In the state of Illinois if at an appeal hearing my former employer is not denying my unemployment benefits can the unemployment office still denie my benefits?

by christy garrison
(east alton, IL USA)

I was a leasing agent at my previous place of work and i was involved in a car accident which proved to be no fault of my own which left me without a vehicle for several months. I was unable to perform my duties as a leasing agent because without a vehicle i couldn't show apartments to potential renters. The cost for transportation back and forth to work became a financial burden and the job was no longer financially rewarding so with some notice to my boss i had quit my job. Now the unemployment office denied my application because my reason for quitting wasn't good enough, Therfore i filed an appeal and during the hearing my former employer stated i was a good employee and that they were not protesting my unemployment benefits but the mediator said that the decision for my benefits will be determined by the unemployment office. How can they do that if my employer pays for the benefits?


Hi Christy,

Because unemployment is a federal program administered by states .. controlled by statutes which fall within the federal guidelines and paid for by the taxes employers pay to a state.

The rules are applied to one and all evenly and fairly and employers do not have any special privileges or influence over the impartial decision making process. The facts, when the laws are applied yield the result. Okay I'll stop:)

I have had some experience in trying to help an employer who actually wanted an employee to get unemployment benefits overcome the self-disqualifying information the claimant provided to the state .. I never had any luck.

I guess I could assume a few things .. One being that you were probably renting a vehicle and that is what was making the job financially unrewarding?

Even though the accident which left you without a care was not your fault .. the reason for leaving employment can't be your fault either. It needs to be attributable to the employer.

So .. for this to be established you would have to show or prove or provide testimony .. maybe from the employer that you did try to preserve the employment and that the reason you couldn't was due to the employers decision or reaction to your efforts.

At any time .. did you request a personal leave from the employer until you worked out your transportation problem. This is the only thing I can think of that would be helpful and only if the employer denied your request.