Getting unemployment for called off

Nurses General Nursing

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I am new to floor nursing and was wondering if anyone who works in Pennsylvania has successfully filed for unemployment for days they were cancelled and what is the process for doing this. Thanks.

Specializes in Critical Care.

Usually a person just uses PTO to cover a low census day or try to work extra another day if that is possible. You would have to check out your state's unemployment laws, but a doubt you would be able to get unemployment over a single day.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, High-Risk L&D, Antepartum, L.
Usually a person just uses PTO to cover a low census day or try to work extra another day if that is possible. You would have to check out your state's unemployment laws, but a doubt you would be able to get unemployment over a single day.

The problem is in some places they are running out of PTO or they are using the PTO and then not having time for planned vacations. So PTO isn't the answer.

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Specializes in ORTHO, TRAUMA, MED-SURG, L&D, POSTPARTUM.
Wow....you were able to collect unemployment after quitting, and not being available to work (post-baby, that is)? In NY, if you are not ready and available to work at any moment, you don't qualify for unemployment. You CAN collect if you quit under a few severe and specific circumstances, but staying home with Baby isn't one of them. Not sure if this is a great thing or a bad thing....guess it depends which side of the unemployment line you're on: receiving or paying!

In California I was able to collect 6 weeks of disability pay that I applied for through that same office unemployment is filed. In addition to that I had 6 weeks of paid maternity leave that is required in CA. It was hard to live on a reduced paycheck (60% of normal income), but quite a nice 3 months off with my newborn. In Colorado I don't think they had paid maternity leave. If they allowed paid disability for new mothers I didn't know about it, I had to sell my car to afford my 6 weeks of maternity leave. :(

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Specializes in ORTHO, TRAUMA, MED-SURG, L&D, POSTPARTUM.
PA has fairly liberal unemployment laws. I know the one floor in my previous hospital was the first one to get closed (and most likely to stay closed the longest). Those nurses could collect a partial if they dropped 50% of their budgeted hours for 2 weeks or more. The hospital did their best to reassign them to floors where there were holes (or call off other staff to rotate the time off) so they didn't have to worry about being cut that much.

oh and my BIL was able to collect unemployment. He left his position to take care of my disabled nephew because his employer refused to work with him regarding hours and travel.

In NJ when I worked in Casinos myself and other employees were allowed to collect partial unemployment for weeks we dropped under full time hours. This was often for most employees in my department since we were on-call workers. I was SHOCKED I qualified for partial unemployment considering I voluntarily left my previous job where I could pick up as many hours as I wanted and was basically a full-time employee. So its not too surprising to hear PA also has very liberal labor laws.

A friend of mine lives in PA, and we were commiserating that we were living in two of the highest-taxed States in the Union......starting to see one of the reasons why!

Now this may be a reason for increased taxes in our area, maybe not, I don't know the politics regarding use of unemployment benefits. From my understanding payment is calculated from hours you earned by working full-time hours in the past year (or at least in NJ this is how it is calculated). Isn't unemployment taken out from social security you've contributed to? I could be wrong or maybe I don't understand the whole process.

I find that very strange. We have come to such a sense of entitlement in this country.

A missed day of work (or 2 or 3) for a reasonably well-paid nurse (no matter the state, nurses have a very decent earning ability) leads to an unemployment claim? This thread has really opened my eyes to some realities of American life of which I was unaware.

Claiming unemployment because you decline to return to your prior employment obligation after giving birth? When there are tens/hundreds waiting in line for your job?

However, I don't think that employees that are given full-time work should be so disposable to employers that they can be called off and not be compensated for days they already committed to, cleared their schedule for, and possibly had to set up and pay childcare for. I don't feel wanting to be compensated for a day you were suppose to work a "sense of entitlement" especially if you are repeatedly called off for shifts and your income substantially drops by half and you can't pay your bills. First and foremost, everyone works to pay their bills. End of story.

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Specializes in Psych.

I live in Pa and yes you can do this. I have ( well when I was an aide). Basically, you have to be a set schedule so if you are a 1.0 if you drop below your 40 hours, if you are a .6 you would have to drop below the six days a pay. And if you picked up a ton of overtime during your highest quarter you may actually be able to collect if you dont get called off at all. Now the caveats... you cannot use PTO time and you cannot request the days off ( volunteer for the call off). Oh and you cannot be a "flex" employee who has been flexed up and then back to your point position.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

"And if you picked up a ton of overtime during your highest quarter you may actually be able to collect if you dont get called off at all."

Hmmmmm.......

And how exactly is that considered "unemployed"?

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