What Is Unemployment Insurance
Unemployment insurance, or UI, is a state-federal program designed to provide temporary income support for individuals who lose their job through no fault of their own. UI benefits are overseen by the federal government but each state administers its own unemployment program and sets requirements for eligibility.
We Can Help You Fight For Justice
When your employer wrongfully discriminates against you or harasses you, and you lose your job, you can feel hopeless. Employers should not get away with it! By standing up for your rights, you are standing up for yourself. You are also standing up for everyone who has ever suffered the injustice of an employer keeping earned wages.
Please make an appointment for a free consultation in our Newport Beach office. You can contact us by email or phone. We want to help.
To Show That You Acted Against His Or Her Expectations Or Interests
Your employer must show:
If you are fired because you could not do the job, you can still get unemployment benefits.
If you are laid off, the Department of Unemployment Assistance will talk to you and your employer to find out if you can get benefits. Make sure you tell DUA your side of the story.
If you are fired, you will need to contact DUA and apply for unemployment benefits. The sooner you apply, the better. The longer you wait, the higher the chances that your benefits will be reduced.
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How Does Unemployment Work
Unemployment insurance is a joint federal-state program that provides temporary benefits to those who have been let go by their employers for reasons beyond their control. The income and health insurance benefits provided are meant to hold the individual over during their job hunt. Because seeking work can be a long process, unemployment can last up to 26 weeks, depending on the previous job.
The amount and duration of benefits a person receives are determined by how long they were at their last job and how much they earned. There are also extended benefit plans in case they have exhausted all their state benefits. Congress is constantly changing and amending unemployment benefits and extensions, so be sure to keep yourself updated as time goes on.
If an employee quits their job by their own choice, they are not typically eligible for unemployment benefits. There are, however, certain extenuating circumstances that may make them eligible. In order to see if those apply to you, you can select your state here and follow the instructions to file for unemployment.
This can be a tricky gray area, because eligibility often depends on why the employee was terminated.
Are You Available And Actively Searching For Work
To maintain your eligibility for unemployment compensation, you must be able to work, available to accept a job, and looking for work. If you are offered a suitable position, you must accept it. You must also keep a written record of your work search contacts, which the agency may ask you to submit at any time.
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Are You Out Of Work Through No Fault Of Your Own
You must be out of work through no fault of your own to qualify for unemployment benefits.
Collecting Unemployment After a Layoff
If you are laid off, lose your job in a reduction-in-force , or get “downsized” for economic reasons, you will meet this requirement.
Collecting Unemployment After Being Fired
If you are fired for a reason like not being good at the job or not having the skills to perform the job, you should be able to collect benefits. But in Florida, employees who are fired for misconduct connected with work may not qualify for unemployment benefits. Misconduct is defined as an intentional or controllable act that shows a deliberate disregard of the employer’s interests. Misconduct also includes failure, without good cause, to maintain a license or certification required for the job. An employee who is fired for performance problems, carelessness, inefficiency, or good faith errors in judgment will ordinarily qualify for benefits.
Collecting Unemployment After Quitting
If you quit your job, you won’t be eligible for unemployment unless you had a good reason for doing so relating to your work or a personal illness or disability. If you left your job because your spouse was transferred by the military, you will remain eligible for benefits. And, if you left a temporary job because you were recalled by your permanent employing unit within six months after termination, you will be eligible for benefits.
Do I Need A Colorado Employment Lawyer
Enduring a period of unemployment presents many stressors, especially when you provide for a family. Unemployment benefits are available to many who need it however, it can take several weeks to start receiving compensation. While you may qualify for unemployment benefits, a mistake in your application can further lengthen the process. Its crucial to ensure your application for unemployment benefits is done correctly from the start so you can receive payments as soon as possible.
An attorney who helps those who are unemployed collect benefits can determine eligibility, particularly for those who were fired or voluntarily quit their jobs. If you were fired or quit your job, you must attend a hearing to determine your eligibility. An attorney can boost your case by:
- Gathering witnesses to provide testimony at your hearing
- Conducting a prehearing investigation and preparing witnesses
An attorney like Nathan Davidovich of the Davidovich Law Firm, LLC can help you present facts that will support your case for unemployment benefits and fight for your claim should it be improperly denied by the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment.
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Speak To An Experienced Employment Law Attorney Today
This article is intended to be helpful and informative. But even common legal matters can become complex and stressful. A qualified employment lawyer can address your particular legal needs, explain the law, and represent you in court. Take the first step now and contact an attorney in your area from our directory to discuss your specific legal situation.
