Quick EDD Benefits Questions

[graceous]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? CA

I am currently looking for full time work, but some part-time opportunities have shown up. No job offers, and only one interview, that being for a part-time job that may pay full-time wages. enough to bump me off EDD benefits. Also, saw an opportunity to work somewhere one time a week but already thinking that could interfere with a possible full time work offer. No job offer yet on the part-time job. What I would earn in the one day a week job would not exceed my weekly benefits in any way, and I do understand the 25% rule. And I also understand that if I earn more than my benefit amount, taking into consideration the 25% rule, my claim would be closed.

I just want to be sure that if I were offered this one day a week opportunity it will not ruin my EDD benefits. Who knows, I might get both of the job opportunities listed about and be in a great position. I am going to continue to look for full time work, had interview for full time job last week, but the reality is that I could also do well or even better by piecing together a number of part-time opportunities and eventually exceed my weekly benefit amount and no longer be eligible.

I read somewhere that this current, potential employer would then be responsible for paying my EDD benefits, but that makes no sense to me.

Just want to be sure everything I do is on the up and up. I guess it is possible this might generate a phone interview and possibly delay benefits, which is of some concern.

 

[Chyvan]

I just want to be sure that going for this one day a week opportunity will not ruin my EDD benefits.

No, but it could cause problems later on.

A job is a job. You might not like the job and want to quit mistakenly believing that because you're collecting from your prior employer that it makes it ok. It's not. If you quit without good cause, the reason for this separation will determine if you get back on UI. Same happens if you get fired for misconduct. Could be that your car will break down, and you have attendance problems. You might not take the job seriously because it's only one day a week. Your significant other might want you to move to some place new.

Just make sure that you really want this job. If not, you might be better off refusing and going through a suitability determination.

I read somewhere that this current, potential employer would then be responsible for paying my EDD benefits,

The base period employers are the ones responsible for eating the cost. This one is too new, but if you stay part-time long enough and qualify for a second year claim, this one could possibly be on the hook for their portion of the benefits.

I guess it is possible this might generate a phone interview and possibly delay benefits

The UI people don't care if you work part-time, and there won't be any phone interview unless something raises an issue like if it's believed that you're content with part-time work and have stopped your work search, you don't report your weekly gross earnings, or those part-time earnings stop or become sporadic suggesting a new separation issue.

 

[graceous]

I guess I am confused about the issue of a part time position or the answers to my questions. BTW, I asked a question about what employer pays because I read online that this caused hostility towards a part time employee when the current employer found out they had to pay for edd for the part time worker. If EDD does not care about part-time work, which, at least in my mind is a good thing -- results in real wages, provides recent work experience, may lead to other opportunities in the organization, would slow down my exhausting my benefits that only last six months if I get the max weekly -- but now considering a once weekly position and either not liking it, deciding it is a wrong fit, or getting fired can jeopardize my benefits, cause suitability interviews? This sounds like my good intentions are causing more potential problems than it is worth. As it stands, from what I know of this once a week position, I am not even sure if I am qualified or would even be considered for the job. It is in an area of my field that I have little experience with.

 

[Chyvan]

If EDD does not care about part-time work, which, at least in my mind is a good thing -- results in real wages, provides recent work experience, may lead to other opportunities in the organization,

These are possibilities, but they're not sure things. What you have right now is a UI check. Once you take a job, even if it was one hour per week at minimum wage, that job becomes your most recent employer for determining if you get to keep your benefits if something goes wrong except in a handful of states, and CA's not one of them.

would slow down my exhausting my benefits that only last six months if I get the max weekly

It does, but a UI claim is not a bank account. You can only get the money if you meet the weekly requirements. If you stop looking for work, get fired for misconduct, quit without good cause, you'll have a tough time getting the rest of the money.

cause suitability interviews?

This only happens if you refuse the job. Once you take it, you lose the chance to keep benefits if the job is unsuitable. If you thought it wasn't suitable, you'd have refused it. Once you take it, it became suitable because you accepted it.

This sounds like my good intentions are causing more potential problems than it is worth.

It might work out just fine, but there have been people that thought part-time work would be great, and it became a problem. There's a risk, and you need to know them. Also, the economics aren't always there. Right now, you're getting paid for doing a work search. How many hours are you spending on it? With UI, the offset on part-time work quite often means that you get about $5/hr (in some states it's closer to $2/hr) as an incremental increase in what you get on UI, and that ignores the commute time, expense, social security tax, having to set an alarm and possible child care expenses. It's possible to net less working part-time than just collecting UI while looking for the right job that gets you out of the system. It can create more headaches if you end up earning more than your UI benefits in some weeks and not others. Then you have to call EDD each week you need to reopen your claim, and it's no picnic trying to get through. You might spend three or more hours each time you have to deal with that.

