PA UC Appeal Hearing scheduled after 3-month wait - What to prepare and expect?

I had my appeal hearing back in January - here's my advice: 1. Gather ALL documentation that supports your case (medical appointment confirmations, approvals from supervisors, attendance records) 2. Yes, your employer will likely be on the call 3. Write down a brief timeline of events to reference during the hearing 4. Be prepared to explain clearly why those tardies were excused 5. Stay calm and professional - the referee just wants facts You don't absolutely need a lawyer for this, but if you have access to free legal aid it might help. The referee will explain the process at the beginning of the call and give both sides chance to speak. Make sure to mention the medical documentation right away! Good luck!

omg i had my hearing last month it was SO STRESSFUL!!!! make sure u dont talk over the referee they HATE that. my boss was on my call and kept interrupting me and the referee muted him lol

To answer your initial question about documents - you should submit any evidence you want considered to the Referee's Office BEFORE your hearing. The hearing notice should include instructions on how to submit evidence, but generally you need to send it to both the referee AND your former employer at least 3 business days before the hearing date. If you haven't done this yet, I'd recommend faxing or uploading your documents to your dashboard immediately and calling the Referee Office listed on your notice to confirm they received them. Also prepare a concise statement about why you believe you should qualify for benefits. Focus specifically on the medical appointments - were they approved in advance? Do you have emails or texts showing this? The referee will appreciate organized, relevant information.

my cousin had his appeal last year and he said the most important thing is to not get emotional. just stick to facts. his employer tried to say he abandoned his job but he had proof he called in sick those days. he won his appeal and got back pay. good luck!

I've been trying to call the PA UC service center for WEEKS about my own appeal situation but can't get through - always busy signals or disconnects after waiting an hour. Finally I tried using Claimyr (claimyr.com) and they got me connected to an actual UC rep in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2 The rep was able to explain exactly what documents I needed for my hearing and how to submit them properly. Might be worth trying if you need to clarify anything before your hearing date since time is short.

One thing nobody mentioned - make sure you're in a quiet place with good phone reception for your hearing! My neighbor had her appeal call drop three times because she was in a bad reception area, and it really disrupted the flow of her hearing. Also have a pen and paper to take notes during the call because sometimes they'll give you specific follow-up instructions.

Just to follow up on your question about submitting documents - yes, you absolutely should send them ahead of time. The referee needs time to review everything before the hearing. Make sure to include your appeal number on every page you submit. Also important: during the hearing, when you reference a document, be very specific ("I'm referring to the doctor's note dated March 15, 2025") so everyone knows what you're talking about. Keep your answers direct and to the point. One more tip - at the beginning of the hearing, the referee will explain the issue being decided. Make sure it's accurate! If they say something like "we're determining if claimant was discharged for willful misconduct" but your issue is actually about approved medical absences, politely clarify this right away.

wait ur employer is saying u were tardy but they were actually medical appointments?? that sounds like discrimination!! make sure u mention that!!

I went through this whole process last year, and one thing I want to add is that you should review the PA UC regulations about what constitutes "willful misconduct" before your hearing. Google "PA willful misconduct unemployment" and you'll find the official definitions. Basically, if you had approved medical appointments that your employer is now counting as tardiness, that's NOT willful misconduct. Make sure to emphasize that you followed company procedure for these appointments. Also, in my experience, the hearings usually run about 30-45 minutes, so plan accordingly. The referee will usually tell you at the end when to expect a decision - typically 7-10 business days. If you win, don't forget you'll need to file for back weeks to get all the payments you're entitled to!

Watch out because these hearings are RIGGED. The referee on my call was clearly buddies with my ex-employer's HR person, laughing and joking with her before we started. Then when it was my turn to speak he kept cutting me off!!!! The whole system is designed to deny benefits no matter what!!! I had PROOF of everything and still lost my appeal.

Update: I had my hearing yesterday and wanted to thank everyone for the advice! I submitted all my documentation ahead of time, prepared a timeline, and stayed calm during the questioning. The referee was actually very professional and gave me plenty of time to explain my situation. My former employer did participate and tried to claim I never got approval for the medical appointments, but I had emails showing their approval for each one! The referee seemed to pay close attention when I presented those. No decision yet, but I feel much better about my chances now. The referee said to expect a decision within 10-14 days. Fingers crossed!

Final update: I WON MY APPEAL! Got the decision letter today stating that my medical appointments were approved absences and therefore NOT willful misconduct. The referee specifically cited the evidence I submitted showing prior approval from my manager. I've already filed claims for all the back weeks I missed, and the UC rep said I should receive payment within 2-3 business days. Such a relief! Thank you to everyone who provided advice and support. For anyone else going through this process - good documentation and preparation really do make all the difference.