ESD claim after surgery - will reporting one week as 'unable to work' disqualify my entire claim?

You need to be honest on your weekly claim form. If you weren't able and available to work for one week, mark that on your certification. ESD will likely just disqualify you for that specific week, not your entire claim. As long as you're able and available to work now, and actively job searching, you should be eligible for benefits going forward. Just make sure you meet your job search requirements (3 activities per week) for any week you're claiming benefits.

BE CAREFUL!!! When I had my knee surgery last year i checked the 'not able to work' box on my weekly claim and they put my ENTIRE claim into adjudication for 7 WEEKS!!! No payments at all while they 'reviewed' it. I had to submit doctors notes and it was a NIGHTMARE. They eventually released the payments but it took forever!!

You have a few options here: 1) Report honestly that you couldn't work for one week. You won't get paid for that week, but as long as you're available now and meeting job search requirements, future weeks should be fine. However, it might trigger a review. 2) If your doctor cleared you for light duty work and you were willing to accept such work during your recovery, you might still qualify as "able and available" even during recovery. The key is whether you were willing and physically able to accept suitable work. If you were completely unable to work any job per doctor's orders, then you weren't eligible that week. But your overall claim should remain valid for future weeks when you are able to work.

I recommend using Claimyr to speak with an ESD agent directly about this. They can help you understand exactly how to report this on your claim to avoid problems. I was stuck in a similar situation last month and couldn't get through on the phones for days. Claimyr got me connected to an ESD rep in about 30 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. You can see how it works in their video demo: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 or check out claimyr.com - totally worth it to get a definitive answer from ESD themselves about how to handle your surgery situation.

Honestly, the ESD system is so broken. I bet if you call and ask 5 different agents you'll get 5 different answers about how to handle this. I went through something similar with a family emergency and the inconsistent info was maddening.

question: were u getting paid by your work while u were out for surgery?? if u had paid sick leave or short term disability thats different than if u were just not able to work with no income at all

Update to my earlier comment: When you report being unable to work for medical reasons, ESD may require you to provide medical documentation. Be prepared to submit a doctor's note showing when you were unable to work and when you were cleared to return to light duty. This will help prevent extensive delays with your claim. And make sure you're meeting your job search requirements for any week you're claiming benefits after being cleared to work.

One more thing!!! Make sure you're looking for jobs that match your 'light duty' restrictions!!! If ESD thinks your looking for jobs you medically CAN'T do they might say your not really 'able and available' and deny your benefits!!!

Since you were already on unemployment when you had surgery, that helps clarify things. Here's what typically happens: 1. You'll likely be denied benefits for the specific week you were medically unable to work 2. Your claim should continue normally for weeks you're able to work 3. You might need to restart your claim after the gap week The important thing is to have your documentation ready and continue meeting job search requirements for the weeks you're claiming. If they request additional information, respond promptly to avoid delays.

lol ive seen some people just lie on those forms to avoid the headache but i wouldnt recommend it cuz they can come after u later for fraud if they find out

I went through almost exactly this situation 6 months ago after an emergency appendectomy. I was honest and reported that I couldn't work for the one week I was in the hospital and recovering. ESD did deny benefits for just that specific week, but my claim continued normally after that. The key things that helped me: 1) I had all my medical documentation ready (hospital discharge papers, doctor's note with return-to-work date), 2) I made sure to do my job search activities the week I was cleared to return to light duty, and 3) I focused my job applications on positions I could actually perform with my temporary restrictions. It did trigger a brief review where they asked for my medical records, but once I submitted them it was resolved within about 10 days. Don't stress too much - one week of medical inability shouldn't destroy your entire claim as long as you're honest and have documentation.