Will temp agency work during waiting week disqualify my ESD benefits?

This is actually a common situation. Taking temp work during your waiting week won't automatically disqualify you from benefits, but you do need to report all hours and earnings accurately on your weekly claim. ESD uses a formula where they deduct part of your earnings from your weekly benefit amount. If you earn less than your weekly benefit, you'll still get partial unemployment. The waiting week has to happen regardless - it's a one-time unpaid week at the start of your claim. Remember that you still need to complete your 3 job search activities each week, even when working temp jobs. Document everything carefully!

i was in this exact situation last winter!! the temp agency kept sending me to these random warehouses for like 1-3 days a week. super annoying. but i still got partial unemployment for most weeks when i didnt work much. just make sure u report EVERYTHING honestly. they will find out if u dont, trust me

The specific formula ESD uses is that the first $5 you earn each week doesn't affect your benefits. Then, for earnings above $5, they deduct 75 cents from your benefits for each dollar earned. So if your weekly benefit amount is $600 and you earn $205 in temp work, they'll deduct $150 ($205 - $5 = $200, then 75% of $200 = $150), so you'd still receive $450 in UI benefits. And yes, you are required to accept suitable work while on unemployment. Refusing work could potentially disqualify you. However, there are factors ESD considers for "suitable" work, including how the wages compare to your previous employment, job conditions, and the distance from your home. Also, important to note that your waiting week is simply the first week you're eligible for benefits - it doesn't get paid, but you still need to file a weekly claim and meet all requirements during that week.

My cousin had this same problem and ended up making himself crazy trying to balance the temp work with unemployment. He finally just gave up on the benefits completely because the reporting got so complicated. Sometimes the system would flag his account for review and he'd wait WEEKS with no payments while they sorted it out. NIGHTMARE!

I went through this last year and getting through to ESD was IMPOSSIBLE when I had questions about my partial benefits calculation. I spent literally HOURS trying to reach someone. After 3 weeks of constant calling, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual ESD agent in under 25 minutes. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3 The ESD agent explained exactly how my temp work affected my benefits and fixed some calculation errors in their system. Saved me so much stress and actually got me more benefits than I was initially receiving.

Regarding your question about suitable work - yes, ESD does consider your previous wage level when determining suitable work. Generally, as time goes on, you're expected to expand your job search and potentially accept lower wages. In the first 10 weeks of your claim, work might not be considered suitable if it pays less than 90% of your previous wage. After that, the threshold drops to 75% of your previous wage after 10 weeks, and to 70% after 17 weeks. Since you mentioned you were making $28/hour before and these temp jobs are $18.50/hour, that's about 66% of your previous wage. During your first 10 weeks of unemployment, you might have grounds to refuse this work as not suitable based on wages alone, but you should document your reasoning carefully.

THE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO KEEP YOU POOR!!!! They want you desperate enough to take ANY job no matter how terrible the pay or conditions. I had a similar situation and the adjudicator THREATENED to cancel ALL my benefits if I didn't accept a job that paid 40% LESS than my previous position!!! The temp agencies are in bed with ESD - they get kickbacks for filling positions with desperate unemployed people!!!

just wondering...do you have to tell the temp agency you're on unemployment? or do they automatically know?

my brother took temp work during his waiting week last year and it totally messed up his claim. system thought he was employed full-time and denied everything. took him MONTHS to get it sorted out. just my two cents...

Just to add some clarity to your specific situation - the waiting week is always unpaid, but you still need to follow all unemployment rules during that week. Taking temp work during your waiting week won't affect your overall eligibility as long as you report it correctly. The real decision point is what happens AFTER your waiting week. You'll need to decide if you want to continue with temp work (and potentially receive partial benefits) or focus solely on finding permanent employment while collecting full benefits. Either way, maintain your 3 job search activities every week and document everything clearly. If the temp work is sporadic as you mentioned, having some income plus partial benefits might be better than no income while waiting for the perfect job. Just make sure your weekly claims are accurate regarding hours worked and earnings received.