ESD making us report 1 hour for on-call concert work even when no hours worked - is this correct?

This sounds like an issue with how the system is handling on-call or standby status. Your husband should report ACTUAL hours worked, not potential hours. If he worked zero hours, he should be able to report zero. When you say "forced to enter 1 hour" - what exactly happened? Did he get an error message or did a prompt appear?

ive had this EXACT same problem!! concert venue work is weird with ESD. the thing is your supposed to report the employer every week even if you dont work but then the stupid system makes you put hours!! i just put 1 hour too bc what else can we do???

This is a common issue with the ESD weekly claim system when dealing with on-call or sporadic employment. Here's what's happening: When you list an employer, the system assumes some work was performed. For on-call positions like concert venues, your husband should only report the employer for weeks he actually worked. For weeks with zero hours, he shouldn't list that employer at all on that week's claim. If he needs to maintain his relationship with the employer but didn't work, he should: 1. Answer YES to "did you work or earn money" 2. But only list his regular employer (the one he was laid off from) with zero hours 3. DO NOT list the concert venue for weeks he didn't work there 4. Only add the concert venue as an employer in weeks he actually worked there This approach maintains accurate reporting without the system forcing phantom hours.

My brother works seasonal construction and had same problem. He talked to ESD and they told him only list employers where he actually worked that week, not all potential employers. Its confusing i know!!

To clarify what others have said: The key distinction is between "regular" work and "on-call" work. Your husband was laid off from his regular job, so he reports that employer with zero hours. The concert venue is on-call work, so he only reports that employer during weeks he actually works. If you're still uncertain, I'd recommend calling ESD directly to confirm. Getting through to them can be challenging though.

I had a similar situation last year working events at the Tacoma Dome. If you go to your eServices account, under the Resources tab there's actually a fairly clear explanation of how to handle on-call work. It specifically says to only report the employer in weeks you physically worked hours. I was worried like you at first, but I followed this approach for almost 6 months with no issues.

omg the esd website is THE WORST!! i was on unemployment all last year and half the time it would just crash when i tried to file my weekly claim. and then when it finally went through they'd randomly put me in adjudication for like no reason. such a mess!!

I've been struggling to reach ESD for weeks about a similar issue with my part-time seasonal work. Finally got through using Claimyr (claimyr.com) - it's a service that basically waits on hold with ESD for you and calls you once an agent is on the line. Saved me hours of frustration! They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 When I finally talked to an agent, they confirmed exactly what others here are saying - only list employers for weeks you actually performed work. For on-call positions, you don't list them at all for zero-hour weeks.

One more important detail: Make sure your husband answers "no" to the standby question unless ESD has specifically approved him for standby status. On-call work is different from official standby status, which requires ESD approval and is typically only granted in specific circumstances like temporary layoffs where you have a return date. And absolutely keep detailed records of all hours worked at the concert venue, including dates, times, and pay. If ESD ever questions his claims, having this documentation will be essential.

Did your husband register with WorkSource yet? They make you do 3 job searches every week now and my cousin got his benefits cancelled when he forgot to log them!