If You are Changed From Full-Time to Part Time,
You May Qualify for Unemployment Benefits
To A Part-Time Position?
Yes, provided that 1) your are not being demoted due to willful misconduct (i.e. misconduct at work) 2) your pay reduction is sufficiently dramatic (see explanation, below).
NOTE: If you believe that the decision to demote you was based upon impermissible factors such as your age, race, national origin, religion, disability, absence from work due to FMLA Leave, you should consider contacting counsel at once.
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Not unless your hours of work are reduced as well.
According to the Pa. Dept. of Labor, partial unemployment benefits are available only to those who experience a reduction in hours and a reduction of pay; a mere reduction in hourly pay or salary unaccompanied by a reduction in hours does not qualify one for partial unemployment.
In other words, if you are making $50,000 per year, and your employer suddenly reduces your pay rate to $35,000 per year (but does not reduce your hours), and you do not quit your job, you will be ineligible for partial unemployment.
Can I Quit My Job and Get Unemployment in Pennsylvania if My Pay or Salary Has Been Cut or Reduced?
 |
| If Pay Cut >25%, You Will Likely be Eligible for PA Unemployment if You Quit Promptly |
If the pay cut exceeds roughly 25% of your previous pay rate, and you quit your job soon after the reduction is imposed, you will have an excellent chance of securing unemployment compensation in Pennsylvania, because such a pay cut provides a necessitous and compelling reason for quitting one's employment.
What are Necessitous and Compelling Reasons to Quit Job Under Section 402(e) of Pennsylvania's Unemployment Law?
What are Necessitous and Compelling Reasons to Quit Job Under Section 402(e) of Pennsylvania's Unemployment Law?
See: What
is a Necessitous and Compelling Reason for Quitting my Job Under Pennsylvania
Unemployment Law? Philadelphia Unemployment Lawyers Explain
How Much of a Pay Cut Do I Need to be Eligible for Partial Unemployment in Pennsylvania? Salary or Hourly Rate of Pay Cut Significantly? Philadelphia Unemployment Lawyer
To figure this out, you must first understand what your weekly benefit rate would be if you had been fired from your job as opposed to having your hours and pay reduced.
To figure this out, you must first understand what your weekly benefit rate would be if you had been fired from your job as opposed to having your hours and pay reduced.
See: Pennsylvania
Unemployment Determination of Financial Eligibility - PENNSYLVANIA UNEMPLOYMENT
LAWYERS
If My Pennsylvania Employer Cuts My Pay Significantly, Should I Quit or Apply for Partial Unemployment?
It may depend in part upon the amount of the reduction in pay, your current financial position and the likelihood of you securing a comparable job in the coming months.
If your pay cut is 40% of your prior rate of pay, you can, as discussed above, almost certainly be eligible for full unemployment compensation if you quit your job.
By the same token, such a dramatic pay cut will also enable you to collect partial unemployment compensation and, if the reduction is temporary and you can afford to hold on with the help of such benefits, that may be the right approach.
Here is the Pennsylvania Department of Labor's calculation for partial unemployment compensation benefits:
Where a claimant works less than his full-time hours through no fault of his own, the claimant may be potentially eligible to receive full or partial benefits, depending on his gross earnings and Partial Benefit Credit (PBC). A claimant's PBC is the amount equal to 30 percent of his Weekly Benefit Rate (WBR). Where a claimant is working less than his full-time hours and his gross earnings for a week are equal to or less than the PBC, the claimant's full WBR is payable for the week. When the claimant's gross earnings for a week exceed the PBC, the gross earnings are deducted from the sum of the WBR plus PBC to determine the amount of any partial benefits for which the claimant may be eligible.
The following examples illustrate how the amount of any partial benefits payable to a claimant who worked less than his full time, is calculated. In each example, the claimant was determined financially eligible for a WBR of $100. The PBC for each example is therefore $30 (30 percent of $100).
Can I Get Pennsylvania Unemployment Benefits if I Take a Part-time Job While I Am on Unemployment?
