Just wanted to update that I heard back from the Governor's office this morning! They said they've contacted their liaison at ESD, who confirmed my claim was flagged for "additional verification" but no one had been assigned to review it. The liaison manually assigned my case to an adjudicator who should be reaching out within 72 hours. I'm cautiously optimistic! I'll keep you all posted on what happens. Thanks for all the advice and support.

UPDATE: So the Governor's office actually did call me back today! Just 26 hours after I contacted them. The woman I spoke with was really helpful and said my claim had been flagged for wage verification (even though I submitted all my W-2s). She said she's emailed their direct contact at ESD and requested an expedited review because of my housing situation. She said it typically takes 3-5 business days after their intervention to see movement on a claim, but they'll be monitoring it and will call me again on Monday to check in. I'm still anxious but at least something is happening now! Will update again when I know more.

When I worked for ESD back in 2019, we specifically instructed claimants NOT to report obvious scam solicitations. The relevant question on weekly claims is asking about actual job offers, which means an employer has specifically selected you for a position after some form of application or interview process. Random unsolicited texts don't qualify. But I'm going to disagree slightly with some others here - if you receive what seems like a legitimate job offer through LinkedIn or a professional channel from an actual company, even if unsolicited, you should report that and be prepared to explain why you didn't pursue it if that's the case. Better safe than sorry with potentially legitimate offers.

The ESD guidelines are frustratingly vague on what constitutes a "job offer" that must be reported. This is BY DESIGN so they can disqualify people later by claiming you should have reported something you didn't think was relevant. I've seen them penalize people for not reporting LinkedIn messages that the claimant thought were just networking attempts. The whole system is designed to trip people up and deny benefits whenever possible. My advice? Document EVERYTHING. Screenshot those scam texts and emails so if they ever question you, you can prove they were obvious scams. The burden of proof is ALWAYS on the claimant, NEVER on ESD.

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO KEEP US FROM GETTING OUR BENEFITS!!!! They WANT it to be impossible to reach them!!! I filed in January and my claim is STILL pending with no explanation. Tried calling 200+ times. This isn't incompetence - it's DELIBERATE!!!!!

UPDATE: I finally got through! Combination of calling right at 8am and using the # key to bypass some menus. Was on hold for 67 minutes but eventually spoke with someone who was actually very helpful. Turns out they needed a clearer copy of my social security card (the one I uploaded was apparently too blurry). They're sending me a secure upload link and said my claim should move forward within 7-10 business days after I upload the clearer copy. Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions! Will update again when/if my claim gets approved.

Here's the exact process you need to follow: 1. Have your employer submit the standby extension request ASAP (they can do this through their employer account) 2. Continue filing your weekly claims exactly as before, answering "yes" to the standby question 3. If your standby expires before the extension is processed, you'll temporarily need to conduct and document 3 job search activities per week 4. Once the extension is approved, you'll go back to standby status and the job search requirement will be waived again Also, make sure your employer provides an accurate return-to-work date. If that date changes again, they'll need to update ESD. The maximum standby period for construction workers is 12 weeks in a 12-month period, so plan accordingly if you think this project might face further delays.

Yes, you still need to answer the "able and available" questions each week. Even on standby, you must be physically able to work and available to return to your job if called back. The only requirement that's waived during standby is the job search activities. Make sure you answer all the weekly claim questions accurately to avoid any issues with your benefits.

just curious is the brother in law ok?? that must be super stressful for him having his business go bankrupt and now having to deal with all that. family businesses are complicated!!

One more important detail: If your husband already had an unemployment claim that he was collecting on before this brief job, he should continue that claim. However, if this job paid significantly more than his previous job that the original claim was based on, he might benefit from filing a new claim after working enough hours to qualify. For just one week of work though, continuing the existing claim is almost certainly the better option.