What Are the Different Ways to Become Eligible for Unemployment?

Joblessness is one of the most important requirements for unemployment. Employees who are laid off are usually eligible for unemployment, since they have usually lost their jobs through no fault of their own. Those who have quit a job may still be eligible to collect unemployment, but they must prove that they left the job for good reasons. Employers must also prove that an employee was fired for a good reason in order to prevent him from getting unemployment compensation.

Usually, when a company lays off an employee, the job loss is no reflection on the abilities, attitude, or actions of the employee. Lay offs may be temporary or permanent. An employee who is laid off is almost always eligible for unemployment, and there are a couple reasons why he may be laid off.

Seasonal workers are typically laid off at a certain time every year. They do not work during a certain part of the year, because the weather conditions or time of the year make doing their jobs nearly impossible. Snowplow drivers and construction workers are usually regarded as seasonal workers, and they are almost always eligible for unemployment. These types of lay offs are usually temporary, and the employees will often be able to resume their jobs at a later date.

Companies may also lay off employees due to economic reasons. For instance, if their budgets no longer make it possible to pay 150 employees, they may lay off a number of them. Employees can also be laid off because there is no work for them at that time. Both of these types of lay offs may be temporary, and the employees are usually eligible for unemployment.

A employee who quits his job may or may not be eligible for unemployment. Before collecting unemployment benefits, he will usually have to prove that he left a job for a good reason. He will usually be able to collect these benefits if he quit his job due to unsafe working conditions or mistreatment, for instance. Quitting a job because he didn't like it anymore, however, would usually make him ineligible for unemployment.

Employees who have been fired from their jobs might also have collecting unemployment benefits. In many areas, the employer is usually responsible for proving that an employee was fired for a good reasons. Willful misconduct or constant tardiness are usually grounds for job termination, and an employee may not be eligible for unemployment benefits if he was fired for these reasons. On the other hand, an employee who was fired for a minor isolated incident or because his boss disliked him may be eligible.