Pennsylvania’s wage laws have not been updated in decades. Meanwhile workplace practices have changed, with more subcontracting of work and more misclassification of workers as “independent contractors.” And the wage theft epidemic rages on. The PA Department of Labor and Industry (PALI) can and must issue regulations interpreting our existing laws to address the realities…
This post was written May 04, 2021, by Sharon M. Dietrich, Litigation Director at Community Legal Services. The PA Department of Labor and Industry intends to implement Unemployment Compensation Benefits Modernization – a new computer system for UC benefits — on June 8, 2021. “BenMod” will be a seismic change in how UC claimants,…
Have you gotten a notice from PUA about uploading proof that you lost work during the pandemic? If you applied for PUA in 2020 and are still collecting in 2021, you just need a single document that shows you were working at some point between January 2019 and your application for PUA. It could…
Clearing criminal records can be life-changing, leading to employment, higher wages, housing, educational opportunities, and more. For the one in three Americans who have a criminal record, record clearing is one of the most important tools to overcoming barriers and accessing opportunity. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, when unemployment rates remain high, it…
CLS Litigation Director Sharon Dietrich submitted the following testimony before the Pennsylvania House Labor and Industry Committee on March 10, 2021. The testimony highlights problems with Pennsylvania’s Unemployment Compensation and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance programs that are preventing eligible applicants from receiving benefits, and proposes solutions to these problems. Download the full testimony with attachments Members…
Many people in Pennsylvania have trained for a career, or have thought about pursuing a new profession, only to be stopped by unfair rules that prevent people from getting licensed because of an unrelated criminal record. Starting in 2021, if you are applying for most types of job licenses or certifications in Pennsylvania and you…
A piece of good news for people who are unemployed! Congress passed a COVID relief bill which extends emergency unemployment benefits. It was signed a week later, on 12/27/20, and we are still waiting to see how the delay will impact Pennsylvanians. We do not yet know how long it will take for Pennsylvania to…
Community Legal Services of Philadelphia (CLS), one of the largest and most respected legal services programs in the nation, congratulates President-Elect Joseph Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris on their successful election. As President-Elect Biden said in a recent speech: “We must make the promise of the country real for everybody — no matter their…
On Wednesday, October 21st 2020, the Pennsylvania General Assembly unanimously enacted House Bill 440 (Delozier, R-Cumberland, and McClinton, D-Philadelphia), a bipartisan bill which advances Clean Slate policies in Pennsylvania. This bill builds upon the Clean Slate Law, Act 56 of 2018, to open jobs, housing and other opportunities to Pennsylvanians with criminal cases who deserve…
Working parents may be eligible for paid time off to care for children who are stuck at home because of school or childcare provider closures due to COVID-19. If your employer has not advised you about your options for leave, paid or unpaid, ask for them together with coworkers so everyone can get the info!…
