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Not long ago, state Labor Secretary Jerry Oleksiak was presiding over a department responsible for an area of life that was about as fulfilled as could be: unemployment was lower than it had been in four decades.
Now, due to the state's closure of non-essential businesses in hopes of mitigating harm from the coronavirus pandemic, Oleksiak's department has fielded more unemployment compensation claims than in any previous week and maybe any previous year, the secretary said this week in a news conference.
Since March 15, workers have filed 939,000 claims, the secretary said.
"Like nothing we've ever seen," he stated.
"There are so many claims we never could have imagined," said Susan Dickinson, director of unemployment compensation benefits policy.
The surge, coupled with social distancing requirements that have forced department employees to work from home, plus initial low staffing due to the earlier low unemployment, has led to a bottleneck in processing the compensation claims, according to Oleksiak.
The department is bolstering staffing numbers, he said.
But there are delays, and applicants need to be patient for now, he said.
"We know it's frustrating," he said. "Don't get discouraged."
It's best to apply online, were delays are minimal, rather than by phone, where "clearly there are people having trouble getting through," according to Oleksiak and Dickinson.
The department is doing all it can to expedite the process, Oleksiak said.
Applicants can find much of the initial information they need on the department's website, including an explanation of waivers and other changes related to the coronavirus, according to Dickinson.
It pays to read it all first, she said.
One of the problems with the current wave is that many applicants have never applied for unemployment compensation before, and many are "nervous" about eligibility, Dickinson said.
They should apply anyway, she said.
That includes part-time and seasonal workers, she said.
"We will determine your eligibility," she said.
The payment protocol parallels that of employment, in that two weeks without work generate a payment, just as two weeks with work generate a paycheck, Dickinson said.
After each two weeks of unemployment, the compensation recipient must continue his or her claim, just as a worker fills out a timecard, for work already done, she said. As with work, the payments are retroactive. It generally takes a couple days for payments to arrive.
With unemployment compensation, the department may issue debit cards, which aren't loaded with money at first, Dickinson said. PIN numbers are sent in the mail, necessary to activate the cards.
The blitz of applicants has delayed the issuance of the PIN numbers, so some applicants haven't received theirs before their first two weeks of eligible time without work have ended, she said.
When that happens, the department will make sure they get what they have coming, she said.
"We'll backdate it to the first time you're unemployed," she said.
To minimize problems for applicants, the department has waived some prior work requirements and it has done away with the unpaid "wait week," Oleksiak said.
Pennsylvania workers don't enjoy mandatory sick leave or mandatory family medical leave benefits that go beyond the federal FMLA requirements, Oleksiak said.
"We're the first place a lot (of laid off workers) can turn to," he said.
The department was waiting on federal guidance intended to make gig workers and the self-employed eligible for assistance, according to Oleksiak.
Unemployment compensation is designed to provide about half a worker's normal wages, Dickinson said. The 2020 cap is $572 a week.
Applicants whose claims are rejected can still get "referee hearings" and can appeal subsequent decisions, although those processes are moving slower than usual, according to Dickinson.
In addition to the run on unemployment compensation claims due to the coronavirus, the department has also received 138 claims for virus-related worker compensation claims -- 80 from first responders and health care workers, Oleksiak said. The situation is "very fluid (and) evolving," he said.
"We want to help you," he said. "I wish we could do more."