I'm currently going through a Board of Review appeal too after losing my referee hearing (different circumstances - they said I was fired for attendance issues but I had FMLA documentation). It's been 4 weeks of waiting so far and the financial stress is unreal. What I've learned from researching this is that you absolutely need to keep filing your weekly claims even during the appeal - this was crucial info I almost missed! I called UC to confirm and they said if you don't file weekly during the appeal period, you lose those weeks even if you win the Board appeal. The waiting is torture but from what I'm reading here, people do win these Board appeals more often than I expected. Hang in there and don't give up - sounds like you have solid documentation of the harassment which is exactly what the Board needs to see.

I went through this exact situation about 8 months ago and WON my Board appeal after losing the referee hearing! My case was also a quit due to workplace harassment that my employer completely ignored. The Board doesn't hold another hearing - they just review all the documents, testimony transcript, and your written appeal arguments. What really helped me was being very specific in my written appeal about exactly which evidence the referee overlooked or misinterpreted. I included a timeline showing how I followed proper channels to report the harassment before quitting. The Board took about 6 weeks to decide, which was agonizing financially, but when I won I got a huge lump sum backpay. Keep filing your weekly claims during the appeal - that's critical! Don't lose hope, harassment cases can definitely win at the Board level if you have good documentation.

UPDATE: I tried using Chrome instead of Firefox like someone suggested and I was able to get in! Something must have been wrong with my browser cookies or something. I filed my weekly claim successfully. Thanks everyone for all your help!

So glad you got it sorted out! I've been following this thread because I've had similar browser issues with PA's system. It's crazy how these government websites seem to have such specific browser requirements. For anyone else reading this in the future - it's worth trying different browsers first before spending hours on hold. Chrome and Edge seem to work best with most state unemployment systems from what I've experienced.

This is such a frustrating situation but unfortunately pretty common in PA. I went through something similar where an old employer from my base period contested my claim months after I'd been laid off from a different job. The key thing to remember is that you have rights in this process - don't let them intimidate you into giving up. When you get your hearing scheduled, make sure to have all your documentation ready: termination letter, final pay stub, any emails or texts about being let go, employment contract if you had one. Also, if you have any coworkers who witnessed your layoff or can vouch for your employment status, their contact info might be helpful. The hearing officers are usually pretty good at seeing through bogus employer claims if you come prepared with facts. Hang in there!

This is such a common issue and it's really frustrating that PA doesn't explain this better to claimants upfront. I work in HR and see this happen all the time - employers from your base period absolutely can contest claims even if they're not your most recent employer. What many people don't realize is that all base period employers pay unemployment taxes that fund your benefits, so they have skin in the game financially. The good news is that if they're claiming you quit voluntarily, they need to provide documentation proving that - it's not just your word against theirs. Make sure you respond to every single piece of correspondence within the deadlines they give you, and start gathering any evidence you have about being let go (emails, texts, termination letter, final pay stub, etc). Don't let them wear you down - you earned these benefits!

Ben, congratulations on landing the job after 6 months! That's such a huge win and shows incredible persistence on your part. I actually went through this exact same situation about 9 months ago when I started working at a local bank that only paid monthly. The wait for that first paycheck was absolutely brutal - I totally get the stress you're feeling right now. Unfortunately, the tough reality is that you'll need to report your work hours each week based on when you actually perform the work, not when you get paid. With 38 hours per week, you'll likely be considered fully employed and lose UC eligibility during those unpaid weeks. I know it's frustrating when you're not seeing any income yet, but that's how the system works. Here's what helped me survive that gap: - Asked my new employer about advance pay options during my first week - turned out they had a policy they didn't really advertise - Called 2-1-1 immediately to find emergency assistance programs in my area (seriously, call them first thing tomorrow!) - Signed up for gig work apps like DoorDash and Instacart for evening/weekend income - Reached out to my landlord right away to explain the work transition situation - they were way more understanding than I expected - Connected with local food banks and community organizations to stretch my budget The most important thing is being proactive about asking for help BEFORE your bills are due. Most people are surprisingly understanding when you explain you're transitioning back to work rather than unemployed. You've already proven you can handle financial uncertainty by job searching for 6 months. These next 3 weeks will be tough, but knowing you have a guaranteed paycheck coming May 28th makes it totally different from the past uncertainty. You're almost at the finish line! Just make sure to report everything honestly to UC to avoid any overpayment issues later. You've got this!

Ben, congratulations on the new job! That's amazing after 6 months of searching - you should be really proud of your persistence paying off. I went through this exact situation about 2 years ago when I started at a nonprofit that paid monthly. The 3+ week gap before my first paycheck was absolutely terrifying, especially coming off months of unemployment. Here's the hard truth: you'll need to report your work hours each week based on when you actually work them, not when you get paid. At 38 hours/week, you'll almost certainly lose UC eligibility once you start, even during those unpaid weeks. I know it's incredibly frustrating. But you CAN get through this! Here's what saved me: - Asked HR about emergency advance policies on day 2 (they had one but didn't advertise it!) - Called 2-1-1 for local emergency assistance - found programs I never knew existed - Signed up for same-day pay gig apps (Uber Eats worked great in the evenings after work) - Contacted my landlord immediately to explain the work transition - they gave me a 2-week extension - Used local food pantries to stretch every dollar The key is being proactive and asking for help BEFORE bills are due. Most people are understanding when you explain you're transitioning back to work rather than unemployed. You've already survived 6 months of uncertainty - these 3 weeks will fly by knowing you have guaranteed income coming May 28th. You're literally at the finish line! Report everything honestly to UC and reach out for help tomorrow. You've got this!

This whole thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm bookmarking this for sure. @James Maki thank you so much for those step-by-step instructions - they should honestly put those right on the PA CareerLink homepage since this seems to be such a common issue. I went through RESEA about 8 months ago and had the exact same problem finding where to schedule it. Back then I ended up calling and waiting on hold for literally 4 hours before someone could help me locate it in the system. For anyone still struggling with this, I'd also suggest clearing your browser cache before trying to navigate to the RESEA activity - sometimes the CareerLink site gets glitchy and doesn't display all the options properly. And definitely use Chrome or Edge like @James Maki mentioned. I was using Safari initially and half the buttons didn't even work. @Aisha Jackson so glad you got it sorted out! The actual RESEA interview is really not bad at all - much more helpful than intimidating. They'll probably ask about your job search methods and might suggest some resources you haven't tried yet. Just be honest about what you've been doing and they're usually pretty supportive.

Wow, this thread is a goldmine of information! I just got selected for RESEA this week and was about to panic trying to figure out where to find it. @James Maki your step-by-step instructions are absolutely perfect - I just followed them and found my RESEA activity right where you said it would be under Services > Recommended Services. Seriously, you should write a guide or something because this is way clearer than anything on the official PA CareerLink help pages! It's honestly mind-boggling how they can make a mandatory requirement so hard to locate on their own website. I was clicking around for over an hour before I found this thread. @Aisha Jackson glad you got yours scheduled - gives me confidence that the actual interview won't be as stressful as trying to find where to sign up for it! For anyone else dealing with this, I'd also recommend taking screenshots once you find the RESEA section, just in case you need to navigate back there later. The PA unemployment system has taught me to document everything because you never know when something might mysteriously disappear or stop working. Thanks again everyone for sharing your experiences - this community is so much more helpful than the official support channels!