ESD forum harassment - trolls telling unemployed people to 'get a job' need to be banned
I've been relying on this community while dealing with my ESD adjudication process, and it's been incredibly helpful - until recently. There's a growing number of heartless trolls posting unhelpful comments like "just get a job" on legitimate questions about unemployment benefits and claim issues. These people have NO IDEA what many of us are going through with delayed benefits, confusing disqualifications, and trying to navigate the ESD system while actively job searching. The weekly claim process is stressful enough without these jerks making people feel worse for using benefits they've EARNED. Can the admins please start removing these toxic comments and banning the users who repeatedly post them? This should be a supportive space for people navigating legitimate unemployment issues, not a place for the employed to kick people when they're down.
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Jade O'Malley
100% agree!!! I got a "get a job" comment on my post about my ESD account being locked after password reset. Like I'm NOT trying??? I have 3 interviews lined up this week and I'm still doing my required job search activities. The 3 weeks it took to get my UI benefits started nearly made me homeless. Some people have zero compassion.
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Caleb Stark
•Exactly! And the fact that those comments are still visible makes it seem like this behavior is acceptable. It's not.
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Hunter Edmunds
those trolls are the worst, ive seen them all over. they dont realize most of us ARE looking for work (its literally required for benefits lol) but the ESD system makes it so confusing. im filling out job applications everyday AND dealing with adjudication delays at the same time. they should try juggling all that plus bills coming due
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Ella Lewis
•You're absolutely right. The job search requirements (3 activities per week) are already part of maintaining eligibility for unemployment benefits. Most people are actively seeking work while trying to navigate a complicated system. Those trollish comments demonstrate a fundamental misunderstanding of how UI works.
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Andrew Pinnock
I've noticed this too. The "get a job" comments aren't just insensitive - they're displaying complete ignorance about how the unemployment system works. Many claimants are dealing with complex situations like partial employment, standby status, adjudication for employer disputes, or pending appeals. The majority are actively job searching as required by law. I'd suggest everyone use the report feature when you see these comments. The admins can't catch everything, but reports help them identify problem users quickly.
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Brianna Schmidt
•yea i tried reporting one last week but didnt seem like anything happened? the comment is still there
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Alexis Renard
I had the SAME PROBLEM!!! Those "get a job" trolls were all over my post about my adjudication issue. Made me feel like total garbage when I was already stressed about my claim being held up for 8 weeks!! Like I'm TRYING to get work - I've applied to 47 jobs in the past month! But I still need my benefits until I actually GET hired somewhere. The ESD system is confusing enough without these jerks making it worse.
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Camila Jordan
•This happens a lot unfortunately. I found that calling ESD directly about my adjudication helped resolve it faster, but it took forever to get through. I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get past the busy signals and actually reach an agent. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 - It saved me from waiting another month for my benefits to clear adjudication.
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Ella Lewis
I agree that moderation needs to be stricter regarding these unhelpful comments. As someone who works with unemployment claimants regularly, I can confirm that most people are genuinely trying to find suitable employment while navigating a complex benefits system. The "get a job" comments demonstrate a fundamental misunderstanding of how UI works. Unemployment Insurance is a benefit system workers pay into throughout their employment. It's not charity - it's an earned benefit with strict eligibility requirements including active job searching. I've forwarded this concern to the admin team. In the meantime, please continue using the report function when you encounter these comments.
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Caleb Stark
•Thank you for taking this seriously. It really impacts people's mental health when they're already dealing with the stress of unemployment.
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Tyler Lefleur
maybe unpopular opinion but i think people need tougher skin?? not defending trolls but if ur gonna be on internet forums u gotta expect some jerks. just ignore them & focus on helpful comments
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Jade O'Malley
•That's easy to say when you're not the one being kicked while down. When you're stressed about making rent and feeding your family while your ESD claim is stuck in adjudication for weeks, those comments hit differently. This is supposed to be a SUPPORT forum.
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Madeline Blaze
ADMIN RESPONSE: Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We've updated our community guidelines to specifically address these types of unhelpful comments. Users posting content that dismisses legitimate unemployment concerns with comments like "just get a job" will receive warnings and potential temporary bans for repeat offenses. We're committed to maintaining this as a supportive environment for people navigating the unemployment system. Please continue to report problematic comments so our moderation team can address them quickly.
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Caleb Stark
•Thank you! This is exactly what we needed. I appreciate the quick response and action.
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