Hey Declan! I went through this exact same worry when I filed last year. I was working crazy hours at my warehouse job too - sometimes pulling 12-hour shifts 6 days a week during busy season. When I got my determination letter showing max benefits, I was also paranoid they'd made a mistake. But everyone here is absolutely right - PA includes ALL your earnings when calculating your weekly benefit amount. That overtime you worked actually worked in your favor! The system automatically pulls all wage data that your employer reported to the state, and overtime is just part of your regular wages that had unemployment taxes withheld. I called the UC office multiple times to confirm this (took forever to get through), and they assured me that once your monetary determination is issued, that's your locked-in benefit amount based on the wage records they have. They don't randomly recalculate unless there's an actual reporting error from your employer. So relax and focus on your job search - those extra hours you put in actually helped secure you the maximum weekly benefit! Just make sure to keep reporting your work search activities and any part-time earnings going forward.

I'm actually going through something similar right now! Been laid off from my retail job where I was picking up tons of extra shifts during holiday season. Reading through all these responses is super reassuring - I was also worried that my overtime hours might cause issues with my UC calculation. It sounds like the consensus is that PA includes ALL earnings (regular + overtime) when determining your weekly benefit amount, which makes sense since they're all just wages that had unemployment tax taken out. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - definitely helps us newcomers understand how the system actually works instead of stressing about worst-case scenarios! @Declan glad you got this cleared up and are getting the max benefit. Those long hours finally paid off in a different way!

I went through something very similar last year! I was about 10 weeks into my claim when I realized I wasn't logging my job searches in CareerLink properly. Like you, I had been doing the actual work searches and saving all my application confirmations, just not recording them in the right system. Here's what I did and what happened: 1. Immediately started using CareerLink for all future job searches 2. Created a detailed spreadsheet of all my previous applications with dates, company names, and screenshots 3. Never got audited, but I was prepared with my documentation just in case The good news is that you've been doing the actual work search activities, which is what really matters. The documentation requirement exists so you can prove you were actively looking for work. Since you have emails and screenshots, you're in a much better position than someone who wasn't searching at all. My advice: Start using CareerLink today for all new applications, organize your existing proof by claim week, and don't stress too much about the past weeks. Most audits happen when people answer "no" to work search questions or when there are other red flags in their claim history.

I'm in almost the exact same boat! Been on UC for about 12 weeks now and just found out from a coworker that I should have been logging everything in CareerLink. I've been applying to 4-5 jobs every week and have all my confirmation emails saved in a folder, but never put anything in the system. Reading through these responses is making me feel so much better - especially hearing from people who went through the same thing and never got audited. I'm going to start using CareerLink immediately and organize all my past applications by week like others suggested. It's crazy how they don't make this stuff clearer when you first apply! Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences.

lucky you!!! make sure to check if they took taxes out if thats what u wanted. they messed mine up and i had to call to fix it

Congratulations on getting your payments processed so quickly! That's really encouraging for others going through appeals. For anyone else reading this thread - it sounds like the key factors are: 1) making sure all weekly certifications are complete for back weeks, 2) having payment method properly set up, and 3) being persistent with calling if there are delays. Fiona, I hope your money hits your account soon and you can get caught up on rent!

I'm new to this community but have been following this thread closely as someone who's currently on PA UC and has been really anxious about these kinds of situations. This discussion has been incredibly reassuring! I love how everyone has shared their real experiences and given such consistent advice. It's clear that the golden rule is to always file your weekly claim and be completely honest about your availability, even if it means getting $0 for that week. The tips about filing early (up to 4 days before the week ends) and taking screenshots for peace of mind are brilliant. What really stands out to me is how many people have successfully handled vacation weeks without any issues by simply being truthful with the system. It seems like PA UC is actually designed to handle these situations smoothly - the problems only arise when people try to skip filing entirely. Thanks to everyone who took the time to share their experiences here. This kind of real-world advice is so much more helpful than trying to decipher the confusing UC website!

This thread has been such a lifesaver! I'm dealing with almost the exact same situation - I have a family wedding out of state next week and have been so stressed about how to handle my UC filing. Reading through everyone's experiences has completely put my mind at ease. It's incredible how consistent the advice is: always file your weekly claim and just be honest about not being available during vacation days. The fact that so many people have done this successfully without any issues really shows that the PA UC system is designed to handle these situations when you're truthful about it. I'm definitely going to use the early filing option (filing up to 4 days before the week ends) so I don't have to worry about finding good internet while I'm traveling. Thank you to everyone who shared their real experiences - this kind of practical advice is worth its weight in gold when you're navigating UC for the first time!

I've been following this thread and wanted to share something that might help everyone who's been confused about this! I called the PA UC office last week (after many attempts) and the agent clarified that when you're doing your weekly certification online, there's actually a specific section where you log your work search activities. What I learned is that you need to enter: - Date and details for each of your 2 job applications - Date and type of your additional work search activity (workshop, resume update, etc.) The agent told me that as long as you're entering something for the work search activity going forward, you should be fine. She said they understand the requirements weren't clearly explained initially and they're more concerned with current compliance than retroactively penalizing people who were genuinely confused. For anyone still worried about documentation, she recommended keeping a simple log with dates and activities, but said the main thing is just making sure you complete the certification fully each week. Hope this helps ease some anxiety!

As someone who just went through this exact same confusion a few weeks ago, I totally feel your panic! The PA UC website is honestly terrible at explaining this clearly. I had the same realization around week 6 that I was only doing job applications and completely missing the separate work search activity requirement. Here's what I've been doing since then that's worked really well: **Easy weekly work search activities:** - Taking PA CareerLink's free online workshops (usually 30-45 mins, you get a certificate) - Creating job alerts on different sites (Indeed, LinkedIn, Monster - literally takes 2 minutes) - Updating your resume or LinkedIn profile (add a skill, tweak your summary) - Posting your resume to a new job board I keep a simple spreadsheet tracking: date, activity type, and proof (screenshot, confirmation email, certificate). Takes 5 minutes but gives me peace of mind. For your past weeks, honestly I wouldn't stress too much. The system seems inconsistent about audits, and several people here have said agents are understanding about the initial confusion. Just start doing it correctly now and document everything going forward. The PA CareerLink workshops have actually been surprisingly helpful for my job search too! You can find them under "Events" on their website. Hang in there - once you get into a routine with this it becomes automatic! 💪