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Reasons why unemployment benefits might be denied

On Behalf of | Jun 5, 2019 | Employee Rights |

Unemployment benefits can help those who have lost their jobs pay for the bills and get back on their feet until they acquire a new job. Not every person is entitled to unemployment benefits, which means that you very well could be denied these benefits should you ever lose your job. Today, we will take a look at the reasons why you could be denied unemployment benefits.

Were you fired for justifiable cause?

This occurs when you violated company policy or some form of conduct rule the company has in place. If this happened, it will be very difficult for you to receive unemployment benefits.

How long have you been working for your employer?

If you were employed for less than one year, you typically won’t be able to collect unemployment benefits, which are based on the wages you’ve earned over the previous year.

Did you quit your job?

Some people can still earn unemployment benefits when in this situation if they quit with good cause. Good cause reasons often include failure to be paid, a change in job duties, the loss of transportation to work, the employment contract was not honored by your employer, illness, being forced to work in hazardous conditions, harassment and discrimination.

Were you working as an independent contractor for a company?

If so, you will not be eligible for unemployment benefits if they happen to not renew your contract. As an independent contractor, you are not viewed as a traditional employee.

The denial of unemployment benefits should always be looked at with the help of an experienced attorney. It is possible that your former employer misclassified your employment status or even caused the denial of benefits in retaliation for something you did while working.