Greer v. Unemployment Compensation Board of Review

**What Happened** A worker named Greer was fired from Lehigh Heavy Forge Corporation after failing a drug test that showed cocaine in his system. This violated the company's substance abuse policy. After being terminated, Greer applied for unemployment benefits but was denied by Pennsylvania's unemployment office. He challenged this decision, arguing he should receive benefits. **What the Court Decided** The court sided with the unemployment office and upheld the denial of benefits. The judges agreed that Greer was not eligible for unemployment compensation because he was fired for violating his employer's drug policy. The court found that testing positive for cocaine constituted misconduct that disqualified him from receiving benefits. **Why This Matters for Workers** This ruling reinforces that workers who are fired for drug policy violations typically cannot collect unemployment benefits. If you're terminated for failing a company drug test, you'll likely be denied unemployment compensation because it's considered misconduct. Workers should understand that workplace substance abuse policies have serious consequences beyond just losing your job – you may also lose access to the financial safety net that unemployment benefits provide while searching for new employment.