Hey there! I just went through a similar situation with my job doing rolling 3-day weeks for about 2 months. Definitely file for the ongoing Friday shutdowns - it's absolutely worth it! I was getting around $160/week which made a huge difference. A couple things that helped me: First, make sure your husband keeps all his pay stubs and writes down exact hours worked each week. The PA system sometimes glitches and you might need to prove your earnings later. Second, for the work search requirements (yes, you still have to do them even with partial unemployment), I found that attending virtual workshops through the local workforce development board counted as activities, plus updating my LinkedIn profile and doing those career assessments on PA CareerLink. The single Tuesday probably isn't worth the hassle - I tried filing for just one random day once and spent more time on paperwork than the benefit was worth. But ongoing reduced hours? Definitely file ASAP because of that waiting week. And be prepared for some frustration with the phone system if you need to call - I recommend trying early morning around 8 AM for the best chance of getting through. Good luck! The system isn't perfect but the extra money really does help when you're dealing with reduced hours.

I've been through this exact scenario with my job doing mandatory shutdowns every Friday for about 4 months last year. Definitely file for the ongoing Friday situation - it's absolutely worth it! I was getting about $140/week which really helped offset the lost wages. One thing I wish someone had told me earlier: when you file your weekly certification, make sure to report your earnings for the actual week you worked, not when you get paid. So if you worked Monday-Thursday but don't get paid until the following Friday, report those earnings for the week you actually worked. This tripped me up initially and caused some confusion with my claim. For work search requirements, I found that PA CareerLink has tons of free webinars and virtual job fairs that count as activities. I'd usually do one webinar and update my profile there each week - much easier than applying to random jobs when you already have steady employment. Also, if you need to call PA UC for any reason, try calling right when they open at 8 AM on Tuesdays or Wednesdays - way better chance of getting through. Skip the one-day Tuesday filing though - the administrative hassle isn't worth it for just one day. But for ongoing reduced hours, definitely get that claim started ASAP because of the waiting week. Keep detailed records of everything and you should be fine!

does anyone know if theres a way to do this online instead of calling? the pa treasury website is confusing

Update: I finally got through to Treasury this morning after about 45 minutes on hold. They confirmed my direct deposit had expired after exactly 12 months. Got it set up again and they said my next payment will be direct deposit. Thanks everyone for your help!

I'm really sorry you're going through this stressful situation, but it sounds like you're building a solid case for your appeal! Based on everything you've shared, you have several strong pieces of evidence: 1. The email from your supervisor mentioning "your position has been eliminated" - this is HUGE because it directly contradicts their claim that you quit 2. Your unused vacation payout on the final paycheck - employers typically don't pay this out for voluntary quits 3. Text messages showing your immediate shock about being fired 4. The follow-up emails about returning company property Make sure to organize all of this chronologically and bring multiple copies to your hearing. The fact that your employer has no resignation letter, notice, or any documentation of you quitting while you have multiple pieces of evidence showing you were terminated gives you a really strong position. One more suggestion: when you're at the hearing, if the employer claims you quit, ask them directly "Can you please show the referee my resignation letter or any written notice I gave?" Put the burden on them to produce evidence they don't have. Stay calm and factual, and let your evidence speak for itself. You've got this - employers who lie about separation reasons often get caught because they can't back up their claims with documentation. Good luck on May 25th!

Wow, reading through all the advice here has been incredibly helpful - this community is amazing! One thing I'd add that hasn't been mentioned yet is to also check if your employer posted your job opening online after your "quit date." If they were actively recruiting for your position immediately after you allegedly quit, that's pretty strong evidence they knew you weren't coming back because they fired you, not because you resigned. You can search job boards like Indeed, LinkedIn, or your company's career page to see if they posted your role. Take screenshots with dates visible if you find anything. Companies don't usually rush to fill positions that people "voluntarily" quit from without notice. Also, consider reaching out to your state representative's office if the appeal doesn't go your way. They often have staff who help constituents navigate state agency issues like UC appeals. It's a free service and they can sometimes help escalate cases or provide additional resources. You've built such a strong case with all the evidence everyone has helped you identify. That email about your position being eliminated is basically a smoking gun. Your employer is going to have a really hard time explaining that one away. Rooting for you on May 25th!

Just want to echo what everyone else is saying here - this is such a common confusion point for new UC recipients! I made the exact same mistake when I first started collecting benefits. The lack of integration between CareerLink and the UC system is really frustrating, especially since they're both state systems. What helped me stay organized was creating a weekly routine: every Sunday I review all my job applications from the previous week, make sure I have screenshots/confirmations saved, and then enter everything when I file my weekly claim on Monday. I also keep a backup spreadsheet with all the details just in case the UC system glitches or I need to reference something later. The extra documentation might seem like overkill, but after reading about people getting audited and nearly losing benefits, it's definitely worth the peace of mind. Keep doing what you're doing with the detailed record-keeping - you're on the right track!

New UC recipient here and wow, this thread just saved me from making a huge mistake! I've been religiously applying through CareerLink for the past three weeks thinking everything was being tracked automatically for my work search requirements. When I checked my UC dashboard and saw it was completely empty, I panicked and thought there was some kind of system error. Reading everyone's experiences here makes it clear that I need to go back and manually enter all my applications ASAP. I've been keeping a basic log with company names and dates, but clearly I need to up my documentation game with screenshots and confirmation emails like everyone suggests. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge - this could have been a disaster if I'd found out during an audit instead of from this helpful community!

I'm in a similar situation - been waiting 7 weeks for my open issue to be resolved and getting really worried about making rent. Reading all these responses gives me hope that persistence pays off! Quick question for everyone who's had success with multiple contacts to their state rep - did you call or email the second time? I emailed the first time but wondering if calling might get faster attention since time is running out. Also, has anyone tried contacting BOTH their state rep AND their state senator at the same time, or is that overkill? Thanks for all the helpful advice in this thread - it's reassuring to know I'm not alone in this frustrating situation!

I went through this exact same situation last year! Contacted my state rep twice for the same open issue. The first time got me nowhere after 4 weeks, but the second time I was more strategic about it. I called instead of emailing, specifically mentioned it had been over 8 weeks total (someone here mentioned that's an important threshold), and I was very specific about my financial hardship - exact dates when rent was due, utilities getting shut off, etc. The key difference the second time was that I asked to speak with whoever handled UC cases specifically, not just the general staff. That person seemed to have better contacts at UC and knew exactly what buttons to push. My case was resolved within a week of that second contact. Don't give up - the system is broken but persistence really does work. The UC reps who tell you "nothing can be done" are just regular customer service staff. Your state rep has access to supervisors and managers who can actually move things along. 8 weeks is definitely long enough to justify pushing harder!