Can I continue PA UC benefits after quitting new job due to misrepresented position and workplace smoking?

just be honest on ur weekly claim form. put down the hours u worked and say u no longer work there when it asks. they'll probably make u explain why u left but being put in wrong position + health hazard sounds legit reason to me

Thanks, I'll definitely be honest! Do you know if they'll contact that employer to verify my reason for leaving? I'm worried they'll say I just quit without good reason.

This is what's called a \

Thank you for the detailed explanation! I do have an inhaler prescription and doctor's note about avoiding smoke exposure. Should I upload those now or wait until they ask for documentation?

The same EXACT thing happened to me last year!! Got hired for data entry, showed up and they had me doing heavy lifting in a warehouse!! I quit after 3 days and kept claiming. They put my benefits on hold for like 5 weeks while they

omg 5 weeks with no money?? that's terrifying. did they backpay you at least?

Yeah they did backpay but it was so stressful not knowing if I'd get approved or have to pay everything back! The worst part was never being able to talk to anyone. Kept calling that stupid number hundreds of times just to get a busy signal 😡

If you're having trouble getting through to an agent at the UC office (which is almost guaranteed), I'd recommend trying Claimyr. It helped me get through when I had a similar situation with an open issue after leaving a job. Their system basically calls for you and gets you in the queue to speak with a real person at PA UC. Saved me days of frustration with busy signals. You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2 or go to claimyr.com. It was worth it to get my issue resolved in one day instead of waiting weeks.

I tried calling unemployment 27 times yesterday and nothing but busy signals. Does this service actually work? I'm desperate at this point but skeptical of paying for something that might not help.

It worked for me when I had an issue similar to OP's situation. They don't guarantee you'll get approved or anything, just that you'll get connected to a real person. Made a huge difference in my case because I could explain my situation directly instead of waiting for weeks hoping someone would review my file.

PA UC regulations specifically address this under Section 402(b) - voluntary leaving work without cause of a necessitous and compelling nature. Based on your description, you potentially have two qualifying reasons:\n\n1. **Health reasons** - The smoking environment aggravating your asthma is a legitimate health concern. You'll need medical documentation of your asthma condition.\n\n2. **Substantial change in working conditions** - Being placed in a completely different position than what was agreed upon during hiring can qualify if you can demonstrate the job was misrepresented.\n\nContinue filing your weekly claims honestly. Report the day worked and wages earned. When asked if you're still working there, indicate no, and be prepared to provide all details when contacted. \n\nIn PA, good cause voluntary quits require you to have made a reasonable effort to preserve employment. Since this was only day one, document any attempt to discuss the issues with management before leaving (if applicable).\n\nI'd recommend contacting UC directly to explain your situation rather than waiting for them to flag your claim, as this may speed up the determination process.

This is really helpful information, thank you! I did speak to the supervisor about both issues before leaving - they basically said the smoking policy wasn't going to change and they needed help in shipping more than customer service. I'll make sure to mention that when I talk to someone at UC.

better apply to jobs ASAP tho. even if they approve u they'll still make u do the work search requirements every week

Definitely! I've already applied to 5 places this week and have an interview scheduled for Monday. Really hoping something works out soon.

I'm so confused about these UC rules! So if you quit a job for any reason, you lose benefits? Or only if you quit without good reason? And what counts as good reason? The whole system seems designed to trap people in terrible jobs!

It's not that black and white. PA UC allows benefits if you quit for \

good luck getting anyone to answer at UC! i had a similar issue last month and tried for DAYS to get through on the phone. eventually gave up and just sent a message through the portal. still waiting for a response 3 weeks later 🙄

That's what I'm afraid of... I can't afford to wait weeks with no income. I'm going to try calling first thing Monday morning when they open.

One important thing to note - if your claim is under review for a voluntary quit, make sure you CONTINUE filing your weekly claims by your filing day each week, even if payments are temporarily stopped. If they determine in your favor, they'll release all held payments. If you stop filing during the investigation, you won't receive those back weeks even if you win your case.

Thank you for the reminder! I'll definitely keep filing every week. My regular filing day is Thursday, so I'll make sure to keep doing that no matter what.