Unemployment compensation comes in handy when you find yourself without a job. Once approved for unemployment, you receive a weekly benefits check. The rules to continue receiving benefits are simple and straightforward. There are measures of accountability in place to make sure those rules are followed and to prevent people from abusing the system.
Searches Are Tracked
Unemployment benefits come with a two-sided agreement. The unemployment agency agrees to provide you with temporary financial assistance between jobs. In return for that assistance, you agree to actively search for jobs each week that you are unemployed. By tracking your job searches, the unemployment agency ensures you are holding up your end of the agreement. Each state has it's own regulations regarding job search tracking. To determine the specifics for your state, contact your local unemployment agency.
Required Weekly Reports
As long as you remain jobless, you must submit a brief weekly or bi-weekly report of your employment activities, depending on your state. Each state has it's own specific rules for what you are required to report. In many cases, you simply answer a few questions, including whether or not you worked or applied for jobs during the week. How you answer these questions determines whether or not you receive a benefits check the following week. If you report that you didn't look for work, you are in violation of the benefits agreement. This violation can result in a cancellation of benefits.
Verifying Your Search
Depending on your state, the unemployment agency may ask you to provide specific details about companies you have contacted for employment. For this reason, it's a good idea to keep a journal or log book of jobs you apply for, including the job title, date of application, company name, business address and telephone number. An unemployment agency representative may or may not contact the company to verify whether or not you indeed applied for work. If you lie about your job search activities, the truth may surface and cause you to lose benefits.
Job Search Method
The good news about job search tracking is that you are not required to look for work using one specific method. If you don't want to waste a lot of gas driving around the city looking for jobs, it is perfectly okay to use electronic means to look for work. Electronic means include submitting an online application from a company's website, checking online job boards or emailing resumes to potential employers. Report your electronic job search activities when making your weekly reports.
