ESD weekly claim question - job offer accepted but not starting until next week
I've been on unemployment for about 2 months and just got a job offer yesterday (yay!). The thing is, I don't actually start until next Monday. I'm confused about how to handle my weekly claim for this week. Do I need to report that I got a job offer even though I haven't started working yet? I don't want to mess anything up and get hit with an overpayment later. I know once I start working I'll report my hours and wages, but what about this weird in-between week? Has anyone dealt with this before?
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Fatima Al-Suwaidi
You're still eligible for benefits until you actually start working and earning wages. When filling out your weekly claim, there's a question about whether you've returned to full-time work - you answer 'no' since you haven't started yet. You'll need to continue doing your job search activities for this week though! Then on your first weekly claim after starting the job, you'll report your hours/wages and answer 'yes' to returning to work. Congrats on the new job btw!
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NebulaNinja
•Thank you so much for the clear explanation! That makes sense. So I still need to do my 3 job search activities even though I already accepted an offer? I guess that makes sense since technically I haven't started working yet.
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Dylan Mitchell
congrats on the job! i was in the same boat last month. you dont have to tell them about the offer until you actually start working. just keep doing everything normal until your start date
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NebulaNinja
•Thanks! Did you still do your job search activities that week or did you skip them since you had already secured employment?
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Sofia Morales
I disagree with some of the advice here. While you don't need to report a job *offer*, you DO need to report when you've *accepted* a job offer. There's actually a specific question in the weekly claim that asks if you've accepted an offer of work that hasn't started yet. Answer YES to that question and provide the start date. You still claim for this week as normal since you haven't earned wages yet, but ESD needs to know you've accepted work. The reason this matters is they may switch you to "standby" status for this final week depending on your situation, which could potentially exempt you from job search requirements for just this final week.
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NebulaNinja
•Oh wow, thank you for that clarification! I definitely don't want to answer incorrectly. I'll look for that question specifically when I file my claim. Would be great if I didn't have to do the job search activities this week since I'm trying to get everything organized before starting the new job.
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Dmitry Popov
When I got my job offer but had a 2 week gap before starting, I called ESD to ask this EXACT question and was on hold for THREE HOURS only to get disconnected!!! So frustrating!!! The system is totally broken. I ended up just answering yes to having accepted work and put my start date. I still got paid for that week since I wasn't working yet.
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Ava Garcia
•Have you guys tried using Claimyr when calling ESD? It's the only way I've been able to get through to real humans there. They have this system that holds your place in line and calls you back when an agent is available. Saved me hours of being on hold. Here's the site: claimyr.com - they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. Totally worth it when you need questions answered fast.
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StarSailor}
i think your still suposed to do job search stuff until u actually start working. ESD is really strict about that from what i heard. my friend got in trouble for not doing it the week before she started her new job last year
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Miguel Silva
•This is generally correct. Unless you're officially placed on standby status by ESD (which they sometimes do for that final week if you've accepted a job with a definite start date), you are required to complete and document your three job search activities each week you claim benefits. The safest approach is to continue your job search activities until your first day of work, then report your return to work on your next weekly claim.
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Sofia Morales
Just to follow up - I looked up the exact ESD guidelines on this. When you file your weekly claim, you'll be asked: "Did you accept an offer of work from a new employer that has not yet started?" Answer YES to this, and provide the date you'll start working. You'll still get benefits for this week (assuming you meet all other requirements), but ESD will know you have work lined up. Regarding job search activities - technically you still need to do them UNLESS ESD specifically places you on standby for this final week (which sometimes happens automatically when you report accepting a job). So to be safe, I'd recommend doing your 3 activities just in case, unless you log into your eServices account and see you've been placed on standby status.
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NebulaNinja
•Thank you so much for looking that up! I just checked my eServices account and don't see anything about standby status, so I'll go ahead and do my job search activities to be safe. Really appreciate everyone's help here!
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