ESD weekly claims when sick or on vacation - how to properly report unavailability?

The rule is pretty straightforward - you need to be able and available for work EACH DAY of the week you're claiming. If you're sick even for one day, technically you're not "able and available" that day. Same goes for being out of the country - you can't accept work offers while in Mexico, so you're not available. My advice: for the week you were sick, you should report that you weren't able and available for the full week. For your vacation, don't file a claim for that week at all. You can't put a "partial week" on hold - it's either the whole week or nothing. You don't want to mess with this - improper reporting can lead to overpayments and penalties down the road.

I was in kinda the same boat last month. Got food poisining for 2 days but still did my work searches. i just answerd honestly on my weekly claim that i wasnt able to work for those 2 days, and they reduced my benefit amount proprotionally i think? I got less money but not $0. Youll get the days you WERE available for work i think.

The previous responses contain some inaccuracies. Here's what ESD's policy actually states: 1. For illness: If you're sick and unable to work, you should report the specific days you weren't able and available. ESD will reduce your weekly benefit amount proportionally (by 1/7 for each day you weren't available). 2. For vacation, especially international travel: This is different. While out of the country, you're considered unavailable for work because you cannot accept job offers or interviews. For international travel, you should not file for that entire week. On your weekly claim, there's a question specifically asking if you were able and available for work each day. Answer truthfully, and the system will calculate the appropriate benefit amount. ESD reviews these claims carefully, and incorrect reporting can result in overpayment notices and potential penalties.

GUYS BE CAREFUL WITH THIS!! I made the mistake of not reporting when I was in the hospital for 3 days and ESD found out somehow. I got hit with a HUGE overpayment notice plus penalties 3 months later! They check hospital records or something. ALWAYS report exactly when you're not available/able to work. Better to get slightly reduced benefits than be accused of fraud later!! For your Christmas trip, definitely DON'T claim that week. My friend tried to claim while vacationing in Europe and ESD made him pay back everything plus a penalty. They consider international travel a complete disqualification for that week.

I think theres a way to put your claim on standby for a week if you know your gonna be unavailable. My cousin did this when she went on a cruise and didnt have any issues. She just didnt get benefits for that week but when she came back she just started filing again no problem

I was trying to reach ESD to ask this exact question last month when I had surgery and was going crazy because couldn't get through on the phone. Eventually found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an ESD agent in about 30 minutes instead of calling for days. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 The agent told me exactly how to report my surgery days - had to mark those specific days as not available, and they reduced my weekly amount proportionally. Saved me tons of stress trying to guess what to do!

Just to add another data point - I recently had to deal with this when I took a 5-day trip to visit my mom in Arizona. I called ESD directly (took forever to get through) and the rep advised me to just not file for that week at all rather than report being unavailable. She said it's cleaner that way and avoids any potential issues. When I returned, I just resumed filing my weekly claims as normal. For your flu situation, I agree with what others said about reporting the specific days you were sick.

One more important thing to note: If you decide not to claim for your vacation week, your claim remains active. You don't need to reapply or anything like that. Just resume filing the week after you return. The system allows for gaps in filing without penalty. This is the cleanest approach for your Mexico trip. For the illness, follow the proportional reduction approach mentioned above. Be precise about exactly which days you were unavailable.

Just wanted to add my experience from earlier this year - I had a similar situation when I got COVID and was bedridden for 5 days. I was really worried about reporting it honestly because I needed every dollar from unemployment, but I followed the advice to report exactly which days I wasn't available. ESD reduced my weekly benefit by about 5/7ths (for the 5 days I was sick) but I still got paid for the 2 days I was able to work. The system handled it automatically once I answered the daily availability questions honestly. No issues, no overpayment notices, nothing. The key is being specific and honest about exactly which days you weren't available. Don't try to game the system - they really do check these things and the penalties for incorrect reporting are way worse than just taking the reduced payment for the days you were actually sick. Good luck with your claim and hope you're feeling better!

I went through something similar last year when I had a family emergency and had to travel out of state for a week. After reading through all the responses here, I want to emphasize what others have said about being completely honest - it really is the safest approach. For your flu situation, definitely report the exact days you were unable to work. The system will automatically calculate your reduced benefit amount. I had to do this when I was sick for 3 days with a stomach bug, and like others mentioned, I got paid for the days I was available but not for the sick days. For your Mexico trip, I'd strongly recommend just not filing for that week at all. International travel is treated differently because you literally cannot accept job offers or attend interviews while abroad. When I had my family emergency, the ESD rep told me the same thing - just skip filing for that week and resume when you're back. Your claim stays active, no need to reapply. One tip: keep documentation of your illness (doctor's note if you saw one) and your travel dates, just in case ESD ever asks for verification later. Better to have it and not need it than the other way around!

