Fear of COVID-19 was not a valid reason for walking off the job, according to the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania’s recent decision. Shortly after the lockdown orders were issued by Gov. Tom Wolf in March 2020, a Certified...more
Pennsylvania employers understand and support unemployment compensation as a safety net for employees who lose their jobs through no fault of their own. What is frustrating for an employer, however, is financing unemployment...more
As a result of numerous security issues in this day and age, employers are looking into new technological ways to counteract security risks. One such way is the use of various types of employee biometric data to confirm the...more
Is it okay if the employee resigns? Odd question, right? Almost every employer would pretty much jump for joy if a problem employee decided to voluntarily resign instead of the dreaded termination discussion....more
Two recent developments substantially affect unemployment benefits in Illinois. First, on January 3, 2016, the Illinois Unemployment Insurance Act (820 ILCS 405/602(A)) (“Act”) was amended to make it much easier for employers...more
The Illinois Unemployment Insurance Act (Act) provides that employees who are discharged for "misconduct" are ineligible for unemployment benefits. In Petrovic v. Department of Employment Security, 2016 IL 118562, decided...more
Unemployment compensation is a form of social insurance. Workers who lose their jobs receive benefits – which are less than they earned when employed – to provide a level of income while transitioning to the next job. ...more
You may remember that I stirred up some contentiousness a few weeks ago when I suggested that employers should not challenge unemployment claims except in the worst cases. ...more
A Pennsylvania man lost his job in September 2012 and is now without unemployment compensation. Why? He called his boss a "clown."...more
The Arizona Court of Appeals recently issued an opinion overturning the Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board’s denial of unemployment benefits to an employee who was terminated for excessive tardiness. ...more
Historically, in determining whether an employee discharged for absenteeism and tardiness was eligible for unemployment compensation benefits, the court’s analysis had focused on the final incident that led to termination....more