Reporting holiday/vacation pay mistakes on ESD weekly claims - will I get penalized?

Don't panic! This happens more often than you think. You should immediately report the correction to ESD. Log into your eServices account, and look for the option to send a secure message about your claim. Explain exactly what happened, which weeks were affected, and the amount of vacation pay you received. Be specific about dates and amounts. The sooner you self-report the error, the better. ESD generally distinguishes between honest mistakes and deliberate fraud. Since you're coming forward before they caught it, that demonstrates good faith on your part.

i did this last yr... put wrong hours for 2 weeks. they sent me a letter saying i was overpaid like $300 and had to pay it back. wasnt a big deal, just be honest about it

This is a pretty common issue. You should call ESD directly to explain the situation. They need to adjust your claim and benefits calculation. However, I will warn you that getting through to an actual agent at ESD can be nearly impossible these days - I was on hold for over 4 hours last month and still got disconnected. I ended up using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to help me get through to an ESD agent. They have a system that holds your place in line and calls you back when an agent is available. Saved me hours of frustration. There's a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 that shows how it works. For a reporting issue like yours, I'd definitely recommend talking to an actual person at ESD rather than just sending a message.

THE ESD SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO TRAP YOU!! They ask confusing questions on purpose and then penalize you for honest mistakes. I made an error on my claim about available work hours and they hit me with a DELIBERATE MISREPRESENTATION flag. Had to appeal and fight for MONTHS to get it resolved!! Document EVERYTHING when you contact them and get names of representatives you speak with!!!

I'm in a similar boat! I forgot to report a one-time gig payment of about $200. I called ESD and explained (took forever to get through) and they said I should submit an adjusted claim form. Still waiting to hear back about what happens next. It's been about 3 weeks since I submitted the correction. Super nervous about it. Did you get this resolved?

Some additional info that might help - when you report the error, be prepared that ESD will likely: 1. Calculate how much you were overpaid 2. Either reduce future benefits to recoup the amount or set up a repayment plan 3. Possibly assess a "week of ineligibility" penalty depending on their determination The important legal distinction is between unintentional errors (which just require correction and repayment) versus willful misrepresentation (which can result in penalties and disqualification). Based on what you've described, this sounds like a clear case of an honest mistake, especially since you're self-reporting before they discovered it.

Anybody know if theres a time limit for fixing mistakes? I think I might have messed up some hours back in January but just realized it now in May...

btw if ur worried about calling ESD and being on hold 4ever, the claimyr thing mentioned above actually works, i used it last time my claim had issues and got thru in like 30 min instead of 5 hours

Just to update everyone in this thread with accurate information: for vacation/holiday pay specifically, you need to report it for the week it was PAID, not the week it was earned or accrued. Many people get confused about this. So if your final check with the PTO payout was issued this week, you would report it on this week's claim, even if the PTO was technically earned months ago. This is different from how regular work hours are reported (which are reported when worked).

UPDATE: I spoke with an ESD representative this morning (used that Claimyr service which actually did work great). They were understanding about the mistake and had me fill out a statement explaining what happened. They said they'll calculate any overpayment and send me a notice with options for repayment. The agent assured me that since I self-reported, this wouldn't be considered fraud - just an adjustment that needs to be made. Such a relief! Thanks everyone for your advice and sharing your experiences.