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Will EDD reduce my weekly benefits if I accept one-day film gig ($350) during entertainment industry strike?

Hey everyone, I'm in a tough spot with this production shutdown due to the entertainment industry strike. Been on unemployment for about 8 weeks now. I just got offered a small gig - literally one day of work that pays $350. My weekly unemployment benefit is $450. If I take this job, will EDD reduce my benefits for the week, or can I still get my full payment? I'm worried about reporting the income and then losing my entire weekly benefit. Does anyone know how partial unemployment works in this situation? I need both incomes to make rent this month! Thanks for any advice.

Chloe Taylor

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When you certify, you must report ANY earnings for the week they were earned (not when you get paid). EDD uses a formula to determine partial benefits. They subtract the first $25 or 25% of your earnings (whichever is greater), then subtract the remaining amount from your weekly benefit. In your case: $350 earnings 25% = $87.50 $350 - $87.50 = $262.50 $450 - $262.50 = $187.50 So you'd get about $187.50 in UI benefits plus your $350 earnings = $537.50 total for the week. That's actually better than just getting the $450 UI alone! Always report accurately though - unreported earnings can result in penalties or disqualification.

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Omar Zaki

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Thank you so much for explaining that! I wasn't sure how the calculation worked. So I'll actually end up with more money by taking the job? That's a huge relief. I was afraid they'd just cut off my whole benefit for the week if I earned anything.

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Diego Flores

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Take the job!! I'm in entertainment 2 and had same issue last month. Got a 2-day gig during strike. Still got partial EDD for both weeks. Better than nothing!!

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Omar Zaki

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That's good to hear from someone who's been through it! It's been so stressful with this strike dragging on. Did you have any issues when you certified? Did they ask for any extra documentation?

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Dont be scared to take work! The EDD system is designed to encourage part-time or temporary work - they WANT you working even if its just a day. My brother works in post-production and he picks up odd jobs during his claim all the time. As long as your report it honestly when you certify, your fine.

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Sean Murphy

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This isn't entirely accurate. You need to be careful with entertainment industry work during strikes because there can be union implications too. The calculation the first poster shared is correct, but if you're in a union, check if taking this job could affect your standing, especially during a sanctioned strike.

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StarStrider

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I was in a similar situation during the writers' strike in 2007 (showing my age lol). The person above gave you the right formula, but make sure you're also tracking your job search requirements! Even during industry-wide strikes, EDD still requires you to be looking for work and documenting your search efforts when you certify each week. During industry disruptions, they sometimes allow looking for work outside your normal field to count toward your requirements.

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Omar Zaki

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Good point about the work search! I've been documenting everything. Do you know if applying to jobs outside the entertainment industry counts toward the requirement during the strike? It's so hard to find entertainment work right now with everything shut down.

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Zara Malik

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youll be fine i was on unemployment last year and did door dash somtimes when i needed extra $$$ and just reported it on my certification. still got some benefits most weeks.

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Luca Marino

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Just a heads up that gig work like DoorDash is treated a little differently from standard employment. You can deduct your expenses before reporting net income from independent contractor work. For a regular one-day job like OP described, you'd report the full $350.

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StarStrider

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One more thing to consider - make sure you're certifying correctly. On your bi-weekly certification, you'll need to: 1. Answer "Yes" to "Did you work or earn money?" 2. Report the exact amount ($350) 3. Report the number of hours worked 4. Answer truthfully about refusing any work If you answer incorrectly, you might get flagged for an eligibility interview, which can delay your payments. The EDD system can be frustrating to deal with if your certification gets flagged.

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THIS!!! I messed up my certification once and it took me 6 WEEKS to get it sorted out. Had to call EDD like 50 times before I got through to someone who could help.

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Luca Marino

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If you're having trouble getting through to EDD with questions about your certification or payments, try using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They helped me get through to an actual EDD rep in about 20 minutes after I spent days trying on my own. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km. Saved me so much frustration, especially when I had questions about reporting some freelance work during my claim.

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Diego Flores

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Does this really work? I've been trying to get thru for days about my certification question!

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Luca Marino

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Yes, it worked for me! I was skeptical too but was desperate after trying for almost a week straight. Got connected to a rep who fixed my issue right away.

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Sean Murphy

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I want to add something important that others haven't mentioned: make sure you understand the difference between "week ending" dates on your certification. EDD weeks run Sunday through Saturday. So if you worked on a Thursday, you need to report those earnings on the certification that includes that specific Saturday. Some people make the mistake of reporting based on when they get paid, which can cause problems.

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Omar Zaki

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Thanks for pointing that out! The job is scheduled for next Friday, so I'll make sure to report it on the certification that covers that week. It's all these little details that make the unemployment system so confusing sometimes.

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Chloe Taylor

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One last piece of advice - take screenshots of everything when you certify. I had a similar situation with part-time work during my claim, and there was a system glitch that caused my certification to get stuck in pending. When I finally got through to a rep, having those screenshots saved me a lot of hassle in proving what I had reported.

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Omar Zaki

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That's smart! I'll definitely do that. With everything going on during this strike, I need to make sure I don't have any payment delays. Really appreciate everyone's help here - feeling much better about taking the gig now!

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