Fired For Refusing A Vaccination Mandate: Can You Still Collect Unemployment
Vaccine requirements may make you ineligible for unemployment benefits if you do not comply with company policy.
Sarah Tew / CNET
For the most up-to-date news and information on the coronavirus pandemic, visit the who other Centers for Disease Control and Prevention websites.
What vaccination mandates are spread throughout the United States., employees are weighing a complicated financial calculus: If they refuse to comply and are fired, would they qualify for unemployment insurance?
At first, we will note that this is an evolving legal issue that is likely to play out in court. As a general rule, employees who quit or are fired for refusing a COVID-19 vaccine are not eligible to collect unemployment. And some legal experts believe that resisting a vaccine mandate could be treated as equivalent to a voluntary resignation, disqualifying an employee from receiving benefits. But the rules vary by region and employer. Despite some federally recognized exceptions, most states have not yet officially weighed in on the matter.
Multiple studies have shown that COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective in prevent serious illness and death and they are an important tool to control the pandemic. Almost all hospitalizations and deaths from COVID are among the unvaccinated.
For now, here is a snapshot of the issues involved and how they may affect your eligibility for unemployment benefits.
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Reasons For Ineligibility For Unemployment Insurance
You can quickly see why this wouldnt work for people who have quit their jobs. They could get hired one week and quit the next and then just sit on unemployment for 26 weeks until their check runs out and theyre required to get another job.
In most cases, quitting your job makes you ineligible for unemployment. There are few exceptions, like if you had good cause for quitting, you might still be able to get payments. Example scenarios include an unsafe work situation or a job where you were being harassed and can document that you reported it and they didnt do anything to help you.
Getting fired from your job can make you ineligible, too. If youre trying to get fired and doing all the wrong things, your employer has a right to fire you and youre ineligible for unemployment insurance. But if youre fired unjustly, you might be eligible.
Another eligibility requirement for unemployment is based on your states threshold for earned wages or time worked. This is called the base period.
In almost every state the base period is a year, which means youll have to have worked for a year, before losing your job, to collect unemployment benefits. Some states require you to have worked a certain amount of hours in the base period before qualifying. Its best to check with your state unemployment office to see if you will qualify.
What Other Legal Issues Are At Stake
The other critical question attorneys face is whether employer-required vaccinations are considered a reasonable policy in the first place. I think most of the time you will find that the policies are considered reasonable due to the amount of scientific literature that suggests that vaccines are safe, said Eliot Rushovich, managing partner of Rise Law Firm In Los Angeles.
I cant see the government demanding vaccines and then saying it has to fire these people, but it is also responsible for paying unemployment insurance benefits, said Darren Rumack, partner at the Klein Law Group In New York.
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Do You Meet The Minimum Earnings Requirement
Virtually all states look at your recent work history and earnings during a one-year “base period” to determine your eligibility for unemployment. In Florida, as in most states, the base period is the earliest four of the five complete calendar quarters before you filed your claim for benefits. For example, if you filed your claim in October of 2021, the base period would be from June 1, 2020, through May 31, 2021.
During the base period, your work history and earnings must meet all three of these requirements:
- You must have been paid wages in at least two of the four calendar quarters that make up the base period.
- Your earnings during the entire base period must be at least one-and-a-half times your wages in the highest paid quarter of the base period. For example, if you earned $5,000 during your highest paid quarter, your total earnings for the base period year must be at least $7,500.
- You must have earned at least $3,400 during the entire base period.
Were You Fired For Misconduct
Losing your job due to layoffs is a common instance under which people will apply for unemployment, but its not the only one.
Each states laws are different, advised employment lawyer Bryan Wood, but generally speaking, unemployment compensation is more like an insurance benefit for anyone who has worked in the past and wants to work, but cant keep the job they have or find a new one. In most states, unemployment benefits are available after any job loss not due to employees own misconduct, not just failing to meet performance standards.
But what exactly does misconduct mean, here?
Misconduct is a legal term that means something worse than simply performing badly, explained Dan Kalish, Managing Partner of HKM Employment Attorneys. Think theft, total dereliction of your duties, failing to come to work, those types of things are generally considered misconduct, whereas if you get terminated for simply not working out, or not getting along with others, or not doing a good job, this is not generally considered misconduct and you should still get benefits.
