labor lawAdivision of labor law center

Pennsylvania is similar to Oregon, in that the state has what is called the Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund. That is where all employers’ contributions go when they pay their unemployment insurance taxes. The state then uses the trust fund to pay out the benefits to the unemployed workers out there in the Keystone State.

And like in Oregon, for the system to work properly in Pennsylvania, it takes more than money. Employers in Pennsylvania have to provide the state system with quarterly reports on all of their wages paid and covered under the unemployment insurance regulations, and they must also pay out their contributions on a quarterly basis based on these wage reports.

And like in Oregon—and basically in any state—employers in Pennsylvania must have an up to date and accurate personnel file system in order to track all of the info on their workers, former and current, that the unemployment insurance system relies on to pay the right benefits to the right unemployed adults.

For instance, the state of Pennsylvania strongly recommends that all employers in the state have complete employment and payroll records for all of their employees, going back to the time that your company started. You should also have cash books, journals, corporate minutes, and ledgers. The state officials suggest that you keep these records for up to four years until unemployment benefits related to them are paid off.

The Pennsylvania folks also recommend keeping absence reports for up to two years after you pay out the last of the benefits for a certain employee. Absence reports, don’t forget, can go a long way to help you explain why an employee was not laid off, but fired instead (and thus not deserved of unemployment benefits). For all of these records, you should have them all stored in one location, and accessible in case the state officials themselves want to take a look.

According to Pennsylvania Unemployment Insurance posters, Unemployment Compensation (UC) protects workers against job loss by providing temporary income support to people who become unemployed through no fault of their own. UC Benefits are paid, for a limited time, to individuals who are able and available for suitable work, and are actively seeking new employment. To qualify for UC benefits, a worker must have performed services covered under the Pennsylvania UC Law (Law), and must have worked for an employer who is required by Law or elects to pay into the UC Fund.

Businesses that provide employment covered under the provisions of the Pennsylvania (PA) UC Law must register with the Commonwealth for UC coverage within 30 days of the date that covered employment is first provided. Act 5 of 2005 provides for civil and criminal penalties for employers who willfully fail or refuse to file a required registration document with the Department. Additional penalties occur if the business does not post Pennsylvania Unemployment Insurance posters.

Every calendar year, an individual contribution tax rate is computed for each active employer; and a rate notice is mailed to each employer containing information about the rate assigned for that calendar year. If an employer disagrees with the information on the rate notice, an appeal may be filed within 90 days of the date of the rate notice.

Quarterly reporting forms are mailed to employers near the end of each calendar quarter. The employer is responsible for completing and filing these reports, showing wages paid to employees, and remitting any resulting contributions based on those wages. Reporting employee wages and remitting contributions is required even if no reporting form is received by an employer. Legal action may be pursued if an employer does not file the required information and/or remit any resulting contributions.

Employers who cease paying wages in Pennsylvania must notify the Office of UC Tax Services (UCTS) promptly, so the mailing of quarterly reports can be discontinued and the account closed. Only at this point may Pennsylvania Unemployment Insurance posters be removed.

Every state handles its own unemployment insurance, while staying under Federal guidelines for the procedure. Across the board, all states have basic rules within their laws that are generally similar. The major difference that I found between the states is that some of the states off much higher rates and weekly allowances than others.

The part of the law that is fairly common across the states is the following:
1. You must have first been employed in order to collect unemployment benefits. This employment must have also had some sort of base period associated with it over an established period of time.
2. You must be currently unemployed due to no fault of your own. For example, if you quit your job, then you are not eligible for unemployment. However, if you were fired or laid off, then you may be able to collect unemployment, as long as you are not at fault or willingly unemployed.
3. Once you begin to collect unemployment, it is essential that you continue to file claims with the agency. You must also respond to any questions that the state poses of you in regards to your unemployment status. If you are offered a job that you decline, you should be able to explain why you declined the job.
4. If there are other unemployment requirements for the Pennsylvania system, then you must meet them.

The minimum amount of money that you can collect while on unemployment is $35-43. Pennsylvania has one of the most generous unemployment plans as well. You may collect up to $469 in benefits. You may collect for up to 26 weeks and can be taxed on $8,000 of your earnings.

Keep in mind that you must prove that you are actively seeking employment even if you are unemployed. You must file weekly and prove that you’re making a diligent effort to earn a living.

Pennsylvania’s unemployment insurance laws are detailed on the Pennsylvania Complete Labor Law poster. This one poster contains all the state, federal, and OSHA laws.