PA Unemployment Compensation Appeal

If your initial claim for Unemployment Compensation benefits was denied, you have the right to appeal this decision and have your case heard in front of a Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation Referee. If your eligible decision was appealed, you can expect your employer to contest your case here as well. The purpose of the unemployment hearing is to ascertain your eligibility by obtaining all evidence related to your case, in other words, this is your one shot at putting all the evidence on the table. Many claims in the Pittsburgh region will heard at the Pittsburgh Referee Office, Suite 340 Piatt Place, 301 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222.

You and your former employer both have the opportunity to present evidence and testimony to support your claims. This is precisely the reason most people need counsel because it’s just like a court of law where both sides can say “objection!” The Pennsylvania Rules of Evidence apply, and we know it’s not fair to the employee, but the reality is that we win many of our unemployment cases using the technical rules to include or exclude all sorts of evidence (documents, testimony, video/audio recordings). The secret to win your PA Unemployment Compensation Appeal Hearing is most often to know the objections to use so the employer can’t introduce evidence against you.

Honestly speaking, it doesn’t matter to what degree of fault or no fault the circumstances of your termination are – it just matters how you present your case at this hearing. If you are seeking unemployment, and your employer appeals that decision, it is the burden of the employer to show that you were terminated due to misconduct or breaking company policy. If you are seeking unemployment compensation after leaving your job, the burden falls on you to prove that you had good reason to quit and that there were no other remedies available to preserve your employment. In either case, it all comes down to the evidence that both sides present in the hearing, which a lawyer has superior knowledge of how to manipulate.

Should I Represent myself at an unemployment appeal hearing? No.

An unemployment appeal is not particularly easy to win, especially if you go at it alone. Your former employer will probably have participated in hearings like this before and they will know exactly what kind of documentation and records to keep for these appeals. Employers will be well informed of the ways in which they can protect themselves whereas you might not, especially if this is your first time participating in one of these hearings. We often see people attending an “uncontested” (employer not showing up) hearing lose their own case by saying the wrong things to the Referee! Even worse, an employer promises not to appear but to the employees surprise all of sudden a manager or HR appears with their lawyer!

A practiced employment lawyer will be aware of the technical rules associated with Pennsylvania Unemployment Appeal Hearings. They will be able to assess the validity of any claims made against you and be able to make a compelling argument to secure your benefits. Further, MKO unemployment lawyers always assess your case for wrongful termination and may offer to sue your former employer if illegal activity is found. It is highly recommended that you hire an attorney to help you prepare whatever testimony, witnesses, and other evidence you might need to win your appeal.

At MKO Employment Law, our attorneys are experienced and well-practiced, having represented hundreds of clients at unemployment appeal hearings. If your unemployment has been denied or contested by your former employer, and you feel you are entitled to these benefits, reach out now for a free consultation.

 

 

Employee Legal Consultations

Employment Lawyer Consultations

After dispensing thousands of legal consultations to potential clients, I can easily say it’s my favorite part of my practice. My guidance, even if I can’t accept them as a client, helps people immeasurably in figuring out what to do and how to move forward with their lives. I make a measurable impact every single day on many people. Who else can say that about their job? I love it. Call me. – Michael Kraemer, Esq..

Attorney Email

📲412-301-2700

“Providing you a path forward in your life, career, and recovering the compensation you deserve.™” 

MKO is a “boutique firm” which means that we focus on a niche area and offer highly specialized services to clients who are looking for the personal touch within our area of expertise: Employment Law. Boutique law firms are not a general practice or one-stop legal shop, and that’s a good thing. You need one good attorney who knows the ins and outs of the area of law that’s relevant to your case. Look for a law firm that primarily practices the area of law that you need. If that’s all they do, chances are, they do it very well. We see each legal dispute as an opportunity to find a fair and equitable resolution without destroying your reputation, resume, job prospects, income, and if avoidable, not subjecting you, your family, friends, and former coworkers to unnecessary, highly invasive, time consuming, stressful, and ultimately public litigation. MKO, “Providing you a path forward in your life, career, and recovering the compensation you deserve.™” Confidentiality is key, for everyone. Are you a victim? MKO’s employment lawyers are always available for the clients. You can contact us anytime for a case assessment and evaluation. 

