Baldauf v. Unemployment Compensation Board of Review

**What Happened** An employee was fired from her job at Woomer & Friday, LLP for using company time to look for a new job. After being terminated, she applied for unemployment benefits. The initial referee approved her claim, but the employer appealed this decision to the Unemployment Compensation Board of Review. **What the Court Decided** The Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court sided with the employer and the Board. The court ruled that using work time to search for employment was "willful misconduct" - meaning the employee deliberately broke workplace rules. Because of this misconduct, she was not eligible to receive unemployment compensation benefits. **Why This Matters for Workers** This ruling reinforces that employees can lose their right to unemployment benefits if they're fired for deliberate rule violations, even for actions that might seem minor. Workers should be aware that job searching on company time can be considered serious misconduct that disqualifies them from benefits. If you need to look for work while employed, it's safer to do so during breaks, lunch hours, or outside of work entirely to protect your eligibility for unemployment compensation if things don't work out.