Will my EDD benefits stop after working one 4-hour shift as a part-time brand ambassador?

Don't panic! Your neighbor is completely wrong. Working part-time does NOT automatically end your unemployment claim. You just need to report your earnings when you certify for that week. EDD will deduct a portion of what you earned from your weekly benefit amount (WBA). If you earn less than your WBA, you'll still get a partial payment. Just make sure you accurately report the hours worked and gross earnings (before taxes) on your certification for that period. Honestly, picking up part-time work while on unemployment is totally fine and actually encouraged by EDD as part of returning to the workforce.

ur good dude. i do instacart sometimes when im on unemployment. just report what u make when u certify. they subtract like 75% of what u earn from ur benefit. so if u make $100 they take away like $75 from ur weekly amount

I just went through something similar! Was on unemployment and took a one-day gig at a convention center. Totally freaked out thinking I'd lose everything. But nope just reported it on my certification and got a smaller payment that week. Everything was fine the next certification period too!

To add some clarity here: When working part-time while collecting unemployment, you follow these steps: 1. When certifying, accurately report all hours worked and gross earnings for each week 2. EDD applies a partial earnings formula: you can keep the greater of $25 or 25% of your weekly benefit amount without reduction 3. Any earnings above that threshold are subtracted dollar-for-dollar from your weekly benefit 4. If your earnings exceed your weekly benefit amount, you'll receive $0 for that week only 5. Your claim remains open and you'll receive full benefits in weeks you don't work or work very little For example: If your weekly benefit amount is $400 and you earned $80 in one week: - You get to keep $100 (25% of $400) without reduction - Since $80 is less than $100, your weekly benefit remains $400 that week If you earned $200 that week: - First $100 has no impact (25% of your WBA) - Remaining $100 reduces your benefit dollar-for-dollar - You'd receive $300 in benefits that week Make sure to always report accurately to avoid overpayments or penalties.

Yes, that's exactly right! Your claim stays active regardless of your earnings (unless you start working full-time again). On weeks you don't work at all, you'll receive your full weekly benefit amount. On weeks you work a little, you might get a reduced amount. And on weeks where you earn more than your weekly benefit amount, you'll get $0 for just that week but your claim remains open. This is actually how the system is designed to work - to supplement income while you're picking up part-time or inconsistent work on your way back to full employment.

The EDD system is so stupid! They say they want you to work but then they punish you by taking away benefits when you do! I had a similar situation last year and they ended up flagging my account for an ELIGIBILITY INTERVIEW because I reported some part-time work. Had to wait 6 WEEKS before I got paid again!!! The whole system is designed to trip people up I swear.

If you're having trouble reaching EDD by phone (which is pretty common unfortunately), I'd recommend checking out Claimyr. They've helped me get through to EDD when I was dealing with a similar issue with part-time work affecting my claim. Their service connects you with an EDD rep usually within an hour instead of spending days calling. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km and their website is claimyr.com. Saved me a ton of stress when I needed clarification about how my side gig was affecting my benefits.

Make sure you're also doing the work search requirements for each week! Even in weeks where you do some part-time work, you still need to complete your work search activities (either applying to jobs or doing other approved activities) to remain eligible. A lot of people forget this part and then get disqualified. This is especially important with inconsistent gig work since EDD will want to see you're still looking for full-time employment.

The standard requirement is typically to perform a "reasonable" job search, which generally means 3 work search activities per week, but your specific requirements should be listed in your UI Online account or on paperwork you received. Regarding your original question - one more important tip: keep detailed records of all your part-time work (dates, hours, pay) even beyond what EDD requires. If there's ever a discrepancy between what you report and what your employer reports to EDD (which happens more often with gig/temp work), having your own documentation will be extremely helpful.

yo also dont freak out if ur payment status says "pending" after u certify with earnings. sometimes it takes edd an extra day or 2 to process when u report work. happened to me and i thought i did something wrong but it went to paid after like 2 days

My sister had a similar job doing wine demonstrations at Costco. She said make sure you know exactly when your certification period begins and ends! Like if you worked on Sunday but that's technically the first day of your next certification period, don't accidentally report it in the wrong week. EDD gets really picky about that stuff.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful advice! I feel so much better now. I'll definitely report my earnings accurately when I certify and keep detailed records of my work hours/pay. It's a relief to know that sporadic gig work won't terminate my claim completely. I appreciate all of you taking the time to explain how this works!