PA UC Disqualification after TTEC no-show at hearing - how to get it reversed?
I'm at my wit's end with PA unemployment! Just had my appeal hearing yesterday and TTEC (my previous employer) didn't even bother to show up! But somehow the referee STILL disqualified me from benefits?? The decision doesn't even address the real reason I had to resign - it's like they weren't listening at all. I literally had no choice but to quit - my department was being eliminated, they wanted to transfer me to a position with completely different hours that I couldn't work because of my child's medical appointments. I explained all this at the hearing! Do I need to call and ask for an examiner to review this? Can I file another appeal? I've been waiting 6 weeks already for this hearing and now I'm back to square one. Bills are piling up fast and I don't know what to do. Has anyone dealt with getting incorrectly disqualified when the employer doesn't even show up for the hearing??
20 comments
Join the conversation
Marcus Patterson
THEY ALWAYS DO THIS!! The system is designed to deny first and make you jump through hoops. I had almost the exact situation last year - employer no-show but still denied. You need to file for a Board Review within 15 days of getting the referee decision. Don't call, that won't help. The form should be included with your decision letter.
0 coins
Eli Butler
•Thank you! I have the decision letter but I didn't even look at the other papers. I'll check for that form right now. Did your Board Review take a long time? I'm getting really desperate with no income coming in.
0 coins
Lydia Bailey
omg this happened to me too!! so frustrating when they dont even show up but u still lose?? makes no sense
0 coins
Mateo Warren
You need to file a Petition for Appeal to the UC Board of Review. Since the referee made a decision that didn't properly consider your evidence of compelling and necessitous reasons to quit (which is what it sounds like happened), you have grounds for appeal. Make sure you clearly explain that: 1. The job change they offered would have created a real hardship due to your child's medical needs 2. You attempted to work with your employer to find alternatives 3. You had no reasonable choice but to quit The fact that TTEC didn't appear actually works in your favor for the next level appeal, but you need to be very specific about the "necessitous and compelling reason" standard in PA UC law.
0 coins
Eli Butler
•Thank you for this detailed explanation! I did try to work with them on alternatives but they weren't budging at all. Should I mention that specifically in the appeal? Also, do you know if I can submit any new evidence at this point or am I limited to what was presented at the referee hearing?
0 coins
Sofia Price
same thing hapend to me exept it was with amazon. the hole system is rigged to make it hard to get benifits. i waited 8 weeks for my hearing and then got denied even tho my supervisor who fired me got fired himself the next week!! i filed the board appeal thing but still waiting after 5 weeks and now my rent is late and my landlord is threatening eviction. good luck but dont hold ur breath for fast results
0 coins
Lydia Bailey
•that's terrible!! did u call them? i keep getting busy signals every time i try to reach someone at uc
0 coins
Alice Coleman
When I was dealing with my appeal last month, I couldn't get through to UC at all - constant busy signals or getting disconnected after waiting on hold forever. I found this service called Claimyr that got me connected to a PA UC agent in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2 It might be worth checking out if you need to speak with someone quickly about your situation. Their website is claimyr.com - honestly saved me weeks of frustration.
0 coins
Sofia Price
•does this actuly work? i been trying to get through for weeks!
0 coins
Alice Coleman
•It worked for me! Got through to an actual UC examiner who explained why my claim was denied and what specific evidence I needed for my appeal. Way better than guessing what they wanted.
0 coins
Owen Jenkins
You need to file a further appeal to the UC Board of Review within 15 days of receiving the referee's decision. The Board can overrule the referee's decision if they find it wasn't supported by the evidence or law. For your specific situation, you need to focus on proving what's called "necessitous and compelling cause" to voluntarily quit. Under PA law, a substantial change in working conditions (like completely different hours) can qualify as cause to quit if you can show: 1. The change would create a real hardship (your child's medical needs) 2. You made reasonable efforts to maintain the employment relationship 3. You had no real alternative but to quit Document everything carefully in your appeal statement. Include specific dates of your child's medical appointments that would conflict with the new schedule, any emails/communications showing you tried to work with TTEC on alternatives, and explain why the referee's decision failed to address these critical points. The TTEC no-show can actually help at the Board level since they didn't appear to challenge your testimony.
0 coins
Eli Butler
•This is incredibly helpful! I do have emails showing I tried to negotiate a different schedule that would work with my child's appointments. I didn't present these at the hearing because I didn't realize I needed to be so specific. Can I include these emails with my Board appeal or is it too late to add new evidence?
0 coins
Owen Jenkins
•The Board generally reviews the evidence that was presented at the referee hearing, but they may accept additional evidence if you can show good cause for why it wasn't presented earlier. I would attach the emails to your appeal with an explanation that you didn't understand the level of detail needed at the hearing. The worst they can do is not consider them, but they might - especially if they help clarify facts already in testimony.
0 coins
Lilah Brooks
i lost my job at TTEC too! they're terrible about accommodating schedule changes. when i worked there last year they kept switching my shifts with barely any notice. i ended up quitting too but didn't even bother filing for unemployment cause i heard how hard they fight claims. good luck with your appeal!
0 coins
Eli Butler
•Thank you! Did you find another job quickly after TTEC? I'm applying everywhere but no luck yet.
0 coins
Lilah Brooks
•took me about 6 weeks but i found something better with more regular hours. the call center industry is pretty brutal everywhere tho from what ive seen
0 coins
Mateo Warren
One more important point: While your Board appeal is pending, make sure you continue filing your weekly claims! If you win your appeal, you'll only get paid for weeks you properly certified. Many people stop filing during appeals and then can't get those weeks paid even if they ultimately win.
0 coins
Eli Butler
•Oh! I didn't know this. I actually stopped filing after getting the disqualification. Should I go back and try to file for those missed weeks now? Or just start filing again going forward?
0 coins
Mateo Warren
•You should file for the current week right away and contact UC about the missed weeks. In some cases, they'll allow you to backdate certifications if you can show good cause for missing them (like being confused after a disqualification). But regardless, definitely start filing weekly claims again immediately.
0 coins
Marcus Patterson
Welcome to PA UC where the rules are made up and your evidence doesn't matter! Seriously though, make sure you use the exact magic words "necessitous and compelling" in your Board appeal. The whole system runs on these specific legal terms. I got denied TWICE before I figured this out, then won my third appeal using those exact words even though I was saying the same thing all along. RIDICULOUS system.
0 coins