Laster v. Unemployment Compensation Board of Review

**Laster v. Unemployment Compensation Board of Review: Court Rules Agency Cannot Be Sued as Employer** This case involved a dispute where someone named Laster tried to sue Pennsylvania's Unemployment Compensation Board of Review in what appears to be an employment-related matter. The Unemployment Compensation Board of Review is a state agency that handles appeals when people disagree with decisions about their unemployment benefits. The court dismissed the case entirely. The judge ruled that the Unemployment Compensation Board of Review cannot be treated as an employer in a lawsuit because it is an administrative agency, not a business that hires workers. Essentially, the court said Laster was suing the wrong type of entity for an employment law claim. This ruling matters for workers because it clarifies an important distinction: government agencies that process benefits or handle administrative functions are not the same as actual employers. If workers have employment disputes, they need to sue their actual employer - the company or organization they worked for - not the government agencies that might handle their benefits or claims. Workers dealing with unemployment benefit disputes should follow the proper administrative appeal process rather than treating the review board as if it were their former employer.