How to get PA UC job search exemption as a school bus driver on summer break?

ur considered a seasonal worker with a return date, think u dont have to do searches if u have recall date in writing from ur employer

Really? That would be such a relief if true. My supervisor did send an email confirming our return date for August 15th. Would that count as having it in writing?

I'm dealing with this EXACT SAME PROBLEM but as a cafeteria worker!!! The system is RIDICULOUS and makes no sense for school employees who are off every summer. I spent TWO HOURS yesterday trying to figure out this job search nightmare. Why should we have to look for jobs when we ALREADY HAVE JOBS waiting for us in August??!! It's just a way for them to deny benefits to hardworking people!!

I understand your frustration! The PA UC system does actually have provisions for seasonal/cyclical employment like school bus drivers and cafeteria staff. You need to make sure your employer filed a \

Hi there, I can help clarify this situation. As a school employee, you likely fall under what PA UC considers \

Thank you for this detailed explanation. I'll check my dashboard to see if it says I'm exempt. The thing is, I can't even log in because I forgot my username and password from last summer. Any tips on how to get back into my account? The password reset process seems to be going in circles.

My sister drives for a school district too and she just gets unemployment every summer without doing any job searches. I think it depends on your specific contract. Some districts set it up differently than others.

This is an important point - it does vary by district and specific employer. The key is whether your employer has officially notified UC of your recall date. Without that official notification, the system will default to requiring regular work searches regardless of your verbal agreement to return.

Actually tried calling PA UC about something similar last month, got busy signals for days! Just giving up wasnt an option for me so I found a service called Claimyr that got me through to an agent in 30 mins when Id been trying for a week on my own. they have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2. The agent told me school employees need something called a 'reasonable assurance letter' on file to be exempt from searches. Worth asking about when you get through!

does that claimyr thing actually work? been trying to get thru to UC for 2 weeks str8

Yep worked for me! Got through when I'd been trying for days with no luck. Agent was able to fix my issue in like 10 minutes once I actually got to talk to someone.

I was in this EXACT situation last year as a school bus driver! Here's what I had to do: \n\n1. Get a formal letter from your supervisor stating your return date (email won't cut it - needs to be on letterhead)\n\n2. When filing your initial claim, there's a specific question about having a recall date - answer YES and enter the date\n\n3. You still need to do weekly certifications, but you'll see a message that you're exempt from work search\n\nIf you've already filed without mentioning the recall date, you'll need to contact UC to update your claim. The login issues are separate - use the \

This is incredibly helpful! Thank you for the detailed steps. I'll ask my supervisor for a formal letter tomorrow. I think I did answer yes to the recall date question when filing, so hopefully that's already in their system.

One more thing to be aware of - if this is your first time filing since the pandemic, the PA UC system underwent significant updates. Your old login credentials from \

That makes sense about the logins being different now. I'll try setting up a new account instead of fighting with the recovery process. Is there any way to check my exemption status without calling? Their phone lines are always jammed.

Once you log in to your dashboard, look at the

Perfect, I'll check that section once I get logged in. Thanks everyone for all the helpful info. This has been so much clearer than anything I could find on the official website!

I went through this same situation two years ago as a substitute teacher! Just wanted to add that even if you get the exemption, make sure to keep documenting everything. I kept copies of my recall letter and screenshots of my dashboard showing the exemption status because there was some confusion later when I had to renew my claim. Also, if your district uses a specific HR system or union contract, sometimes they automatically handle the reasonable assurance paperwork - worth checking with your HR department to see if they've already filed it with the state. Good luck getting back into your account!

Hey everyone! I'm new to this whole unemployment thing as a school custodian. Been reading through all these comments and wow, this is way more complicated than I thought it would be! I just got laid off for the summer and honestly had no idea about any of this exemption stuff. My supervisor mentioned something about coming back in August but didn't give me anything formal. After reading @Jamal Washington's steps, sounds like I need to get that official letter ASAP. Question though - does it matter what type of school employee you are? Like, does a custodian get treated the same as a bus driver or teacher for these exemptions? Really hoping I don't have to do job searches when I know I'll be back mopping floors in two months!

Just wanted to jump in here as someone who went through this nightmare last summer as a school maintenance worker! The system is definitely confusing but you CAN get the exemption. Few things that helped me: 1) Don't waste time trying to recover old passwords - the system changed and you'll need to create a new account anyway. 2) That formal letter on letterhead is CRUCIAL - I initially tried with just an email from my boss and it didn't work. 3) Even with the exemption, you still have to do your weekly certifications, you just won't see job search requirements. One tip nobody mentioned - if you're having trouble reaching UC by phone, try calling right at 8am when they open. I got through on the second ring doing that. The afternoon is absolutely hopeless. Also check if your school district has a specific person who handles UC paperwork - ours does and she knew exactly what forms to send to the state. Saved me hours of headache!