Generally speaking, unemployment compensation exists as a social safety net to help folks when they lose their jobs. Unemployment compensation, assuming that you meet all of the prerequisites for having worked long enough to obtain unemployment compensation, is meant to serve as a bridge to help support folks until they obtain their next job.

Unemployment compensation, however, is not automatically given to a worker when they become unemployed. There are several reasons why someone may not receive unemployment compensation. For instance, a person who voluntarily quits employment without a necessitous and compelling cause cannot receive unemployment compensation. Additionally, a person who was fired for cause, mainly things that no reasonable employer should have to tolerate, is also not eligible for unemployment compensation. Here are several examples of things that an employer can point to as reasons for denying unemployment compensation: 1) Failure to show up for work, 2) Willful insubordination, 3) Illegal activities, 4) Inappropriate behavior on the job and etc.

The burden of proof for establishing why an employee is not entitled to unemployment compensation remains on the employer. In other words, if an employer doesn’t think an employee should receive unemployment compensation, then that employer will have to prove why they believe that. If you have any questions about unemployment compensation, please feel free to give me a call.