Unemployment insurance, or unemployment compensation or UI, helps unemployed workers maintain some level of income while in between jobs. The federal government, in conjunction with state programs, operates these programs from revenues garnered from American taxpayers. Each state program operates their unemployment compensation programs differently concerning administration, qualifications for benefits, and how much benefits unemployed persons can receive.
Industry estimates note that nearly ninety-seven percent of American workers are eligible for some form of unemployment insurance coverage, including temporary and part-time workers. Although almost all occupations offer some form of unemployment insurance coverage to non-disabled workers, not all individuals are immediately eligible to receive these benefits. Several qualifications that workers must meet before receiving unemployment compensation, including:
There are also a number of factors rendering an individual ineligible to receive unemployment compensation. The most commonly cited factor revolves around the terms under which an individual left their employer. In cases of workers leaving or quitting due to an undocumented legal reason, unemployment compensation is not afforded to them. Additionally, some workers exhibit patterns of behavior that would disqualify them from benefits. The disqualifying behaviors most likely resulted in firings due to misconduct in the workplace.
Some of the most commonly encountered factors disqualifying applicants for unemployment insurance include:
Disqualifying behavior can be any of the following scenarios concerning employers firing workers, including:
In some cases, workers that voluntarily quit their job due to a good reason can still receive unemployment insurance benefits. The definition of a good reason is difficult to ascertain, but workers should immediately notify their employer about new developments that prohibit them from continuing to work. If adjustments are not made and the employee is still convinced they must quit, then an employee who has quit their job may qualify for unemployment benefits.
Some of more widely acknowledged reasons for leaving a workplace that will protect your right to unemployment compensation include: