anybody know if these hearings can be done over the phone or do you have to go in person? my letter says something about options but its not clear

I'm dealing with something similar right now - got hit with a $3,100 overpayment notice from my 2022 claim just last week. Like you, I'm pretty sure I did everything right the first time around. One thing that's been helping me prepare is going through my old emails to find EVERYTHING related to my claim from back then. I found weekly certification confirmations, correspondence with UC, and even some screenshots I took of my dashboard. Also, if you still have access to your online UC account, log in and see if any of your old documents are still stored there. I was able to download some stuff I thought was long gone. The stress is real though - I've been losing sleep too. But from what I'm reading here, it sounds like people who come prepared with good documentation have a decent chance of winning these appeals. We got this!

I've been lurking in this community for a while as a new small business owner and finally decided to jump in because this hits so close to home! I'm dealing with almost the exact same situation at my coffee shop. I hired three part-timers specifically for weekend morning rushes, made it crystal clear during interviews that Saturday/Sunday availability was non-negotiable, and now two of them are saying they can't work weekends anymore because of "lifestyle changes." It's incredibly frustrating because I'm scrambling to cover shifts that were supposed to be reliably staffed. After reading all these responses, I realize I made the same mistake many of us small business owners make - not having written policies in place from the start. I'm definitely going to implement a formal availability policy ASAP. One question though - for those who've been through UC hearings, do the representatives actually understand the challenges small businesses face, or do they tend to side with employees regardless of the circumstances? I'm worried about getting hit with UC claims when I eventually have to let these people go.

I'm a new member here and going through this exact same nightmare with my auto repair shop! I hired a mechanic who said he could work any shift, then three weeks later tells me he can't do evenings anymore because he wants to "spend time with family." Meanwhile, I'm stuck with no coverage for my evening appointments and customers are getting angry. What really gets me is that during the interview, I specifically asked about evening availability and he said it was "no problem at all." Now I'm reading all these responses and realizing I don't have any written policies either - just verbal agreements. This is such a valuable thread for small business owners like us who are learning the hard way. I'm definitely implementing a written availability policy this week and requiring all schedule change requests in writing with proper justification. Has anyone here successfully challenged a UC claim based on availability issues, or do most small businesses just end up paying regardless?

I went through something very similar when I was laid off from my retail job in 2023. My claim was stuck in review for 7 weeks even though I had all my paperwork in order. What finally helped was filing a complaint with the PA Department of Labor & Industry's customer service department (separate from the UC phone line). You can do this online through their website. Within 3 days of filing the complaint, I got a call from a UC supervisor who was able to see that my former employer had never responded to their separation inquiry. They expedited my case and I had my benefits approved within the week. It's worth trying if you've been waiting this long - the complaint process forces them to actually look at your file instead of just letting it sit in the queue.

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - filed in early February and still stuck in review after 6 weeks! It's so frustrating because like you, I have all my documentation submitted and have been doing everything required. The financial stress is really getting to me too. One thing I learned from calling repeatedly is that they're apparently severely understaffed and have a huge backlog from the holidays. The representative I finally spoke to said termination cases are taking 6-8 weeks minimum because they have to verify everything with the employer first. She assured me that as long as I keep filing my weekly claims, I'll get all the back pay once it's approved. I know that doesn't help with immediate bills, but at least there's light at the end of the tunnel. Hang in there!

Update: We were able to get through this morning! The system is now showing the reopened claim and we filed for last week (with the 4 hours reported). It's saying payment will be processed in 2-3 business days. Thanks everyone for your help!

Glad to hear you got it sorted out! For anyone else reading this thread - the key takeaway is that when reopening a UC claim in PA within the same benefit year, there's NO waiting week required. The system just needs time to process (usually overnight). Always report partial hours worked accurately when filing weekly certifications, and you'll get reduced benefits based on earnings. Don't panic if the payment info doesn't show immediately after reopening - that's totally normal!

Just wanted to follow up and say THANK YOU to everyone who helped calm my nerves! My direct deposit hit my account this morning at 6 AM - exactly what you all said would happen. The "taxes withheld" status was indeed just showing that they deducted taxes, not affecting my payment method at all. For anyone else reading this later who might have the same panic - don't worry, the PA UC system is just confusing with how they label things but it works! Really grateful for this community helping first-timers like me understand the process.

So glad to see this follow-up! I was actually in the exact same boat last month - first UC payment with the confusing "taxes withheld" status and totally panicked thinking something was wrong with my direct deposit setup. It's such a relief when that first payment finally hits your account! The PA UC system really needs to work on their status descriptions because "taxes withheld" makes it sound like there's a problem when it's actually just showing you elected tax withholding. Thanks for updating us - it'll definitely help other newcomers who find this thread later!