Congratulations Aisha! This is such amazing news! 🎉 I've been quietly following your journey and I'm so excited that everything worked out for you. Your story has been incredibly helpful for those of us who might face similar situations in the future. The way you handled everything - from asking thoughtful questions to staying on top of the reporting requirements - really shows how to navigate this process the right way. It's also wonderful to see how supportive and knowledgeable this community is. Everyone's advice about proper reporting, keeping documentation, and understanding the nuances of PA UC has been educational for all of us. Best of luck with your new position - after 8 weeks of searching, you definitely deserve this success! Thanks for keeping us updated throughout your journey.

Congratulations Aisha! This is absolutely wonderful news! 🎉 I'm so excited for you - landing a job after 8 weeks of searching is such an accomplishment, especially in today's challenging market. You've been handling this entire situation so professionally and it's clear you're going to do great in your new role. The advice you've received here about reporting the job acceptance on your weekly certification while continuing to file until your actual start date is spot on. This community really came together to help you navigate the PA UC system, and your experience will definitely help others who find themselves in similar transitions. Make sure to celebrate this win - you've earned it! Best of luck on your first day and in your new position!

I'm new to this community but had to jump in because your situation is almost identical to what I went through last year! The whole "rule violation" thing is definitely intimidating when you first see it, but it's really just their way of contesting your claim - not an actual determination that you did anything wrong. What really stands out to me is how your employer's story keeps evolving. Going from "different direction" to "wouldn't be against your unemployment" to suddenly discovering "rule violations" only after you filed? That's textbook bad faith behavior that UC examiners see right through. I learned the hard way that you absolutely MUST keep filing your weekly claims during this process - I almost made the mistake of stopping when I saw the contest. Also, that conversation where your boss said they "wouldn't be against" your claim is probably your strongest piece of evidence. Write down every single detail you can remember about it. One thing that really helped my case was emphasizing during the determination interview how my employer's story kept changing after I filed. The examiner took note of the inconsistency and ruled in my favor. Your situation sounds even stronger since you have that HR email essentially admitting your manager "misspoke" - that's basically confirmation that the original conversation happened and they're trying to backtrack. Don't let them intimidate you into giving up! The system is designed to protect workers from exactly this kind of post-termination story manipulation.

I'm new to this community but your situation is really striking a chord with me because I just went through something very similar! The "rule violation" status is definitely scary at first, but from what I've learned, it's really just the system's way of flagging that your employer contested your claim - not an actual finding against you. What's most telling about your case is the clear timeline of your employer changing their story. They went from "going in a different direction" during termination → telling you they "wouldn't be against" your unemployment claim → HR saying the manager "misspoke" → suddenly claiming rule violations only AFTER you filed. That pattern screams bad faith contest to me. That initial conversation where your boss said they "wouldn't be against" your claim is incredibly valuable evidence. It's essentially an admission that they didn't consider your termination misconduct-related when it actually happened. Combined with shutting down your email access so quickly (looks like they're trying to prevent evidence gathering), their behavior is going to look really suspicious to the UC examiner. My advice: document every detail of that conversation with exact dates/times, keep filing your weekly claims no matter what, and don't let their intimidation tactics work. The determination interview is where you'll get to present all this evidence of their contradictory statements. You've got a really strong case here - employers who legitimately terminate for misconduct don't usually tell people they "wouldn't be against" their unemployment benefits! Stay strong and keep fighting this. The system is designed to catch exactly these kinds of post-filing story changes from employers trying to avoid their unemployment costs.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in a very similar situation - just got offered a part-time position (12-15 hours/week) while on UC and was really anxious about how to handle it correctly. Reading everyone's real experiences has been so much more valuable than trying to decipher the official PA UC website. The consistent advice seems to be: 1) Be completely honest when reporting ALL earnings and hours, 2) Report gross pay for the week you worked (not when paid), 3) Keep simple records (notebook or phone photos), 4) Continue job search activities, and 5) Don't stress about the math since the system calculates partial benefits automatically. What's really encouraging is hearing from multiple people that their combined income (part-time wages + reduced UC) was actually higher than UC benefits alone. That makes this transition feel much less scary financially. One quick question for those who've been through this - when you report your part-time earnings, does it affect your benefit year or the total amount you can collect over time? Or does it just reduce that week's payment while preserving your remaining benefit balance for later weeks? Thanks everyone for sharing such detailed, practical advice. This community is amazing!

