Grever v. Unemployment Compensation Board of Review

**What Happened** A Firestone Tire & Service employee was fired after being accused of attempting to steal company merchandise. After losing their job, the worker applied for unemployment benefits. However, the Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation Board denied their claim, ruling that the firing was due to willful misconduct. The worker challenged this decision in court. **What the Court Decided** The Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court sided with the unemployment board and upheld the denial of benefits. The court agreed that attempting to steal from an employer constitutes "willful misconduct" under Pennsylvania's unemployment law. Because the worker was fired for this serious violation, they were not eligible to receive unemployment compensation. **What This Means for Workers** This ruling reinforces that workers fired for serious misconduct cannot collect unemployment benefits in Pennsylvania. Theft or attempted theft of employer property is considered willful misconduct that disqualifies someone from receiving these benefits. Workers should understand that unemployment benefits are typically reserved for those who lose their jobs through no fault of their own, such as layoffs or company downsizing, rather than those terminated for violating workplace rules or engaging in dishonest behavior.