ESD weekly claim confusion - reporting 0 hours after orientation but before job starts

This is actually a common situation! When you attend an orientation, ESD considers that as the start of employment, even if you haven't begun regular work hours yet. On your weekly claim, you should indicate that you're still employed with that employer but worked 0 hours. Do NOT report a separation, as that would incorrectly indicate you've left the job. Make sure you select "No" when asked if you've been separated from any employer during the week.

omg i had the EXACT same problem last yr!! the esd website is so confusing sometimes. i ended up calling and waiting for like 3 hrs to talk to someone

The key is to understand how the system processes this type of situation. When you report 0 hours, there's sometimes a glitch that incorrectly triggers the separation questions. Here's what you should do: 1. Answer that you are still employed with this employer 2. Report 0 hours worked 3. If it still pushes you to separation questions, go back and double-check that you correctly answered all previous questions 4. Make sure you indicated that you are available for work during the week If the system absolutely won't let you proceed without separation info, take screenshots of each step and call ESD directly to get this resolved. You don't want an incorrectly reported separation on your claim.

I've had literally this exact same issue! I went to a training for a seasonal position but didn't start for 3 weeks. ESD system kept trying to make me enter a job separation reason when I tried to enter 0 hours. I tried calling ESD like 18 times but couldn't get through. Finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got connected to an agent in about 20 mins. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 The agent explained that this is a known system issue and manually fixed my claim so I could report 0 hours without triggering the separation questions for future weeks. Saved me from a ton of headaches!

THE ESD SYSTEM IS DELIBERATELY DESIGNED TO BE CONFUSING!!!! They WANT you to make mistakes so they can deny your benefits later!!!! I had this EXACT issue last year and ended up getting hit with an overpayment notice 4 months later because they said I "quit a job" I never even started!!!! DOCUMENT EVERYTHING!!!

I'm actually a hiring manager and can maybe provide some context. From our side, when we submit new hire info to ESD after an orientation, we're essentially telling them the person is "employed" even if they haven't started regular work yet. The system doesn't have a good way to handle the gap between orientation and actual start date. Your best bet is definitely to indicate you're still employed with 0 hours rather than any kind of separation. If you report a separation, it could cause bigger problems with your claim later.

this happened to my roommate too lol. he just gave up and skipped filing for that week which was dumb cuz he lost a whole week of benefits

Just to follow up and clarify for everyone: If you're stuck in this loop where the system won't let you proceed without separation info, here's what's likely happening: 1. When you report the orientation, the employer gets added to your claim 2. When you later report 0 hours, the system sometimes misinterprets this as you no longer working there Try these specific steps: - Answer "Yes" to "Did you work for [employer]?" - Enter 0 for hours worked - When it asks if you're still employed there, select "Yes" - If it still forces separation questions, try logging out completely, clearing cache, and trying again If all else fails, call ESD and explain the situation clearly. They can override this in their system.