Denied standby status - do I still need to do job searches with partial hours (20/week)?

You DO need to do job searches. When standby is denied, you automatically fall under the standard job search requirements (currently 3 activities per week). The partial employment doesn't exempt you - only approved standby status would do that. Don't skip your job search activities or you risk being disqualified for those weeks. Make sure you're logging them correctly in your weekly claim. For partial employment, you still need to report your hours and earnings each week, but you ALSO need to complete and document your job searches.

I think it depends on how many hours you're working. If you're working more than 17 hrs your considered part time employed which means you don't have to do job searches. At least that's what happened to me last fall. You should double check on that though.

My situation was almost identical last year, reduced hours in plumbing work (22 hrs/week). I had to do all the job searches even though I was still technically employed at my regular job. It was super annoying because I didn't actually want a new job, just needed to bridge the gap until hours picked back up. But yes, you DEFINITELY need to do the searches or they'll disqualify you and might even make you pay back benefits. Don't risk it.

Have you tried contacing ESD thru the message center in your eservices account?? They might take 4ever to respond but atleast you'll have proof you tried to get clarification. The whole system is RIDICULOUS with all these rules that contradict each other!!!

When my standby got denied last year i started using Claimyr to reach ESD agents directly. Was skeptical at first but it actually worked - got through in about 20 minutes when I had been trying for weeks. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 The agent I talked to confirmed I needed to do 3 job searches weekly despite being partially employed. She also told me I could reapply for standby if my return date was within 4 weeks. Worth checking their site claimyr.com if you need a definite answer.

I just went through something similar and found out that you do have options here: 1. You MUST do job searches if standby is denied (3 activities per week) 2. You CAN reapply for standby if your return-to-full-employment date is now within 4 weeks 3. You can apply for Commissioner Approved Training (CAT) if you want to use this time to gain new skills instead of job searching For your specific situation with partial hours, you still need to do the job searches while working those 20 hours unless you get one of the above exemptions approved. Make sure you're accurately reporting your work hours and gross earnings each week too.

Just to add something important here: WorkSource workshops absolutely DO count as job search activities! They're actually one of the best ways to fulfill the requirement when you're working partial hours because: 1. Many workshops are available online now 2. Some are offered evenings/weekends 3. One workshop counts as one activity 4. They're free You can register for them through WorkSourceWA.com. Using these for 1-2 of your activities each week can make the job search requirement much more manageable while working part-time.

Update: I used Claimyr today and finally got through to ESD! The agent confirmed I DO need to do job searches even with partial employment since my standby was denied. She also explained I can reapply for standby if my return to full-time date is within 4 weeks now. For anyone else in my situation - they said workshops definitely count and recommended keeping extra detailed records of all job search activities. Thanks everyone for your help with this!