Mandatory DEO reemployment appointment email - is this legit or a scam?

Yes, this is 100% legitimate and normal. They're called RESEA (Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment) appointments and they randomly select claimants for these mandatory meetings. It's basically to verify you're actively looking for work and to provide career assistance. Missing it WILL get your benefits stopped, so definitely attend! The appointment is usually pretty quick - they review your work search efforts, help with your resume, and may suggest some job opportunities in your field.

I got one of those last month and IGNORED it thinking it was spam... BIG MISTAKE!!! They cut off my benefits for 3 weeks while I had to appeal and prove I was still looking for work. The DEO system is BROKEN but they still expect us to jump through every hoop perfectly!!! Make sure you attend or you'll regret it!!

These appointments are selected randomly through their system. You need to bring documentation of your 5 weekly work searches to the appointment. Make sure to arrive 15 minutes early with a photo ID. They'll verify you're meeting all requirements and provide job search assistance. If you can't attend the scheduled time, call the number in the email ASAP to reschedule - but don't miss it or reschedule more than once, as that can lead to benefit disqualification. The appointment usually takes about an hour. They'll also likely enroll you in Employ Florida if you haven't already created an account there.

got mine last week actually, went yesterday. was pretty chill tbh. lady just asked about my work search and gave me some job leads. took like 30 mins

I think everyone gets those eventually. I got one like 2 months into my claim. Btw has anyone been able to actually get someone on the phone at DEO lately? I've been calling for days about a payment issue and just get disconnected every single time.

These RESEA appointments have been part of Florida's unemployment system for years, though they paused them during the height of COVID. They've been bringing them back gradually since 2023. It's completely normal and actually can be helpful - they sometimes have access to job opportunities that aren't publicly posted. The selection process is partly random and partly targeted at people who might need additional assistance based on their work history or industry. Just go to the appointment with your work search records, resume if you have one, and be prepared to discuss your job search efforts. It's really not a big deal if you're following the requirements already.

Just to clarify some potentially confusing information: There are actually two types of mandatory reemployment appointments in Florida's system: 1) RESEA (Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment) - These are the federal program appointments, typically one-on-one with a career counselor. 2) MRA (Mandatory Reemployment Assistance) - These are Florida-specific group workshops. Both are legitimate, and either one could be what you received. The email should specify which type it is. Both require attendance to maintain benefits, but they're structured differently. The RESEA is more personalized while the MRA is more of a general orientation to services.

And make sure you don't miss the fact that you HAVE TO register in EmployFlorida.com BEFORE your appointment!! Some CareerSource offices won't even let you do your appointment if you haven't already done this step!! They don't make this clear enough in the emails!

i got one of these last year when i was on unemployment after i got laid off from construction work. its just them making sure ur actually looking for work and not just collecting checks. they helped me find a new job actually so it wasnt all bad.