I successfully appealed a very similar denial about 6 months ago! My employer fired me for "unsatisfactory work performance" after they restructured our department and essentially merged two roles into one without any pay increase or additional training time. The key to winning my appeal was documenting the timeline of changes vs. my performance history. Here's what really helped my case: - 4 years of "meets/exceeds expectations" reviews before the restructure - Email trail showing I repeatedly asked for clarification on new job duties and was told to "figure it out" - Testimony from a coworker about how the new expectations were unrealistic - Documentation that I was still performing my original job duties well, just couldn't handle the additional workload they dumped on me The hearing was about 40 minutes by phone. The referee kept asking my employer whether they provided adequate training for the expanded role and if they followed progressive discipline. When they couldn't show either, the decision was pretty clear. I won and got 6 weeks of back pay. Your situation with the 35% quota increase and documented emails requesting help sounds very strong. File that appeal immediately and organize your evidence chronologically. Don't let them frame this as you being a bad employee - this is about them changing the rules without giving you the tools to succeed. You've got this!

I'm going through almost the exact same situation right now! Just got my denial letter yesterday for "unsatisfactory work performance" after my company increased our daily targets from 150 to 210 units (40% jump) with literally no additional training or support. Like you, I have emails where I asked my supervisor for help meeting the new quotas and was basically told to "work harder and smarter." Reading through all these success stories is giving me so much hope! I had no idea that appeals had such a high success rate or that the burden is on employers to prove willful misconduct vs. just not meeting impossible new standards. I'm filing my appeal first thing tomorrow morning and gathering all my documentation tonight. Your situation with 3.5 years of good performance suddenly disrupted by a 35% quota increase sounds like a really strong case. The fact that you have documented emails requesting support that were ignored is exactly what these referees want to see. Thanks for posting this - it's so helpful to know I'm not alone in dealing with this kind of corporate BS. Keep us updated on how your appeal goes! I have a feeling you're going to win this one.

That's awesome news! Getting assigned to an adjudicator is definitely progress. I've been following your thread since you posted yesterday and it sounds like your state rep's office is actually getting things done. Once you get that interview call, be ready with all your documentation and answer everything clearly and concisely. Most people who make it to the interview stage get approved pretty quickly after that. Rooting for you - keep us updated!

This is really encouraging to see! I'm in a similar situation - been waiting 5 weeks with a "monetary determination" issue and just contacted my state rep yesterday. Reading through all these experiences gives me hope that there might actually be light at the end of the tunnel. For those who had success with state reps, did you follow up with the rep's office regularly or just wait to hear back? I'm trying to find that balance between being persistent and not being annoying. Also dealing with the stress of bills piling up while waiting - this system really puts people in impossible situations.

I'm going through something very similar right now - 4 weeks stuck on an "attendance issue" even though I was never formally disciplined. What's really frustrating is that I keep hearing different timelines from different UC reps when I call. One told me employers have 10 days to respond, another said 21 days, and then someone else mentioned they can request extensions! It's like they make up the rules as they go along. I've been documenting every call I make with dates and what they tell me because the information is so inconsistent. At least from reading everyone's experiences here it seems like most people do eventually get approved when employers can't provide actual documentation. Definitely going to try asking for an examiner specifically next time I call - that seems to be the key based on what others have shared. This whole process is such a nightmare but it helps knowing we're all dealing with the same broken system.

I'm so sorry you're going through this - the waiting is absolutely the worst part! I went through something similar last year where my employer claimed "poor work quality" but never provided any actual documentation to back it up. Mine took about 9 weeks total, but I eventually got approved and received all my backpay. The key things that helped me were: 1) Calling and specifically asking for an examiner (not just customer service) to review my case, 2) Uploading any positive performance documentation I had, and 3) writing a detailed statement explaining my side of the story and submitting it through the dashboard. The examiner told me that when employers don't respond with concrete evidence like write-ups or improvement plans, it usually works in the claimant's favor. Keep filing those weekly claims and don't give up - I know it's scary with bills piling up, but you WILL get through this. The system is slow but it does eventually work when employers can't prove their case.

Just wanted to add another perspective here - I work for a nonprofit that helps people navigate unemployment issues, and we see "special project scheme system" flags pretty regularly. A few additional tips that might help others in this situation: 1. If you can't get through by phone, definitely send a message through the PA UC dashboard message center as someone mentioned earlier. Include your SSN, claim number, and a brief description of the issue. 2. Contact your state representative's office - they often have direct lines to UC staff and can help escalate urgent cases, especially if you're facing eviction or utility shutoffs. 3. Keep detailed records of all your call attempts, including dates and times. This documentation can be helpful if you need to file an appeal later. The system is definitely frustrating, but please don't give up! Most of these "special project" reviews do get resolved once they're actually looked at by a human examiner. Wishing everyone dealing with this issue the best of luck getting through!

I'm currently going through this exact same issue right now! Mine's been flagged for 5 days and I've made probably 60+ calls with no luck getting through. Reading through all these responses has been SO helpful - especially learning that it's often just random selection for quality control rather than something you did wrong. The early morning calling strategy at 7:55am seems to be the consensus here, so I'm definitely trying that tomorrow. And @GalaxyGazer, congratulations on getting yours resolved! It's such a relief to hear that once you actually reach someone, they can fix it pretty quickly. The fact that part-time income reporting can trigger these reviews is really good to know - I also reported some gig work recently so that might be what flagged mine too. For anyone else dealing with this, I'm also going to try the message center suggestion and maybe contact my state rep's office if I can't get through by phone this week. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this community is a lifesaver when you're dealing with UC stress!

UPDATE: Just checked this morning and all my weeks changed to payment date of 3/14/25! The money should be in my account tomorrow. Thanks everyone for your help and advice!

Awesome update! So happy it worked out for you! 🎉 That's such a relief when you're stressed about money. For future reference, it sounds like the 3-5 business day timeline that Gabrielle mentioned was pretty accurate in your case. Hope this helps other folks going through the same situation know what to expect!