Just wanted to add my perspective as someone who works in tech and travels frequently for client meetings. I've had similar confusion with EDD questions in the past. The key thing that helped me understand it was thinking about it from the tax perspective - if your employer is withholding California state taxes from your paycheck and reporting your wages to California, then as far as unemployment is concerned, you "worked in California" even if you were physically somewhere else. It's kind of like how remote workers who live in one state but work for a company in another state - what matters for UI purposes is where the employer is based and reporting wages, not where you're sitting at your computer. Hope that helps clarify things from another angle!

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! I work in marketing and my company (based in San Francisco) sent me to Chicago for a trade show last month. I was panicking about this same question on my EDD application. Reading through all these responses has been SO helpful - I had no idea it was about wage reporting rather than physical location. It's kind of ridiculous that EDD doesn't make this clearer in their wording. Like @Molly Hansen said, they really could just ask "Do you have wages reported in another state?" instead of the confusing "Did you work out of state?" question. Anyway, thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - definitely answering "No" now with confidence!

I've been dealing with this exact same situation for over a year now! I work as a substitute teacher (W2) and sometimes go weeks without any assignments. Here's what I learned after making some mistakes early on: 1. Always report as "still employed" unless your employer formally terminates you or tells you there's no more work available 2. On weeks you work, report every penny earned - EDD cross-references with employer records 3. Keep detailed records of all communication with your employer about your status 4. Most importantly - ask your employer directly how they classify employees during gaps between assignments I made the mistake of assuming I was "terminated" after 3 weeks without work and marked it that way on my certification. Then when I got another assignment, EDD flagged it as a discrepancy because my employer never reported me as terminated. It took months to sort out! The key is understanding YOUR specific employer's policies. Some consider you active for 30 days, some for 90 days, and some keep you active indefinitely as long as you're willing to accept assignments. Get this in writing if possible - it'll save you so much headache later.

I'm in a very similar boat with my event production work! The uncertainty is so stressful. After reading through all these responses, I think the key takeaway is that communication with your employer is absolutely crucial. I've been assuming my company considers me "active" between gigs, but I realize I've never actually confirmed this with them. One thing I want to add - if you do end up in a situation where there's a discrepancy between what you reported and what your employer reported, don't panic. From what I've seen in other threads, EDD does understand that these irregular work situations exist, but you need to be able to explain and document your reasoning. Also, keep records of EVERYTHING - your certifications, pay stubs, any communications about assignments, etc. I started doing this after a friend had issues with EDD questioning gaps in her employment. She was able to resolve it because she had screenshots of texts from her manager about being "on standby" for future work. Good luck with getting clarification from your employer! Let us know what they tell you - it could help others in similar situations.

I went through this exact situation about 6 months ago! I was on EDD after losing my job and decided to take evening classes at community college to improve my skills. The important thing is that attending part-time school in the evenings generally won't disqualify you from benefits as long as you remain available for full-time work during regular business hours. When you certify, you'll need to answer "yes" to the school attendance question - don't try to hide it! This will trigger some follow-up questions about your schedule and availability. Just be honest and explain that your classes are only in the evenings and don't interfere with your ability to accept suitable employment. I never had any issues with EDD - my benefits continued normally throughout my program. The key is maintaining your work search requirements and being able to demonstrate that you're still actively looking for and available to accept full-time work. Keep detailed records of your job applications just in case they audit you later. Those evening classes ended up being one of the best decisions I made while unemployed - they definitely helped me stand out to employers and I landed a better job than I had before. Don't let fear hold you back from investing in yourself!

I'm currently in a very similar situation - on EDD after being laid off from a logistics job and considering part-time evening classes to boost my skills. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful! It seems like the consensus is that as long as your classes are in the evenings and don't interfere with your availability for full-time work during business hours, you should be fine. The key points I'm taking away are: 1) Be completely honest when certifying - answer "yes" to school attendance and explain your evening schedule, 2) Keep detailed records of your job search activities (sounds like 3-5 applications per week is the safe range), and 3) Make sure you can demonstrate that your classes don't prevent you from accepting suitable employment. I'm feeling much more confident about enrolling now after seeing so many success stories from people in nearly identical situations. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!

This entire discussion has been incredibly informative! I'm facing a similar situation where I had to leave my job at a call center when they suddenly implemented a new policy requiring weekend work, which conflicts with my religious observances. I spoke with my supervisor and HR about religious accommodation but was told the new schedule was mandatory for everyone with no exceptions. Reading about Mason's successful case and all the excellent advice here about documenting everything has given me so much hope for my upcoming eligibility interview. It's reassuring to see that EDD does recognize legitimate reasons for leaving when you've tried to work with your employer first. I made sure to keep copies of all my emails requesting accommodation and their responses denying it. The tip about continuing to certify during the waiting period is especially helpful - I wasn't sure if I should keep doing that while waiting for the decision. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and knowledge here. This community support makes dealing with EDD's process so much more manageable!

Reading through all these success stories and helpful advice has been such a lifesaver! I'm currently waiting for my eligibility interview after having to leave my retail management position when my employer suddenly cut my hours from full-time to just 15 hours per week without any warning or explanation. I tried multiple times to discuss getting my hours restored but was told "business needs have changed" with no further details. Mason's positive outcome and seeing all the great documentation advice here has really helped me feel more prepared. I made sure to keep records of my original employment agreement showing full-time status, my pay stubs showing the dramatic hour reduction, and emails I sent requesting clarification about the changes. It's especially helpful to learn that the 10-day waiting period after the interview is standard and doesn't indicate the outcome. The stress of not knowing while your savings dwindle is really tough, but this community support makes it so much more bearable. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it gives people like us hope that EDD does actually consider legitimate circumstances!

Just wanted to jump in as someone new to this community - this entire thread has been incredibly reassuring! I lost my job at a nonprofit organization about 5 months ago and have been too overwhelmed to even think about filing for unemployment. Between dealing with anxiety about the whole situation and honestly just not understanding the process, I kept putting it off. Reading Carmen's experience and seeing how supportive everyone has been really motivated me to finally take action. The fact that there's a 52-week window is such a relief - I genuinely thought I had completely missed out. I'm definitely going to file this week and try the Claimyr service that everyone's been recommending. The spreadsheet idea for tracking past weeks is genius, and I love how everyone's sharing practical tips rather than just complaints. Thank you all for creating such a helpful and encouraging environment for those of us navigating this confusing system!

Hi everyone! I'm brand new to this community and just discovered this thread while desperately searching for answers about late EDD filings. I lost my job as a hotel front desk supervisor back in February and have been putting off filing for unemployment for months because I was convinced I'd find something quickly (clearly that didn't happen!). Reading through Carmen's entire journey and all of your incredible advice has been such a lifeline - I honestly had no idea about the 52-week window or that backdating was even possible! I've been beating myself up thinking I completely missed out on benefits. The Claimyr service recommendation keeps coming up and sounds like a real game-changer compared to the horror stories I've heard about trying to reach EDD directly. I'm also going to follow Sophia's advice about creating a spreadsheet to track those past months - such a smart idea! Thank you all for being so generous with sharing your experiences and practical tips. This community has turned what felt like a hopeless situation into something I can actually tackle. Filing my claim this week - here goes nothing!