In spite of the fact that the state UI websites extoll the virtues of working part-time, they don't tell you of the pitfalls. For the most part, part-time work is less than prevailing, and it can be refused provided you didn't make a habit of filling your work search log looking for that type of work.

I tell people to look at this way: Assuming you had a job like you've had in the past, if you wouldn't quit that job for this job, then it's probably not the right one. The decision to take part-time work when you're towards the end of your benefits or they're exhausted is easier to make than when you've just started. I don't think you've been on UI all that long.

 

[graceous]

Thank you, Chyvan.

Your comments help to clarify much, and, yes, I am just at the beginning of my work search, beginning month two, and had two interviews in this past week for full-time work, applied for a full time position today that I am interested in and feel qualified for. I understand the potential risks of p/t employment and I will focus exclusively on finding a job that is full time.

 

[commentator]

Especially in the beginning of your claim, apply only for the plum jobs that you really do want. You've got a bit of grace there. Toward the end of the claim, you can and should get a whole lot less picky. But I have certainly seen people take these little fill in jobs and have them turn out to be much less desirable and want to quit them, and then find out that they were about to seriously affect the unemployment benefits they'd been receiving from their former work. That question on the weekly certification, you know about "did you quit a job this week?" has got to be answered every week.

 

[graceous]

OK, I am revisiting this topic with a little more info. I interviewed for this company for both a full time and a one-day-a-week job. It is possible the hiring manager will combine both. I will find out everything later this week.

I really hope I get the full time job. It is for at least 6 months, and then when and if it is done I will still have my EDD claim.

OK but suppose I am just offered the one-day-a -week job? I am pretty sure I like this company, know what I am getting into, and it is over $30 an hour, its not a temp job. So, I would be earning at least $240 for a day's work, and then report this against EDD benefits of over $400 a week. I could go with Plan B and look for other work. I am not looking to boost my career, and I am not even looking for health care benefits, since I am eligible for Medicare next month. I realize I would have to be willing to give up the one-day-a-week job if I got other employment and I would state this to EDD. And, it would.

Let's also say that I am 65 years old next month, so not too many people are knocking down the door thrilled to hire me. And, I want out of the work force in one to two years, but sure would like to have a one-day-a-week job like this to boost my SS benefits! Job could go on for years. I just cannot afford to "retire" now and have to delay SS as long as possible but "retirement" is sooner than later if I can line us good part time work. My health is excellent, and I have big plans to put my energies into creative endeavors when I "retire" which will eventually bring income.

So, reaizing the risks of possibly not liking the job, and the reality of age that makes it more difficult to get hired, my situation, and being willing to give up the part time job if I get a full time job, is this a bad move? Is there anything here, outside of possibly not liking this one-day-a-week job and wishing I could quit, that I need to look at here for EDD?

 

[Chyvan]

Is there anything here, outside of possibly not liking this one-day-a-week job and wishing I could quit,

You might get fired for misconduct. Quitting and misconduct are both claim killers.

 

[commentator]

Hopefully you will be offered the full time and this won't be an issue. If you are not offered either job, that's also not an issue. If you are offered the part time job and you refuse it, you will have to report this and let them make a decision as to whether this is a disqualifying refusal. (It won't be.) But if you decide to take it, you will have to report your earnings VERY carefully. Each week for unemployment purposes, you'll have to figure exactly how much in gross wages you have made for the sunday through Saturday week you are reporting for unemployment purposes. This is regardless of when you are paid, it is the week you actually worked the week. And you must guess, if you are paid by the month or bi weekly, or for any other days, just exactly how much you made in the time that unemployment is interested in. Sometimes, this causes a problem in that people don't get their reporting right, the computer picks this up and reports them to the fraud investigation unit, and they have to answer a call from the investigator who will sit down with them and figure it all in greatest detail to make sure they were paid unemployment partial correctly. It's not considered fraud in most cases, no penalties, but it is a little more complicated and requires diligence on the part of the claimant to report it correctly. Be sure you save all your payroll records, check stubs, etc. very carefully.

Otherwise, of course, DON'T commit any work related misconduct. Do not lay out of work, do not steal from them, violate any known and clearly stated policies, slap your boss in the face, etc. If the job is hard, is something you cannot do right, you are getting criticized for the way you are doing it, or that you are not fast enough or anything like that, just keep showing up for work and doing the job to the best of your abilities. If they fire you for a performance issue and you are doing your best, that's not going to be a disqualifying reason for unemployment, likely. If you get disgusted and frustrated and quit to avoid being fired, that would make a lot of difference.

 

[graceous]

Thanks, guys. Much to consider, and very good advice!