Work Search Requirement

• You must complete three (3) weekly work search activities.
  • At least one (1) submitted job application to an employer that has a suitable vacancy, and
  • At least two (2) other qualified work search activities, such as:
    • Submitting additional job applications with employers who have openings/vacancies that are reasonably suited to the claimant,
    • Participating in a job interview with an employer,
    • Registering for work, posting a resume, creating a personal user profile, or logging on and looking for work with a job placement service company such as a staffing agency, recruitment agency, State Job Board, a professional networking site (such as LinkedIn), or a DLT career center.
    • Participating in reemployment services at the DLT career center, such as Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment (RESEA) activities, participating in skills assessment for occupational matching, instructional workshops, or other specialized activities.
    • Attending job fairs, career networking meetings, or employment-related workshops.
    • Making online contacts or in-person visits to inquire about work with employers that currently have or are reasonably expected to have job openings.
    • Working all available hours for a part-time employer.
    • Other activities, which at the Director's discretion are deemed substantially equivalent. 

• Using one of the two activity trackers above, record the following information for each activity: 
  • Submitting Job Applications: the date submitted, the position you applied for, the employer and address, the pay rate, and include a contact person who can verify the submission of your application. Be sure to include the result of your submission, i.e., if this resulted in an interview or a call with the employer.  
  • Posting your Résumé: Include the date the activity was completed, which job service you used, a contact person who can verify the activity, and the result of the activity.  
  • Job Interviews: the date of the interview, the position, pay rate, and employer information, and a contact person who can verify the activity and its result.  
  • Job Fairs & Networking Events: the date of the event, its name, the address where it was hosted, a contact person who can verify the activity, and the result of the activity.  
  • Contacting Employers: the date of contact, the employer name and contact information, the position and pay rate you discussed, and the result of the activity.  
  • Working available part-time hours: The employer name and contact information, the position and pay rate, and the number of hours worked.  
• You need to save documentation of your work search and records of all applications, confirmation emails/numbers, or responses from an employer, and interviews for one year. 
• You can simplify the process by using our work search log, available in PDF and Excel format.  

• You are not required to look for work if you:
  • Are in a department-approved vocational training or adult education program
  • Are a member (in good standing) of a labor union that uses a “hiring hall” or business agent to find work
  • Are on WorkShare
  • Actively participating in Jury Duty
  • Being recalled by an employer or being hired for a new full-time job with a start date scheduled within 10 business days of the date hired.
  • Are temporarily furloughed and plan to return to the same employer within twelve (12) weeks from the last day of work.
    • If it has been more than 12 weeks since your last day of work, then you are required to be actively seeking work by completing the work search requirement. 

• You must complete 3 work search activities each week. At least one of these must be applying for a full-time job.
• While we encourage people to take on part-time work when available, the goal of unemployment insurance is to help support you until you're able to return to full-time work, so you still need to look for full-time jobs even if you're currently working part-time. 

You are not required to look for work if you have a definite and verifiable return-to-work date within twelve (12) weeks from the last day of work.

If it has been more than 12 weeks since your last day of work, then you are required to be actively seeking work.

• No, you do not need to submit your work search log to DLT when you certify weekly.
• However, your claim may be randomly audited at any time, and at that point, you would be required to send DLT records of your work search that DLT will then verify.
  • If you fail to do so, your claim may be set up for an administrative review, which could potentially lead to your benefits being stopped and may create an overpayment. You would then be required to pay back UI benefits for any week you did not look for work. 

• There are a few instances where you may be required to provide your work search records to DLT.
  • The Benefit Accuracy Measurement team conducts random claim audits. If your claim is randomly selected for audit, it doesn’t mean you’ve done anything wrong, but attendance is mandatory. Failure to participate or provide work search will stop your benefits and may create an overpayment.
  • Adjudication is scheduled to review your eligibility for benefits as needed. If adjudication is necessary for your claim, be prepared for your appointment and provide all information requested. You may be asked to provide your work search records as part of this process.
  • Some claimants will be selected to participate in the Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment (RESEA) program. If selected, you will be provided with additional employment services. Failure to participate will stop your benefits and may create an overpayment. 

• You cannot refuse a genuine offer of suitable work and still receive unemployment benefits. The employer you refuse work from can report you to DLT, and your claim would then be adjudicated (reviewed for continued eligibility) to determine whether the offer of work was suitable, or whether you had a legitimate reason to turn down the work.
• “Suitable work” is any work that someone in your occupation would typically perform, that is located within a reasonable distance of your home or last place of work and is not detrimental to your health or safety. 

• Adjudication means that DLT has questions about your eligibility for unemployment insurance. Because unemployment recipients need to be available for and actively seeking work, if you turn down a job offer or are not looking for work, the Department may need to review your claim to see whether or not you’re still eligible for benefits.
• If your claim is being adjudicated, you will receive written notification of the date and time of the scheduled telephone interview. You and your employer (if needed) will be contacted by an investigator to hear all the facts related to the issue, and you will have an opportunity to present your side of the case. You may bring witnesses or someone to represent you, and you should bring any documents or other evidence that will support your claim. The adjudicator will then make a decision on whether or not you can receive benefits. You will continue to receive payments while your claim is in adjudication until a decision is issued by the department. You have the right to appeal if you do not agree with the decision. More information is available here.

• Visit our Job Seeker Resources page on the DLT website for various resources to help you in your journey to find your next job opportunity. Information about our Career Centers can also be found on this page, so you can visit any one of our 3 locations to meet with a job coach.  
• Backtoworkri.com is the state’s Virtual Career Center and has numerous resources available to job seekers. You can schedule a one-on-one virtual meeting with a job coach and learn about open trainings. 
• EmployRI.org lists thousands of job opportunities posted across the state. 
• There are also numerous other job sites, such as LinkedIn, Indeed, Idealist, ZipRecruiter, and Monster.