I work as a benefits counselor and see these questions a lot. The advice here is solid - you have two very different scenarios that ESD handles differently. For illness: Report the exact days you weren't able to work. The system will prorate your benefits - so if you were sick 4 out of 7 days, you'll get benefits for the 3 days you were available. This is fair and follows ESD policy correctly. For international travel: Don't file for that week at all. You're considered completely unavailable since you can't respond to job opportunities while abroad. Your claim remains active and you just resume filing when you return. One thing I tell clients: ESD has gotten much better at cross-referencing data (hospital records, travel patterns, etc.), so honesty really is the best policy. The small reduction in benefits for honest reporting is way better than dealing with overpayment demands and penalties later. Document everything - keep your urgent care visit records for the flu week and travel receipts for Mexico. If ESD ever audits your claim, having this documentation makes the process much smoother.

I've been dealing with unemployment claims for about 6 months now and want to share what I've learned from experience. The advice here is spot on - I've made both the mistake of being too vague and the mistake of overthinking it. Early on, I had a similar situation where I was sick for 3 days with a bad cold. I was nervous about reporting it because I really needed the full benefit amount, so I just answered "yes" that I was available all week. Big mistake! A few weeks later I got a letter asking me to clarify some discrepancies in my claim (apparently they somehow knew I'd called in sick to a temp job that week). Had to provide doctor records and explain everything - was super stressful and almost got hit with an overpayment. Now I always report exactly what happened. When I had food poisoning for 2 days last month, I marked those specific days as unavailable and got benefits for the other 5 days. The system calculated it automatically and I had no issues. The key lesson: ESD has way more data than you think they do. They can cross-check with healthcare records, employer reports, even cell phone location data in some cases. Just be honest from the start - it's so much easier than dealing with investigations later. The reduced benefit for a few sick days is worth avoiding the headache of having to prove you weren't trying to defraud them. For your Mexico trip, definitely just skip that week entirely like others have said. International travel is a clear-cut case where you're completely unavailable for work.

I went through almost the exact same thing last month! Had the flu for 3 days and was stressing about how to report it properly. After reading all the advice here and talking to an ESD rep, here's what I did: On my weekly claim, I answered honestly about which specific days I wasn't able to work (the 3 flu days). The system automatically calculated my benefits - I got paid for 4 out of 7 days that week. It was actually pretty straightforward once I stopped overthinking it. The ESD rep told me the same thing others have mentioned here - they'd much rather see honest reporting with reduced benefits than have to investigate potential fraud later. She said they've gotten really good at catching discrepancies and the penalties for incorrect reporting are way worse than just taking the hit for the days you were actually sick. For your Mexico trip, I'd definitely go with what everyone's saying about not filing that week at all. My sister made the mistake of trying to file while on a cruise last year and ended up having to pay back benefits plus penalties. International travel is a clear-cut "unavailable for work" situation. Sounds like you've got a good plan now - be honest about the specific sick days and skip the vacation week entirely. The documentation tip is smart too - I kept my urgent care records just in case but never needed them. Good luck with your claims!

I've been through this exact scenario multiple times over the past year and wanted to add my perspective. The advice here is really solid - I've learned the hard way that honesty upfront saves you so much trouble later. For illness situations like your flu, I've found that ESD's system is actually pretty fair when you report accurately. I had COVID for 6 days earlier this year and was terrified about losing a full week of benefits, but when I reported the specific days I wasn't available, I still got paid for the one day I was well enough to work. The math worked out to exactly 1/7th of my weekly benefit amount. The vacation situation is definitely different though. I made the mistake once of trying to file while visiting family in Canada for 4 days, thinking I could just report being "available" for the other days of the week. ESD flagged it somehow (maybe border crossing records?) and I had to go through a whole appeals process. Now I always just skip filing entirely for any travel weeks, especially international ones. One thing I wish someone had told me earlier - keep a simple calendar or notes about these situations. I now track any days I'm sick, travel dates, etc. It's been super helpful when filling out the weekly claims because I can be precise about dates rather than trying to remember exactly when things happened. The bottom line is ESD would rather see reduced benefits for honest partial availability than deal with overpayment investigations later. You've got the right approach!