Simplified Information on the New UC Policies 

On Monday, August 1, 2011, several changes to Florida's Unemployment Compensation program took effect:

• Internet Filing and Certification of Weeks - Initial and continued claims must be filed over the Internet.  Phone claims will no longer be accepted.
• Work Search - You are required to make 5 (five) contacts* with potential employers per week and provide this information over the Internet during your bi-weekly certification for benefits.  A quick, efficient way to contact employers is by using the Employ Florida Marketplace at employflorida.com, the state's online job matching system where you can search thousands of job postings and apply for jobs. 
  • If you are not able to make at least five employer contacts* in a week, attending a workshop at your local One-Stop Career Center  will satisfy this requirement for that week.  At this workshop, staff will provide an overview of how to contact employers and how to perform a search in Employ Florida. Staff is available to help you make employer contacts Monday through Friday, but the workshops are available only on Thursday afternoons and Fridays at our centers.  You must be at the center no later than 3:00pm on Friday afternoon in order to attend an Unemployment workshop.  
• Skills Review - When filing an initial claim, in order to receive benefits, you must complete a skills review over the Internet. The results of the review will be used by local One-Stop Career Centers to assist you with job searches.  You'll be prompted about the skills review during your initial claim filing.
• Severance Pay - If your severance pay per week is equal to or greater than your weekly benefit amount, you are not entitled to benefits for that week. Severance pay does not impact the total amount of benefits that can be paid on the claim. 

For more information, please visit www.floridajobs.org.

 *A "contact" for Unemployment Compensation (UC) is any direct contact you have with an employer related to gaining employment with that employer-not simply looking for work. That includes following up, second interviews, applying for another job at the company, assessments, or any employment related activity.