Yes, and unless you are paid at least 40% of your weekly benefit rate (i.e. around $240 per week if you are receiving $575 a week in unemployment), you will not lose any benefits.
If My Pennsylvania Employer Cuts My Pay Significantly, Should I Quit or Apply for Partial Unemployment?
It may depend in part upon the amount of the reduction in pay, your current financial position and the likelihood of you securing a comparable job in the coming months.
If your pay cut is 40% of your prior rate of pay, you can, as discussed above, almost certainly be eligible for full unemployment compensation if you quit your job.
By the same token, such a dramatic pay cut will also enable you to collect partial unemployment compensation and, if the reduction is temporary and you can afford to hold on with the help of such benefits, that may be the right approach.
Here is the Pennsylvania Department of Labor's calculation for partial unemployment compensation benefits:
Where a claimant works less than his full-time hours through no fault of his own, the claimant may be potentially eligible to receive full or partial benefits, depending on his gross earnings and Partial Benefit Credit (PBC). A claimant's PBC is the amount equal to 30 percent of his Weekly Benefit Rate (WBR). Where a claimant is working less than his full-time hours and his gross earnings for a week are equal to or less than the PBC, the claimant's full WBR is payable for the week. When the claimant's gross earnings for a week exceed the PBC, the gross earnings are deducted from the sum of the WBR plus PBC to determine the amount of any partial benefits for which the claimant may be eligible.
The following examples illustrate how the amount of any partial benefits payable to a claimant who worked less than his full time, is calculated. In each example, the claimant was determined financially eligible for a WBR of $100. The PBC for each example is therefore $30 (30 percent of $100).
Example 1: The claimant's earnings for the week are
$29. As $29 is less than the PBC, the claimant is eligible for the full
WBR ($100) for the week.
Example 2: The claimant's earnings for the week are
$30. As $30 is equal to the PBC, the claimant is eligible for the full
WBR ($100) for the week.
Example 3: The claimant's earnings for the week are
$31. As $31 exceeds the PBC by $1, the claimant is eligible for partial
benefits of $99 ($130 - $31 = $99).
Example 4: The claimant's earnings for the week are
$31.01. The $31.01 is rounded up to $32.00. As $32 exceeds the PBC by
$2, the claimant is eligible for partial benefits of $98 ($130 - $32 =
$98).
Example 5: The claimant's earnings for the week are
$132. As the claimant's weekly earnings exceed the combined rate sum of
the WBR and PBC, the claimant is ineligible for UC benefits for that
week.
Can I Get Pennsylvania Unemployment Benefits if I Take a Part-time Job While I Am on Unemployment?
Yes, and unless you are paid at least 40% of your weekly benefit rate (i.e. around $240 per week if you are receiving $575 a week in unemployment), you will not lose any benefits.
But, BEWARE - the part-time job must be one that pays you w-2 wages. if you are paid via 1099, you will be deemed self-employed, and essentially employed on a full-0toime capacity in that capacity.
HERE
ARE SOME OTHER LINKS YOU MAY FIND WORTHWHILE:
Should I Hire a Lawyer for
My Unemployment Appeal Hearing in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania Unemployment
Lawyer - Willful Misconduct Referee Hearings
I Want to Quit My Job and Get Unemployment Benefits in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Unemployment
Determination of Financial Eligibility - PENNSYLVANIA UNEMPLOYMENT LAWYERS
The Burden of Proof in a
Pennsylvania Unemployment Appeal Referee Hearing
Should I Resign or Let Them Fire Me? What Happens If I
Quit My Job? What Rights Do I Lose If I Resign or Quit From My Job?
Unemployment
Applications for Self-Employed Business Owners, Independent Contractors and Gig
Workers is Now Available in Pennsylvania
Overpayments Under Pennsylvania Unemployment Law - Fraud, Non-Fraud, At Fault, Non-At Fault- Can I Go To Jail for an Unemployment Overpayment in Pennsylvania?
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