Legal Question in Employment Law in Pennsylvania

I received a letter from pa unemployment saying i need to fill out a questionnaire cause I may have been discharged or suspended for willful misconduct? What does this mean?


Asked on 3/14/11, 5:56 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys

Will Whitman Whitman, LLC

Based on what you wrote, it sounds like you filed for unemployment compensation in Pennsylvania. If that is the case, you would have indicated your prior employer's name. The Unemployment compensation board sends your name and information to your prior employer, who then can respond basically one of three ways: by verifying the information you sent, disputing it, or ignoring it. If they verify or ignore it, then the board usually puts it through uncontested and you would get your unemployment compensation. If the employer disputes your information, then the board has to decide whether you are entitled to unemployment compensation or not. One reason why they would deny someone's unemployment compensation claim is if that person was discharged or suspended for willful misconduct (i.e., they did something bad and were fired or suspended for it). The response filed by the employer may indicate what they claim you did that was "willful misconduct." The board will have to determine after reviewing what you say, and what the employer says, and possibly having a hearing to take evidence on the issue, whether you engaged in willful misconduct, and therefore aren't entitled to receive unemployment compensation, or whether you did not engage in willful misconduct, and therefore are entitled to receive it. I hope this helps.

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Answered on 3/17/11, 2:31 pm


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