Would Refusing Side/Odd Jobs While Receiving Benefits Cause Me to Lose Them

[totravelgirl]

My question involves unemployment benefits for the state of: California

I've done a lot of research on refusing suitable work, and what is suitable and reasons for refusing and how it affects your benefits. However this is no info on refusing side jobs or odd jobs while you are seeking full time work in your profession, while on unemployment benefits.

If I take up a side job here and there, and get called to do a one day event and I'm not available, thus I "refused work", does that affect my unemployment benefit or is this just refusal related to "full time work in your field" offers? This side job is not my profession, but something that I can do to earn some income while seeking full time work in my field (based on experience, training and education).

Prior to receiving benefits, I wasn't sure if I'd get approved so I sought out side jobs, but I'm not going to be available to work every day job (it's a 3-4 hr shift) that is offered to me, and I don't want to risk losing my benefits. Should I just tell the side job company not to contact me anymore? Is that another violation? Someone please help clarify this for me!

By the way, does the EDD/UI office contact the side job company at all? I've worked one job and listed them down on my claim for with their name and address. Will they ask the side job office if I have refused work? Again this is not a full time job offer, it's a side job, when work is available and they ask if I can work that day/shift...and sometimes I'm not available due to other prior personal obligations so I tell them I'm not available that day or shift. On the claim form, the UI claim asks, "Did you refuse any work", so I'm scared I'll lose my benefits. Please tell me this will not affect my benefits!

Thank you for helping!

[Disagreeable]

Your refusing work will require you to lie on your report or not claim the week.

[davidmcbeth3]

Ah, the failure of your argument is that you claim you are NOT AVAILABLE ... but why not? Best have a good reason, a really good reason & proof of it; "personal obligations" is not going to cut it I think. Yes, they could call the side job and discover that you have mislead them in your weekly answers.

I don't want u to lose your UI ... you started this relationship ... you should stick with it; you may get a FT job, who knows.

I would think that going to a job interview for a FT job would trump the PT work.

Its good you are working sometimes .. put this on your resumes , it will help even if not in your field.

Good luck in your job search!

[totravelgirl]

This "side-job company" will never have a part-time or full-time job offer for me nor anyone. Everyone is an independent contractor on call for 3-4 hr shifts of work when it is available.

Secondly, the hours of the work is odd, it could be day, night, weekends, weekdays. Well why would I have to work any and all hours for a side job if I have other personal obligations to attend to on that particular day or hours? My availability shouldn't be 24/7/365. I know that its great to be making some money, but since I have UI benefits, I do want a personal life as well, so I don't financially need to take a shift if I don't want to. I mean, if my neighbor offers me a "side job" to clean his bathroom and garage and I refuse, one frankly because I don't want to, would that be fair to say that I refused work and should then lose my UI benefits?? If that is the case then I could theoretically make a "side job" offer to anyone on UI to clean my car, or house or paint my toe nails for money and if they refuse, they would have to answer 'yes' on the claim, "Did you refuse any work?" form, correct?

I'd like someone's input that has a specific reference to refusing side/odd jobs while collecting unemployment and how that can affect your benefits. Again, I have researched the refusal of a full-time offer position, but have no info on side/odd jobs that are not part-time nor full-time, no guaranteed hours, I could work 3 hours this month or nothing.