Reported 4 hours of substitute teaching as casual labor on weekly claim - did I mess up?

You actually did the right thing! Substitute teaching (when you're not contracted with the district) typically falls under casual labor. The additional self-employment questions are normal follow-up when you select casual labor - ESD needs to determine if what you're doing constitutes actual self-employment for ongoing reporting purposes. Uploading the emails was a good move for documentation. As long as you reported the correct hours and earnings, you're fine.

same thing happened 2 me last month when i did some temp work!! the system is confusing af but as long as u reported the $$$ u should be good

I'm going to slightly disagree with the previous responses. While casual labor is okay for truly one-time gigs, substitute teaching often falls into a gray area. If you expect to get called back regularly (even if sporadically), you should consider reporting it as a new employer next time. ESD looks at the nature of the relationship - if there's an expectation of ongoing work, even if irregular, they prefer you list it as an employer. That said, for just 4 hours, you're unlikely to face any issues this time. Just make sure you accurately reported your gross earnings (before taxes).

I did substitute teaching during my unemployment claim last year and I always added the school district as an employer. The ESD agent told me this was correct when I called to check. But honestly theyre all about getting the hours and earnings right more than how exactly you categorize it.

The ESD system is TERRIBLE about giving clear guidance on these edge cases! This is exactly the kind of thing that has people stressed out when they're just trying to follow the rules. I've been on both sides - sometimes reporting as casual labor, sometimes as new employer. One thing I learned the hard way: if you do get more substitute work, be consistent in how you report it going forward. If you switch between casual labor and employer reporting for the same work, it can trigger a review of your claim.

I've been trying to reach ESD for weeks about a similar issue with reporting some gig work... their phone lines are IMPOSSIBLE. Eventually I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual agent within 30 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. The agent I spoke with confirmed that either casual labor or new employer can work for substitute teaching - the important thing is reporting your hours and earnings accurately.

I'm in a similar situation! I did yard work for a neighbor and wasn't sure how to report it. The ESD website is SO confusing. Did your benefit amount get reduced by exactly how much you earned from the subbing job? That's what I'm worried about - if I report $50 for mowing a lawn, do they just subtract that from my weekly benefit?

One additional note - make sure you're also listing this work as one of your job search activities for the week! Many people forget that work you actually perform (even part-time or one-day) counts as a job search activity. This helps you meet your 3 required activities per week.