What to expect at a PA UC appeal hearing in Philadelphia - tips from those who've been there?

I had my hearing in Philly about 6 months ago and can share my experience. It's formal but not like a courtroom drama. The referee will explain the process at the beginning. Definitely bring ALL documentation - emails about your layoff, text messages, performance reviews, anything that supports your case that you were laid off rather than quit.\n\nDress business casual at minimum - you want to make a good impression. Be organized with your documents (I put mine in a folder with tabs).\n\nThe referee will swear everyone in, then usually let the employer go first. Listen carefully and take notes on anything you disagree with. When it's your turn, stick to facts and timeline. Avoid emotional statements about how unfair the company was - focus on proving you were laid off.\n\nPrepare a brief opening statement (2-3 minutes) explaining your side. Practice answering questions like \

Thank you SO much for these details! This helps a ton. Did you get a chance to question your employer at all? My former boss tends to contradict himself when pressed, so wondering if I'll get that opportunity. Also - how long did your hearing take? Trying to plan my day.

been there done that last year. its not as scary as u think. wear nice clothes and bring every single paper u have about being laid off. the trick is to STAY CALM no matter what ur employer says. they will lie and it will make u mad but if u get emotional u look bad.\n\nmy hearing took like 45 min and i won my case because i had proof i was laid off not fired. goodluck

Thanks for the tip about staying calm - that's exactly what I'm worried about. When they start claiming things that aren't true, I tend to get flustered and defensive. Did you prepare what you wanted to say beforehand or just wing it?

I had my hearing back in October and IT WAS TERRIFYING!!! My employer showed up with their HR person AND a lawyer! I was completely blindsided because I thought it would just be a simple meeting. The referee asked me all these technical questions about company policy that I didn't know how to answer!\n\nIf I could do it again, I would definitely have prepared more. They asked me for exact dates of conversations that happened months earlier and I couldn't remember. My employer had all these printed policies I supposedly violated but I'd never even seen them before!\n\nBring EVERYTHING you have - emails, texts, performance reviews, witness statements if you have any coworkers who can confirm you were laid off. Print multiple copies of everything because they'll want their own copies.\n\nI lost my appeal because I wasn't prepared enough and now I owe back $4,300. Don't be me!!!

Ugh this system is RIGGED against workers! Employers have HR departments and lawyers while we're expected to navigate this complicated legal process alone? And then when we lose, we owe thousands in overpayments?? It's designed to intimidate people into not even trying to get benefits they deserve. The whole UC system is broken and nobody in Harrisburg cares. I went through similar BS last year.

This is exactly what I'm afraid of - that they'll show up with a lawyer and I'll be unprepared. I'm already searching through old emails and texts to find proof I was laid off. Did the referee seem fair in your case or did they favor the employer?

I'm a former HR manager (not a lawyer), and I've represented companies at these hearings. Here's my advice from having seen both sides:\n\n1) The referee's job is to determine if you meet the eligibility criteria for benefits under PA law. For a layoff vs. quit case, they're looking at who initiated the separation.\n\n2) Bring a clear timeline with dates. Hearing officers LOVE organization and clarity.\n\n3) Specific evidence that helps: emails discussing the layoff/restructuring, any separation paperwork, text messages about your job ending, witness statements, etc.\n\n4) Yes, you'll have a chance to question your employer after they present their case. Keep questions factual: \

This insider perspective is incredibly helpful, thank you! I've been trying to create a timeline but there are some gaps where things were just said in person. Would it help to create a written statement from my perspective of those conversations, or will that not be considered good evidence?

Anyone tried getting through to someone at PA UC before their hearing for advice? I've been trying to get someone on the phone to explain some things about my case before my hearing next week but just getting endless busy signals and disconnections. Been trying for 3 days straight now!

I was in the same boat last month - couldn't get through on the PA UC lines no matter what time I called. I finally used a service called Claimyr that got me connected to an agent within about 20 minutes. Costs a bit but saved me hours of frustration and helped me get my questions answered before my hearing. Their site is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/CEPETxZdo9E?si=WL1ZzVZWG3KiHrg2\n\nThe agent I spoke with gave me some really specific advice about my documentation that probably helped me win my case. Much better than going in blind.

Thanks for this tip! Just looked at their video. Did you find the agent was actually knowledgeable about hearings? I'm worried I'll pay to get through but then just get a general agent who can't answer specific hearing questions.

To answer your follow-up question - Yes, creating a written statement of in-person conversations can be helpful, but label it clearly as \

This is great advice - thank you! I'll definitely bring a notepad and prepare my recollections of our conversations. I appreciate everyone's help with this - feeling a bit more confident now about the hearing.

oh i forgot to say my hearings was on the phone not in person. they might do yours on phone too cause of backlogs. makes it easier cuz u can have all ur notes infront of u and they cant see if ur nervous lol

Good point about phone hearings! Many are still being conducted by phone or video conference. If it's by phone, that can actually be an advantage since you can have all your documents and notes spread out in front of you without looking disorganized. The notice you received should specify whether it's in-person, by phone, or video conference.\n\nIf it's phone/video, still treat it formally - find a quiet place with no background noise, test your connection beforehand, and be ready 15 minutes early.

You're right - I just double-checked my notice and it says it's a phone hearing! That actually makes me feel better. I'll create a little \

Has anyone had their employer just not show up to the hearing? I'm wondering what happens then? Does that automatically mean you win?

If the employer doesn't appear, the hearing still proceeds with just your testimony. It can significantly improve your chances of winning since there's no contradicting testimony, but it's not an automatic win. The referee will still need to determine if your testimony and evidence meet the legal standards for eligibility.\n\nThe burden of proof in a \

This is interesting - they're claiming I quit when I was laid off. So it sounds like even if they don't show up, I still need to prove I didn't quit? I wonder if they'll skip the hearing since they're a pretty big company and might not care about one UC case.