Reporting Work and Wages FAQs

For examples and complete information on how to report your work and wages, visit How to Report Your Work and Wages.

What are wages?

Wages are any earnings or income received from:

Work performed
Back pay award
Bonuses
Commission
Holding fees
Holiday pay
Idle time pay
In-lieu-of-notice pay
Jury duty pay
Paid sick leave
Pension

Piece work pay
Residual pay
Self-employment
Severance pay
Strike benefits
Temporary Total Disability
Tips
Vacation pay
Vocational Rehabilitation Maintenance Allowance
Witness fees
Workers’ Compensation

What will I be paid if I report wages?

If your weekly earnings are $100 or less, the first $25 do not apply. Any amount over $25 is subtracted from your weekly benefit amount and you are paid the difference, if any. For example:

Your weekly benefit amount is $145.
You worked and earned $26 during the certification week.
Since your weekly earnings are less than $100, the first $25 does not apply.
If you meet all eligibility requirements, you will be paid $144.

Calculation Example (If Earnings Are $100 or Less)

Weekly Benefit Amount (A)	Earnings Minus $25 (B)	Benefit Payment Amount (A-B)
$145	$26 - 25 = $1	$144

If your weekly earnings are $101 or more, the first 25 percent does not count. The amount of earnings remaining is subtracted from your weekly benefit amount and you are paid the difference, if any. For example:

Your weekly benefit amount is $315.
You worked and earned $200 during the certification week.
Since your weekly earnings are more than $100, the first 25 percent does not apply.
If you meet all eligibility requirements, you will be paid $165.

Calculation Example (If Earnings are $101 or More)

Weekly Benefit Amount (A)	Earnings Minus $25 (B)	Benefit Payment Amount (A-B)
$315	$200 - (25 percent of earnings) = $200 - ($200 X .25) = $200 - $50 = $150	$165

If you receive Temporary Total Disability or Vocational Rehabilitation Maintenance Allowance, the EDD deducts it from your weekly benefit amount.

If you receive a pension that the EDD determines is a deductible, the EDD deducts it from your weekly benefit amount.

Do I need to report volunteer work?

You do not need to report volunteer work if you are not earning any wages from the work performed. Unpaid volunteer work does not count against your UI benefits as long as you still are actively looking for work and meet all other eligibility requirements when certifying for benefits.

Report work only if you earn wages and expect to receive pay for the work performed. The EDD collects employment data from employers and can detect unreported wages, so it is important that you report any earned wages to avoid committing UI fraud.

What if my payroll weeks are different than the weeks on the Continued Claim Form (DE 4581)?

The certification weeks on the Continued Claim Form (DE 4581) (PDF) always start on a Sunday and end on a Saturday. If your payroll weeks are different than the weeks that the EDD has issued, we suggest you keep a record of your work and wages earned for each day to correctly report information on the DE 4581.

What happens if I do not report my wages?

Certifying for benefits while working and not properly reporting wages is considered committing UI fraud and you could face a variety of serious penalties. You are legally responsible for reporting work and wages correctly.