Ten Reasons To Choose Our Law Firm

1. Focused Employment Law Practice

MKO is a “boutique law firm” which means that we concentrate on this niche area and offer highly focused employment law services to clients who are looking for the personal touch. Boutique law firms are not a one-stop legal shop, and that’s a good thing. While a long roster of diverse legal services may look impressive on paper, it’s fairly pointless in practice. You need one good attorney who knows the ins and outs of the area of law that’s relevant to your case.  Look for a law firm that only practices in the area of law that you need. If that’s all they do, chances are, they do it very well.

2. Technology Driven & Experts in the Cloud

We provide immediate legal consultations, operate a paperless law firm, use advanced cloud storage, digital signatures, electronic forms, and can review your documents using screen share technology instantaneously. MKO is technologically savvy, nimble, flexible, and efficient. 

We are not confined to our office, chained to a desktop computer, or burdened with IT maintenance. Thanks to the smart use of technology we can focus on providing our clients with the best representation possible. By streamlining our practice we can focus on what our clients hire us to do – advocate on their behalf and work diligently toward a desired result.

3. Legal Advice Instantly From The Comfort of Home

MKO can provide superior legal services through adapative use of new technology and provide the majority of legal assistance while you are comfortably working from your home. It just also happens it’s better, easier, and faster for our clients – they really appreciate it. We seemlessly and interactively collaborate with you in a relaxed enviornment where you have all of your files in your immediate control. We find this is the absolute best way to provide legal advice to our clients on complex legal issues, hands down.

The old style of coming into our office with binders of disjointed and unsearchable paperwork, of which we to organize and figure out on the fly, is incredibly wasteful, time-consuming, inefficient, and not highly productive. Because of our integration with technology, we are ready to work with you on highly intricate matters on a moments notice, no matter where you (or we) are.

4. Discreet When Necessary

While many cases require that we go to court to seek justice, there are a substantial number of disputes that need to be handled discreetly. We see each legal dispute as an opportunity to find a fair and equitable resolution without destroying your reputation, resume, job prospects, income, and if avoidable, not subjecting you, your family, friends, and former coworkers to unnecessary, highly invasive, time consuming, stressful, and ultimately public litigation. MKO, “Providing you a path forward in your life, career, and recovering the compensation you deserve.™”

Confidentiality is key, for everyone. 

5. Experience, Professional, & Integrity

Through representing and managing thousands of employment situations, rest assured there is help or a path forward for your situation. For example, Partner Christi Wallace has personally represented over 900 clients and has managed hundrends more for associates that worked for her in just the last 7 years!

6. Highly Responsive Attorneys

We always get the question, “If I choose to have you represent me, will it be difficult for me to get in touch with you?”

Absolutely not, we even make ourselves available to clients beyond our normal business hours! Futher, when you call us your attorney answers, not a secretary who puts you on hold for 20 minutes, then tells you that you can leave a voicemail for your attorney. Besides the MKO office phone number, our clients can contact their attorney via mobile, SMS & texting, business email, and an urgent emergency email. For example, we can often respond to a text message in just a few minutes. Experience a better, faster, and more efficient way to work with an attorney. MKO believes that clients can and should depend on the fact that we’ll respond quickly.

7. Attorneys Available 74+ Hours Per Week

Employment Attorneys are available at least 74 hours per week by phone, email, and text messaging. Don’t be fooled by marketing, many law firms are using non-attorney 3rd party answering services and advertising “Phones Answered 24 Hours A Day, 7 Days A Week.” We pick up our own phones, respond to our own emails and text messages, and use real attorneys, 74+ hours per week. 

M-F🕖7am-🕖7pm
Sat/Sun🕗8am-🕒3pm

8. Practical Advice From Seasoned Professionals

MKO strongly believes that every situation is distinctly unique and therefore we must endevour to find the right solution for that particular issue. Because we are a boutique employment law firm, we strive to find unique and innovation solutions for our clients in every circustance. We take action when necessary, put together deals when possible, and work with our clients so we can be creative and find smart solutions instead of needless litigation. We want to protect your interests now and in the future.

