Virtual interviews on ESD weekly claim - how to report Zoom meeting addresses?
I'm completely stuck on how to properly report my Zoom interview on my ESD weekly claim! Last Thursday I had a job interview that was conducted over Zoom. When filling out my weekly claim, I selected it as an "interview" activity, and then when it asked if it was in-person, I chose "yes" since we could see each other (though virtually). But then ESD demanded a physical address where I went for the interview! Since I didn't go anywhere physically (did it from home), I panicked and entered the actual Zoom meeting link as the "address" along with the interviewer's name. Now I'm worried I messed up my claim and might get flagged for providing incorrect information. Has anyone else dealt with reporting virtual interviews on weekly claims? What's the right way to handle this? Should I have selected "no" for in-person even though it was face-to-face over Zoom?
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Sean Murphy
You should have selected "no" for in-person. ESD considers virtual interviews to be non-in-person even if you can see each other on camera. For the job search activity, you still report it as an interview, but when it asks if it was in-person, select "no" and then you won't be prompted for a physical address. I don't think your claim will be flagged though - ESD understands these things happen. If you're worried, you can add a note in the comments section of your next weekly claim explaining the error.
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Anastasia Ivanova
•Thank you so much! That makes sense. I was overthinking it because technically we were face-to-face, just not physically in the same place. Will they contact me about fixing this error or should I just do it correctly next time?
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StarStrider
same thing happnd to me last month!!! i put my OWN address cause thats where i did the zoom from LOL. esd never said anything about it just make sure u document the interviewrs name and company somewhere
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Zara Malik
•That's actually pretty smart - putting your own address. I never thought of that! Makes way more sense than the Zoom link.
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Luca Marino
ESD's system is SO OUTDATED it's ridiculous!!! They designed these forms before Zoom was even a thing and haven't bothered updating them for modern job searching. I've been dealing with this EXACT issue for months. When I called to ask about it, the agent gave me completely different instructions than what the website says. THEN they flagged my claim for "inconsistent reporting" when I was just following THEIR INSTRUCTIONS!!! The whole system is designed to trip people up and deny benefits.
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Nia Davis
•While the system definitely has its quirks, I've found that for virtual interviews, consistency is key. Always mark them as "no" for in-person regardless of whether you can see each other. ESD defines "in-person" as physically being in the same location. For the employer contact information, include the company name, interviewer name, and either the company's physical address or your own address with a note clarifying it was virtual. If you're ever unsure about how to report something, document everything carefully including dates, names, and screenshots. This will help if you need to explain your reporting decisions later.
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Mateo Perez
I've been wondering about this too! I had three Zoom interviews last month and I've been reporting them differently each time because I wasn't sure the right way. First one I put "no" for in-person, second one I put "yes" and used the company's headquarters address, third one I put "yes" and used my home address. No idea which is right but my payments have still been coming through so I guess none of them triggered any red flags? The ESD website really needs better instructions for virtual job search activities.
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Aisha Rahman
•I've spoken with ESD representatives about this specific issue before. The official guidance is to select "no" when asked if the interview was in-person for any virtual meetings, regardless of whether it was video or just audio. For the contact information, you should provide: - The company name - The interviewer's name and title - The company's actual physical address (not a Zoom link) - Phone number or email for verification purposes Also, I highly recommend keeping a separate detailed job search log outside of the ESD system. Include screenshots of email invitations to interviews, calendar appointments, etc. This documentation can be extremely valuable if your claim gets selected for a job search review. If you're having trouble reaching ESD to clarify their requirements, I've had success using Claimyr (claimyr.com). They help you get through to an actual ESD agent without waiting on hold for hours. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 that shows how it works. Definitely worth it when you need answers to these kinds of questions directly from ESD.
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Nia Davis
This is a common question in the post-COVID job market. For weekly claims, virtual interviews should be reported as: 1. Select "Job Interview" as your job search activity 2. When asked if it was in-person, select "No" 3. You'll then be asked for contact information, where you should provide: - Company name - Interviewer's name and title - Company's physical address (not the Zoom link) - Phone/email for verification If you've already submitted with incorrect information, don't panic. ESD understands that their system isn't perfectly designed for remote work situations. Just report correctly going forward. If they have questions, they'll contact you for clarification.
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Anastasia Ivanova
•This is really helpful, thank you! I'll definitely follow these steps for my next weekly claim. I have another Zoom interview scheduled next week, so this came at the perfect time. If ESD does contact me about the previous error, should I just explain that I misunderstood how to report virtual interviews?
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CosmicCrusader
i dont even bother with reporting zoom interviews anymore cuz its 2 confusing... i just do the worksource workshops instead, they count as job search activities and r way easier 2 report!!! no confusing questions!
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Nia Davis
•While WorkSource workshops are definitely valid job search activities, I wouldn't recommend skipping reporting actual job interviews! Interviews are strong evidence that you're actively seeking work, which is the whole point of job search requirements. They demonstrate progress in your job search and show ESD you're making real efforts to find employment.
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Zara Malik
Is this really something worth worrying about? I mean as long as you're actually doing the job search activities and not making stuff up, I doubt ESD is going to care whether you classified a Zoom meeting as in-person or not. They're looking for people who are completely fabricating their job search, not honest mistakes about zoom links vs physical addresses.
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Luca Marino
•You'd be SURPRISED what ESD will use against you!! My cousin got his benefits DENIED because he reported a phone interview as "not in-person" but then mentioned in the notes that he "spoke face-to-face with the hiring manager" (meaning they had a conversation, not literally face-to-face). ESD claimed he provided "contradictory information" and he had to appeal!!! NOTHING is too small for them to nitpick!
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Anastasia Ivanova
Thank you everyone for the helpful advice! Just to update - I called ESD this morning after trying for THREE DAYS to get through. The agent said that virtual interviews should be marked as "not in-person" even if they're on video. She said the system was designed before Zoom interviews were common and they haven't updated it yet. She noted my account about the mistake and said it shouldn't affect my claim. For anyone else dealing with this, definitely select "no" for in-person on video interviews!
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Sean Murphy
•Great to hear you got through and got it resolved! For future reference, always keep detailed notes whenever you speak with ESD (date, time, agent name if possible, and what they told you). This documentation can be extremely valuable if there are any issues later on.
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