on timing.

And if the standard base period doesn't get you to a valid claim, EDD automatically checks the alternate base period (the most recent four quarters). Third-season worker should be fine though.

Apply to anything you're qualified and available for. EDD doesn't require you to stay in your same industry - you just have to be genuinely able and available to work and actually looking. Applying only to jobs that wouldn't start until your season comes back would be a problem, but applying broadly is fine.

Makes sense. I've been applying to some warehouse and retail stuff while waiting for the season to open back up.

The voluntary quit angle - that's something I've been a little worried about since my resort uses seasonal contracts too. How did your situation turn out?

The interview went fine once I understood EDD's framing. The key was being clear that the job ended because the season ended, not because I chose to leave. I still had to certify through the whole adjudication period though.

Signed seasonal contracts are actually pretty common in ski industry work and EDD deals with them regularly. The key distinction is whether the work ended because the season concluded vs. because you decided to leave early.

About three weeks is pretty typical for the first payment - EDD says to give it around that long from when you applied for the first payment to show up. If you've certified at least once and you're past that window, checking the UI Online Claim History for Pending flags is the next step.

My claim history shows one week as Pending and one week just blank, which is weird.

The blank one might be your waiting week - every claim has a first unpaid week. It doesn't get paid, it just establishes your eligibility starting point. The pending week is the one to watch.

So many people think the employer directly pays out of pocket when someone files. The tax system thing is news to them.

Worth adding - the employer can respond to EDD's notice and give their side of the separation story, which is why the layoff vs. quit distinction matters. But they can't just deny the claim outright. EDD makes the call.

I did a one-day temp thing last week - should I have reported that?

Yes, report it on your next certification for the week the work happened. Put in the gross amount you earned that day. The math EDD runs usually means you still get a partial benefit.

The Report Wages option in UI Online lets you work out the numbers before you certify so you can see what your adjusted payment will look like. Really helpful if you're doing occasional temp shifts.

Ski lift work - same industry! Did your resort fight the claim at all?

No, once they responded it actually confirmed the layoff. I think they just took a while to get around to submitting the paperwork. The agent said to keep certifying while it sorted itself out.

The employer's 10-day window to respond to the DE 1101CZ is easy to miss on their end, especially at a resort that just finished a hectic season and their HR person is probably half checked out.

You have 30 days from the mailing date on the DE 1080CZ to appeal. Use the DE 1000M form that comes with it, or write a letter - either way, mail it to the address on the notice. Explain why you think EDD got it wrong and attach anything that backs your side: pay stubs, emails from your employer about the seasonal ending, whatever applies. Keep certifying the whole time, because if the appeal goes your way, EDD can only pay back the weeks you actually certified for.

What if the 30 days passes before I figure out what to write?

A late appeal can still be filed but you need to include a reason for missing the deadline. It's not automatically rejected but it's harder. Really try to get it in within 30 days.

The hearing after the appeal goes to a California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board administrative law judge. You testify under oath and can bring someone to represent you - a union rep, an attorney, or yourself.

I had no idea about the federal tax part. So I should probably opt into withholding now?

You can change it whenever - it's one of the certification questions. It just means 10 percent comes out before the payment hits your Money Network card. Some people prefer to handle it themselves at tax time, it's personal preference.

The Form 1099G also lives in UI Online under Payments for five years if you ever need an old one.

How do you set up direct deposit? Is that in myEDD at https://myedd.edd.ca.gov/?

Yes, it's in myEDD. I won't pretend I remember exactly where - I think it's under payment options in your account settings somewhere. Worth poking around.

Changed mine mid-claim without any issues. Took a couple of payment cycles to switch over.

EDD does tell some claimants they don't need to register - it's on a case-by-case basis and EDD communicates it to you directly. If you got a DE 8405 in the mail, that means EDD is saying you do need to register. If you never got that notice, ask EDD to confirm your status because you don't want to assume you're exempt and find out later you weren't.

I never got the DE 8405 so I figured I was exempt but reading this I'm going second-guessing that now.

If you applied online and EDD didn't send the DE 8405, that's usually a signal you don't need it - but calling EDD or messaging through UI Online to confirm is the safe move if you're unsure.

Has EDD ever questioned your claim because it's the same pattern every year?

Never once. Seasonal layoffs are legitimate separations. I actually think experienced seasonal workers file cleanly because we know the process by now - correct employer info, accurate earnings, certify on time.

This is reassuring to read as someone in a similar pattern. The system is built for this - seasonal work is a recognized part of the economy.