9. Contingency Representation

Contingency Legal Representation is where you do not have to pay your lawyer up front. This is fantastic if you are offered this option. Lawyers and litigation costs are incredibly expensive if you pay hourly. With contingency representation, you are not faced with large legal bills and expenses that are daunting and causes slow downs while waiting for a retainer to be replenished. Further, when you’re offering to pay anyone up front and hourly, it seems they’ll take almost any case – so long as they are getting paid. Funny how that works. Here’s how we help:

  • People can afford an attorney. – Without the benefit of contingency, it would be very difficult for a person who was recently seperated from their job to afford an employment lawyer.
  • MKO only gets paid if there is a recovery.  – We put our money where our mouth is, if we don’t get a recovery, you don’t owe legal fees and costs.
  • Contingency representation says something about your case. – Considering MKO only will get paid if there is a recovery, you can assume we like to cases that we believe have merit.
  • Helps people can move on with their lives – Instead of racking up debt to pay for legal help, our contingency representation lets you move on with your life as we deal with the legal stuff. This is exactly what MKO stands for, “Providing you a path forward in your life, career, and recovering the compensation you deserve.™”
10. Keeping Costs Low To Focus On Your Case

Our clients understand that their representation is are far more important than an expensive address. Some law firms might be battling an extremely burdensome and large cost overhead. In other words, to survive, they may need to be a “factory firm” or “volume practice” that needs to process a vast amount of cases to be able to afford their superfluous costs, expenses, and overhead. We aggressively keep costs down so we can focus on you.

Don’t want to be treated like an account number, a settlement figure, or a wheel that needs to be turned to keep the law firm getting paid? We keep our costs low and use this financial freedom for our clients best interests.

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Legal Consultations

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Hours Open Every Week

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Clients & Cases Managed

Wrongful Termination & Discrimination Questions

To Ask During Your Free Lawyer Consultation

  • =What does an employment discrimination lawyer do?

  • =Do I need an employment lawyer?

  • =Can a discrimination attorney really help my case, even if I still work there?

  • =When should I hire an employment discrimination law firm? 

  • =Is discrimination really that common?

  • =How do you hire a discrimination attorney?

  • =How do I know when I need an employment lawyer?

  • =When should I address discrimination at the office?

  • =What is my discrimination case worth?

  • =Do I have a discrimination case?

I trusted Mr. Kraemer with a rather difficult period of time for my family, and we came out on top. He is trustworthy and honest, incredibly helpful, and understanding. Five stars aren’t enough! Him and his staff are well experienced, and won’t let up until the truth is known and justice is served. Michael, it’s been a pleasure. I hope I never need your services again! If I do, I will not hesitate to give you a call.

Bob B.

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Halfway to wrongful termination help. If you don't get paid, neither do we. All you need to do is call MKO!

Employment Law Ready✔ ™

Michael Kraemer was the only lawyer who took my case and would be the only lawyer I’d rely on. He kept me informed and was very intellectual on the whole subject that my case was revolved around. I give Mr. Kraemer a 10 out of 10 and I would refer him and his associates to anyone who wants a well defined lawyer.

Andrew L.

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Wrongful Termination

We help people fired, or soon to be fired, when they have been treated unfairly, illegally, or unjustly.

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Medical Accommodations

Employees needing physical or mental health/wellness accommodations are protected.

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Disability Discrimination

This is so broadly defined that most health conditions can be considered disabilities. 

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Age Discrimination

For those over 40 years old (but older is preferred) that experience bias based on your age.

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Employment Discrimination

Race, religion, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), orientation, disability.

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EEOC or PHRC Agencies

Aggressive lawyering in the state and federal agencies can mean quick, quiet, and lucrative resolutions.

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Professional Exit Strategies

Cut your losses, leave winning, or remove yourself from a bad workplace. You might need an exit strategy.

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Sexual Harassment

A range of actions from mild transgressions to sexual abuse or sexual assault. A highly serious offense.

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