I'm really glad I found this thread! I'm currently on UC and just got offered a part-time job that starts at 20 hours/week but will become full-time in about 6 months. After reading all these experiences, I feel so much more confident about taking the position. The consistent message seems to be that PA's partial benefit system actually works well when you're honest and organized about reporting. I especially appreciate the practical tips about keeping records - I think I'll use the phone photo method for my work schedules since I always have my phone with me anyway. It's also really encouraging to hear from multiple people that the combined income (wages + reduced UC) often ends up being more than UC alone. One thing that's been weighing on my mind is whether I should give PA UC a heads up before I start working, or if I should just wait until I have actual earnings to report on my weekly certification. Has anyone found it helpful to call ahead, or is it better to just let the weekly filing process handle everything? Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences here - this kind of real-world advice is so much more helpful than trying to figure everything out from the official websites!

This thread is absolutely incredible - such a wealth of real-world experience and practical advice! I'm actually going through something similar right now (14-week severance package, laid off last month) and this conversation has answered so many questions I didn't even know I should be asking. I especially appreciate everyone emphasizing the importance of filing immediately and keeping up with weekly certifications during the severance period. I almost made the mistake of thinking I should wait until my severance ended to file! The tips about using CareerLink resources, keeping detailed documentation, and treating the severance period as strategic career development time are game-changers. I've been feeling anxious about the long gap before UC payments start, but you've all reframed it as an opportunity to be selective and thorough in my job search. One question for those who've been through this - did any of you find that employers were understanding about the severance situation during interviews? I'm worried potential employers might think I'm not serious about finding work quickly since I have that financial cushion. Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed, helpful experiences. This community is amazing!

This has been such an incredibly valuable thread! As a newcomer to this community and someone who might be facing a similar situation in the coming months (my company just announced "restructuring" plans), I'm amazed by how generous everyone has been with sharing their real experiences and practical advice. The consistent message about filing immediately after your last day of work, even though you won't receive payments during the severance period, seems counterintuitive but makes perfect sense once you understand the system. And the emphasis on maintaining those weekly certifications and job search requirements during the entire severance period is crucial information I never would have known otherwise. What really stands out to me is how many of you turned what could have been a stressful waiting period into productive career development time. The suggestions about using CareerLink resources, getting certifications, and being strategic about job searching rather than desperate really reframe the whole experience in a positive way. I'm definitely bookmarking this thread for future reference and will be sharing it with colleagues who might need this information. Thank you all for creating such a comprehensive resource and showing that this community truly supports each other through difficult transitions. The combination of technical knowledge and emotional support here is exactly what people need when navigating unemployment for the first time!

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now! Got laid off last week and I'm expecting my final paycheck plus some accrued vacation time payout in the next few days. Based on what everyone's saying here, it sounds like I shouldn't report either of these on my weekly certifications since the work was done before my layoff date. Is that correct? Also, does anyone know if there's a difference in how PA UC treats regular final paychecks vs. vacation/PTO payouts? I want to make sure I handle this correctly from the start to avoid any issues down the road.

Just want to echo what everyone else has said - you're handling this correctly! I went through the exact same confusion when I got laid off from my job at a warehouse last year. Got my final check about 10 days after my last day and spent way too much time worrying about whether to report it. The rule is simple: if you didn't do the work during the week you're claiming benefits for, don't report it. One thing I learned the hard way though - make sure you keep a copy of that final paystub! I had an issue months later where PA UC needed documentation about my employment dates, and having that final paystub with the pay period dates really helped prove when my employment actually ended. Also, if you have any unused sick time or personal days that get paid out, same rule applies - don't report it since you "earned" those days while you were still employed. The weekly certification process gets easier once you get into the routine. Just remember to be honest about any actual work you do during each claim week going forward. Good luck with your job search!