ESD unemployment eligibility while traveling out of area - what to do?

You definitely need to handle this correctly to avoid overpayment issues. When you file your weekly claim, there's a question asking if you were able and available for work each day. Since you'll be out of the area caring for your sister, you should answer 'no' to that question for the weeks you're gone. The system will deny benefits for those weeks, but your claim stays open. When you return, you can resume answering 'yes' to that question and start receiving benefits again. Much better than just disappearing and reappearing in the system.

DONT DO WHAT THE OTHER PERSON SAID!!! If you say your not able and available they might close your whole claim!! This happened to my cousin and it took him MONTHS to get it fixed. Just don't file for the weeks your gone and then start again when you get back. No one will notice or care.

The correct approach is to report accurately on your weekly claims. When you're out of the area caring for a family member, you should indicate that you weren't able and available for work on those days. Your claim will remain open, but you won't receive benefits for those specific weeks. When you return and are again able and available for work, you can resume claiming benefits. This is much better than stopping filing entirely, which could cause your claim to become inactive if you miss too many weeks. It's also better than claiming falsely that you were available when you weren't, which could lead to an overpayment determination later if ESD discovers it (which they might if you get selected for a random audit). You might also want to call ESD directly to explain your situation and get guidance specific to your claim. I know it can be nearly impossible to reach them though.

If you need to reach ESD to confirm the best approach for your situation, I'd recommend using Claimyr. I was in a similar situation last month and needed clarification about my claim. I used their service (claimyr.com) and got connected to an ESD agent in about 25 minutes instead of trying for days on my own. They have a video demo that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. I was skeptical at first but it actually worked and saved me a ton of stress. The agent I spoke with gave me specific guidance for my situation.

just be careful with how u answer. my friend said no to available for work when she was sick for 3 days and they denied her whole week not just those days. kinda stupid system if u ask me

One additional thing to consider: if your trip is for caring for a family member with a serious health condition, you might actually qualify for Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) instead of unemployment during that time. It's a different program, but worth looking into if your sister's surgery is serious enough. The benefit amount might even be higher than your UI payments.

Why's everyone making this so complicated lol. Just say you're looking for work while gone and file normally. They don't track your location or anything. Been doing this for years when I visit my parents in Oregon every summer, never had any issues.

I just wanted to update everyone. I ended up calling ESD using that Claimyr service someone mentioned (which actually worked surprisingly well), and the agent confirmed I should continue filing my weekly claims but answer 'no' to the able and available question for the weeks I'll be gone. They also noted it on my account so there won't be any confusion. Thanks everyone for your help! I'm also going to look into the PFML option as well since that might be a better fit.