CONNECT won't let me proceed without employment end date for my current part-time job - what to put?

Use the Sunday date of the current claim week you're filing as the "end date" for your part-time job. DEO's system requires an end date, even for ongoing employment. This is actually a common issue with the CONNECT system! As long as you continue reporting your part-time earnings each week when you claim your weeks, DEO understands that you're still employed there. Just make sure you accurately report all hours worked and gross earnings (before taxes) each time you claim weeks.

I had the EXACT same problem last year! Just put the last day of the week you're currently reporting for. It's sooooo annoying that CONNECT doesn't have an option for "still employed" but that's what everyone has to do. The system is designed terribly lol

You need to use the last day of your biweekly claim period as your "end date" - this is how DEO handles current employment. When you claim weeks next time, you'll report the same employer again with the new dates worked. Also, make sure you're correctly reporting your gross earnings (not take-home pay) for your restaurant job during each week. Florida uses an 80% income deduction formula - meaning for every $1 you earn at your part-time job, they'll reduce your weekly benefit amount by about 80 cents. If your weekly benefit amount is the state maximum of $375 and you're earning more than $468 per week at your part-time job, you won't receive benefits for that week. Just keep claiming and reporting accurately each time.

THE CONNECT SYSTEM IS GARBAGE!!!!!!! I got stuck on the EXACT same thing and ended up waiting WEEKS because I thought I did something wrong. Called DEO 78 TIMES and never got through to anyone. Put in any date - literally ANYTHING - and just keep claiming. The system is designed to frustrate people into giving up. Don't let them win!!!

i had this problem too i just put 12/31/2025 lol. nobody from deo has called me about it and ive been getting my benefits for 3 months now

Sounds like my situation exactly, except I work at a pet store part-time instead of a restaurant! When I was laid off from my main job, I had the same CONNECT issue. My career counselor at CareerSource told me to use the last day of the bi-weekly claim period (usually a Saturday) as the "employment end date" for reporting purposes. This is actually critical: if you DON'T report your current part-time job and they find out later (which they will through employer tax records), they'll hit you with an overpayment notice and possibly even accuse you of fraud. So you're doing exactly the right thing by reporting it properly!

THIS is why i hate florida unemployment so much... they make everything confusing on purpose hoping u will just give up. use any date and keep filing, but document EVERYTHING in case they try to say u made an error later. screenshot all ur answers and keep records of all ur work hours at the restaurant. the system is designed to make us fail.

anybody know if work search requirements are different if u have a part time job already? do i still need to do all 5 job contacts if im already working 2 days a week?

I went through this exact same nightmare with CONNECT! What worked for me was using the last Saturday of the current benefit week as the "end date" - that's typically how DEO structures their claim periods. The key thing is to be consistent with how you report it each time you claim weeks. One tip that saved me a lot of headaches: when you report your restaurant earnings, make sure you include ALL income including tips if you get them. DEO gets employer wage reports quarterly, so if there's a mismatch between what you reported and what your employer reported, it can trigger an investigation. Also, don't stress too much about the "end date" thing - as long as you keep accurately reporting your weekly earnings and hours worked, DEO understands you're still employed there. The system is just poorly designed for partial unemployment situations like ours!

I had this EXACT issue when I got laid off from my office job but kept my weekend retail position! What finally worked for me was using the Saturday date of the current claim week as the "employment end date." DEO's system is really poorly designed for partial unemployment situations. Here's what I learned through trial and error: use the last day of your current benefit week (usually Saturday), then when you file your next claim weeks, you'll report the same restaurant job again with new dates. The system basically treats each claim period as separate even though you're continuously employed there. Just make sure you're super accurate with reporting your gross earnings (including tips!) and actual hours worked each week. I kept a detailed log of everything because DEO can cross-reference with your employer's quarterly wage reports. Better to over-document than get hit with an overpayment later. The good news is once you get past this initial application hurdle, the weekly claiming process becomes much more straightforward. Hang in there - you're doing everything right by reporting your part-time work honestly!

I'm dealing with something similar right now! I got laid off from my main job but still work at a grocery store on weekends. What's really helped me is calling the restaurant/your employer's HR or payroll department and asking them exactly how they report your employment status to DEO. Some employers report you as "active" even if you only work minimal hours, while others might report differently. Also, when you do get past this hurdle and start claiming weeks, be really careful about how you calculate your gross earnings. I learned the hard way that you need to include everything - base pay, tips, any shift differentials, etc. Even small discrepancies can cause delays in your payments. One more thing - if you're getting close to your maximum benefit weeks and still haven't found full-time work, look into Florida's Extended Benefits program. With partial unemployment, your benefit weeks get used up differently than if you were completely unemployed, so it's worth understanding how that affects your timeline.

I went through this exact same frustrating situation when I was laid off from my main job but kept my part-time position at a local bookstore! The CONNECT system really isn't user-friendly for partial unemployment cases. Here's what worked for me: use the last day (Saturday) of your current benefit week as the "employment end date" for your restaurant job. When you claim your next weeks, you'll report the same employer again with updated information. It's basically treating each claim period separately even though you're continuously employed. A couple of important tips from my experience: - Make absolutely sure you're reporting GROSS earnings (before taxes) including all tips - Keep detailed records of your hours and pay - I used a simple spreadsheet - Don't worry about the "end date" seeming weird - DEO's system expects this workaround for ongoing employment The initial application is definitely the hardest part. Once you get past this hurdle and establish your claim, the weekly reporting becomes much more routine. You're doing everything right by being honest about your part-time work - that's crucial to avoid overpayment issues later. Hang in there!

I had this same issue last year when I was laid off from my full-time marketing job but kept my weekend bartending gig! The CONNECT system is absolutely terrible for partial unemployment situations. What finally worked for me was using the Saturday date of the current benefit week as the "employment end date" - this is how DEO structures their claim periods. When you file your next claim weeks, you'll report the restaurant again with the new dates worked. A few things that saved me headaches: - Always report GROSS earnings including tips (even cash tips!) - Keep a detailed log of hours and earnings - I used a simple notebook - Screenshot everything in CONNECT in case you need proof later - The "end date" will seem weird but it's just a system workaround Also, make sure you understand how Florida's partial unemployment formula works. They'll reduce your weekly benefit by about 80% of what you earn at the restaurant. So if your weekly benefit amount is $300 and you earn $100 at the restaurant that week, you'd get around $220 in unemployment benefits. You're doing the right thing by reporting your part-time work honestly - that protects you from overpayment issues down the road. The initial application is definitely the hardest part!

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Got laid off from my main job but still have my part-time gig at a coffee shop. The CONNECT system is so poorly designed for people who are partially employed - it's like they never considered that someone might still be working somewhere else after getting laid off. What's been driving me crazy is that I've been trying to do everything correctly and honestly report my part-time work, but the system keeps throwing up these roadblocks. Reading through everyone's responses here, it sounds like using the Saturday date of the current benefit week as the "end date" is the way to go. I'm also keeping track of all my hours and tips in a small notebook - sounds like that documentation is going to be crucial if there are any issues later. It's frustrating that we have to work around the system's limitations, but at least now I know I'm not the only one dealing with this confusing process! Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this thread has been more helpful than anything I could find on the official DEO website!