To answer your earlier question about requesting your employer's response - log into eServices, go to your claim details, and look for "Request for Information" or sometimes "View Documents." If you don't see it there, you can also call the claims center and specifically request your employer's response to your initial claim. Also, make sure you're checking your eServices account and physical mail frequently. ESD will send hearing notices with important dates and times, and if you miss the hearing, your appeal will likely be dismissed. Sometimes these notices come with very little advance warning, so stay vigilant.

One more important thing - when you have your hearing (which will probably be by phone), make sure you're in a quiet place with good reception and have ALL your documents ready to reference. The judge asked me very specific questions about dates and events, and having everything organized helped tremendously. Also, they record the entire hearing, so speak clearly and avoid talking over others. Be respectful to the judge even if your employer says things that make your blood boil (mine sure did!). If you win your appeal, you'll get all the back payments for the weeks you were filing claims, so even though it's stressful waiting, you'll eventually get the full amount you're entitled to.

@confused_shift_worker - Yes, technically you should split your overnight hours at midnight. But don't panic - call ESD and explain the situation. They can help you correct past claims, and they're usually understanding if you made an honest mistake. The important thing is to start reporting correctly going forward.

Update: I was able to get through to ESD (finally!) and they confirmed I should only report hours actually worked by claim filing time. They helped me correct my previous week's claim where I over-reported. Thanks everyone for your help sorting this out! For others with overnight shifts - definitely split your hours at midnight between claim weeks.

That's great news! Congrats! Hope you get your payments soon!

Excellent! Keep an eye on your eServices account over the next week. You should see the payment status change to

One more important thing: when you report your severance pay, you need to report it for the week you RECEIVE the payment, not the period it covers. So if you get paid biweekly, you'll report the full amount during the week you actually get the payment. And as others have said, definitely keep filing your weekly claims even if you're receiving $0 due to your severance deductions. This keeps your claim active and ensures you don't have to file a new claim when your severance ends in March.

To address the confusion about how to report severance: The correct method is to report severance for the week you RECEIVE the payment. If you receive a lump sum covering multiple weeks, you report the entire amount for that week only. If your HR department specifically instructed you to allocate the payment across weeks, that would be a unique situation, but ESD's standard procedure is to report based on when payment is received, not when it's earned. This is different from how wages are reported (which are reported for the week worked, regardless of when paid). That's why severance reporting causes so much confusion.

my friend had this happen and it turned out his direct deposit info was wrong even tho he thought he entered it right. double check all your bank info in your esd account. also some banks take foreeeever to process esd payments for some reason

Quick update question - has your payment arrived yet? Most holiday-delayed direct deposits should have processed by now. If you're still waiting, it might be worth contacting ESD before the weekend.

YES get documentation from your school showing exactly when you withdrew!!! Trust me, ESD will want to see official proof, not just your word for it. And definitely explain your full availability now compared to before. Be super specific in your appeal - dates, times, everything. The more detail the better!

One final piece of advice: In your appeal, focus on these key points: 1. You're seeking partial unemployment due to a reduction in available work hours 2. You're no longer a student (provide documentation) 3. You're fully available for work with no restrictions 4. You're actively seeking additional employment to replace the lost hours 5. The reduction in hours was not your fault (employer couldn't provide more hours) Continue filing your weekly claims during this process, and be completely truthful about any hours worked and earnings received. If your appeal is successful, you'll receive back payments for any eligible weeks where you qualified for partial benefits. Depending on when your disqualification began, you may need to request backdating of your claim to ensure you don't lose potential benefits.

My sister had freelance work while on unemployment last year and what no one told her was that if you're doing self-employed work, you need to look for regular employment too. She got in trouble because she wasn't doing her 3 job search activities those weeks because she thought the freelance stuff counted. Just heads up.

One more important point that hasn't been mentioned: When you report freelance/self-employment income, you should report it for the week you PERFORM the work, not when you get paid (which is different from W-2 work where you report when paid). Also, regarding job search requirements: Yes, you must continue performing and documenting 3 job search activities each week, even during weeks you do freelance work, UNLESS you've been approved for standby status or commissioner-approved training. Freelance work by itself doesn't exempt you from job search requirements. And a final tip: If your freelance work becomes regular and ongoing, you might want to look into partial unemployment benefits. You can potentially receive partial benefits for a longer period rather than using up full weeks of benefits during periods of no work.

Update: I had my interview yesterday and they offered me the job! 24 hours per week at $18/hour. Based on the calculation someone shared above, I'll actually come out ahead financially compared to just unemployment. I'm really glad I asked here before potentially turning down the opportunity. I'll update again once I've filed my first partial unemployment claim to let everyone know how it goes!

just wondering - when u report ur part time work on ur weekly claim do u report the hours u actually worked that week or the hours that were on ur paycheck for that week? my pay periods dont line up with the esd weeks and im confused how to report it

wat about just staying and looking for a new job while still getting the salary? thats wat id do tbh

One more important point: If you're going to quit, make sure you include your specific reason in your resignation letter. Say explicitly that you are resigning due to the substantial reduction in compensation (cite the exact percentage if possible). This document will be important evidence during adjudication. Also, once you file your claim, you'll still need to meet all other eligibility requirements including: 1. Being able and available for work 2. Actively seeking work (3 job search activities per week) 3. Registering with WorkSource Even with a valid good cause quit, these requirements must still be met every week you claim benefits.

has ur previous employer confirmed they received the notice from esd? sometimes the holdup is that they never responded to esds request for information. my hr department forgot to respond and that caused a huge delay for me

Update for anyone following this thread: The OP reached out to me via PM and I suggested they contact their former employer's HR department. Turns out the employer had received paperwork from ESD but hadn't submitted their response yet. After the OP spoke with HR, they expedited their response and the claim was approved within 48 hours. This is a common issue with mass layoffs - the employer verification process can create bottlenecks in the system. The OP received all backdated payments for the weeks that had been pending. The key takeaway here is that proactively following up with your former employer can sometimes help move things along.