Suitable Work Request

[BTM123]

What is the name of your state? Pennsylvania


I recently had my hours reduced from full-time (40 hours) to part-time (20 hours per week).

I work in an office and perform administrative functions. If my employer requests that I work in the office for 20 hours and then requests that I perform non-office work above those 20 hours (at my same rate of pay) would that be considered "suitable" work?

Based on prior employees experiencing similar tactics, I am concerned that my employer may request that I perform job functions that are completely outside of my job function as a way to prevent me from collecting partial unemployment benefits.

So, if my employer offers me some non-office type of work and I turn it down (while collecting partial unemployment) would I be in danger of being fired and/or losing partial unemployment benefits?

 

[Beth3]

So, if my employer offers me some non-office type of work and I turn it down (while collecting partial unemployment) would I be in danger of being fired Yes. Your employer can require you to perform any tasks at all provided the task is not illegal (they can't order you to embezzle money) and not unsafe (as in violating an OSHA standard.) If you refuse, that is insubordination.

and/or losing partial unemployment benefits? Impossible to say. No one here knows a thing about the customary work you do and what type of work you're being asked to do. If you're a secretary for a building contractor and are being asked to operate an overhead crane 20 hours/week, that is obviously unsuitable work (and unsafe, of course.) But if you're an admin assi't for a manufacturing company and being asked to do some light assembly work requiring only minimum training 20 hours/week, that's a whole 'nother matter. On the whole, the State looks askance at people who decline work when work is available.