There are times when an employer has a particular job or jobs that they are having problems getting people to do. You may have been brought in to do job A but find out after you get there that you are doing job B that you did not sign up for. This typically happens with a job that tells you that you will make a lot of money and when you take the job, you find that it is based on commission. If this has happened, you may receive unemployment benefits. You will have to prove that the reason you quit was because job A was much different than job B. During your interview, tell Unemployment Personnel that your qualifications and experience clearly dictate another type of job Tell them that this i...

Effective with Benefit Years commencing on or after April 1, 1996, individuals will be identified as construction workers using the National Council of Compensation Insurance Classification codes reported by the employer. Such individuals will be entitled to a Weekly Benefit Rate based on 1/26 of the total wages paid during the highest quarter of wages in his or her Base Period.

Example:

Highest quarter of earnings = $4,000

Divided by 26 = $153.85

Rounded down to = $153

The total Base Period wages would have to equal at least 40 times the Weekly Benefit Rate of $153, or $6,120, to qualify.

There are additional hurdles that must be met in certain situations. If you are enrolled in school, you must have it approved by your unemployment agency. You must also explain how your classes will not prohibit you from seeking employment or that you will stop going to school if it keeps you from finding a suitable job offer.

Earned Income

If you decide to work a part time job after actively looking for work, you may have an additional hurdle if you lose that job and become unemployed again. If you have not earned at least $3000 during the one year period after filing unemployment, called the “base period”, you will not qualify for unemployment. This is something to consider when ...

You can lose your benefits if you don’t:

register as directed with the Job Service
report each week
actively look for a job (and have proof that you’re looking)

If you are unemployed due to striking, benefits are not paid to you during your first 14 days of unemployment. If the strike is not authorized by the national office of the labor organization or in violation of the Railway Labor Act, you will not receive unemployment benefits if you participate in the strike. If you do not participate in the illegal strike, you will receive benefits after the first 14 days.

Car problems can really get you into trouble with your job. If you have an old clunker that finally gave out, you will have to consider what your next steps will be in order to get to work. The problem is that you may not have enough money to get a new car or get your old one fixed.

Depending on where you live, public transportation may not be available and if it is, may not get you to your employer. During you interview, tell them that you have always used this car to get to work and the fact that it no longer works put you in the predicament you are in. Talk about the fact that you considered other options to get to work and state what those are including walking. If you considered carpooli...

There are certain situations where your state will determine you are ineligible for unemployment such as:

Loss of job due to willful misconduct. This is a very serious offense. When you were employed, you would have disobeyed a known company rule on purpose or willfully. Most employers have a process they go through to get to a termination stage. You employer would have met with you on many occasions advising you of the discretion and then the situation happened again and again until it was time for dismissal. If you were not made aware of company rules or not notified of the discretions, you may have a legal issue with your former employer. This book will not elaborate on employment law issu...

Alabama

Alabama Department of Industrial Relations

By Phone: 1-866-234-5382

Online: https://dir.alabama.gov/uc/Claims/default.aspx

Alaska

Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development

By Phone: 1-888-252-2557

Online: http://www.labor.state.ak.us/esd_unemployment_insurance/biff-splash.htm

Arizona

Arizona Department of Economic Security

By Phone: 1-877-600-2722

Online: https://secure.az.gov/az/des/azui/ESA/UI/InitialClaims/Index.aspx

California

California Employment Development Department Home Page

By Phone: 1-800-300-5616

Online: https://eapply4ui.edd.ca.gov/?gclid=CODjwMjVoqoCFcgZQgodT00lWQ

Arkansas

Arkansas Department of Workforce Services

By Phone: 501-907-2590

Online: http://www.arkansas.gov/esd/ARCl...

The Hearings are very informal. The Referee will introduce himself and explain the procedures. It may include the initial report that was made by Unemployment personnel. You will be given the opportunity to present your side of the equation but if it differs greatly from what the Referee sees, be prepared to explain why. All parties and witnesses testify during the Appeal under oath. During the hearing proper decorum is expected for court. Threatening language or actions toward anyone will not be tolerated.

Hearings are informal. Plan to arrive at least ten minutes before your appointment time. The hearing will be recorded as an official record of the proceeding. The Referee explains the proc...

There is a difference between drinking and being drunk at work. If your former employer fired you because you were drinking, you will be able to defend yourself at your unemployment hearing. If you didn’t drink anything, how did the charge come about? Is it because of a cough medicine that you took last night? Sometimes the cough medicines have some alcohol in them that could be present on your breath the morning after you take it. If you did drink something before work or during your work time, you must make sure you tell your interviewer that you didn’t know drinking during work was not allowed. Explain that you went to lunch and had a drink with your lunch. That you were thirs...