So, for the most part, as long as you didnt get fired due to negative behavior on your part, you should still be able to apply for unemployment.
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+ Can You Draw Unemployment If You Get Fired For Attendance In Ny Pictures
However, the circumstances of your firing are important. In many states, people who are fired for a reason, such as tardiness, absenteeism or incompetency, can still collect benefits. If you get fired from your job your employer may have a valid reason for firing you, and thus it is your own fault that you are unemployed, and therefore you are ineligible to receive unemployment. If you’re fired for misconduct, you won’t be eligible for unemployment benefits. When i had my unemployment phone interview i told them that i was having car problems/no reliable transportation, witch is the same thing i told my employer.just make sure that you do not lie. They will help you claim unemployment benefits.
In north carolina, attendance issues can be tricky when it comes to qualifying for unemployment benefits. You are generally able to collect unemployment if you were fired or let go from a company. If you were fired and there is no documentation, your employer might have a difficult time. The discussions are based on state and federal law, state and federal regulations If, for example, you are laid off because your department is being eliminated or your company is downsizing, you will meet this requirement. There are several factors involved and the employer is usually well versed in what those factors are.
Can I Work While I Am Getting Unemployment
You can work part-time while getting unemployment, but the amount of your wages is taken out of your unemployment money. This is how it works:
- If you work less than 32 hours OR if the hours at your job were cut to below 32 hours and you now earn less than your weekly unemployment amount, you can get a partial payment.
- If you work 32 or more hours in a week or if your gross earnings for a week are the same as or more than your weekly unemployment amount, you won’t get unemployment for that week.
It is really important for you to report all of your earnings and other income to the Unemployment Office. Report your earnings from all jobs, even temporary or part-time jobs. Report the earnings even if you think the Unemployment Office already knows about the job.
If you do not report all of your earnings or other income, you will get an overpayment. You have to repay this overpayment back to the Unemployment Office, plus interest. You may also have to pay a fraud penalty.
Each case if different. Call your local legal aid office right away to talk about your case.
You can find your office here: .
You can usually get up to 26 weeks worth of unemployment insurance, but you have to use them within a year of the date you apply.
Every week you need to log into your account or call and ask for benefits.
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An Unemployment Lawyer In Springfield Working With Individuals Who Have Lost Their Jobs
If you have lost your job through no fault of your own or have left your employment voluntarily because of unacceptable workplace conditions, you may be entitled to significant unemployment benefits. Unfortunately, in some cases, people who should be collecting unemployment have difficulty getting their benefits because of vindictive employers or issues navigating complicated bureaucracy. To have an attorney review the facts of your case, please fill out and submit our online questionnaire with as many details as possible.
Losing your job can be emotionally and financially devastating. To provide some much-needed support for individuals and families in this difficult position, the state of Massachusetts created an unemployment insurance program. If you lose your job, you may be entitled to unemployment compensation through this insurance program.
Unfortunately, all too often, valid Massachusetts unemployment claims are wrongfully denied. At Hayber, McKenna & Dinsmore, our experienced Springfield unemployment compensation attorneys fight for the legal rights of workers seeking their full and fair unemployment benefits. If your benefits have been denied, our team can help you file an appeal. From our office in downtown Springfield, we serve communities throughout the region, including Chicopee, Agawam, Holyoke, Westfield and West Springfield.
What If You Quit Or Were Fired
Workers who leave their jobs for personal reasons or who are fired may not be eligible for Unemployment Insurance benefits. If these circumstances apply to your application, we will need more information from you before we make a decision.
If you quit voluntarily
If you quit your job without “good cause connected with the work” you may not be eligible to receive benefits. “Good cause connected with the work” means that your reason for leaving must be directly related to your job, and be so compelling that you had no choice but to leave the job. While in most cases you cannot voluntarily quit a job and collect unemployment insurance benefits, where you can show unsafe, unhealthful, or dangerous working conditions, that were so intolerable that you had no choice but to leave the employment, you could be eligible to collect unemployment insurance benefits. The burden of proof is on you, the employee, to prove that you quit for good cause.
If you leave your job for personal reasons for example, to move out of the area your reason for quitting is not connected with the work. If you quit your job for better pay or more hours, you may be eligible for benefits under certain circumstances.
In both cases, a claims examiner will contact you by phone or email for a fact-finding interview to decide if you are entitled to benefits based on Unemployment Insurance law and policies.
If you were fired or discharged
There are two types of misconduct: misconduct and gross misconduct.
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