Maryland Jobs Can I be denied benefits after refusing a job interview 25 miles away one way in state of Maryland?

by karen
(maryland)

I was collecting benefits up until my temp agency called with a job offer. The job was 25 miles away from home one-way. I declined the interview and was called by the unemployment office and then a phone interview as to why? Unemployment has now sent me a letter stating that they are denying me further employment benefits because I refused the job due to excessive driving. I thought if offered a job and that it wasn't compatible with last job you could just decline and move to the next offer without losing the benefits. I live in the state of Maryland. Can they do this. The commute was almost 2 hours a day?


Hi Karen,

Temp agency!!! Ugh!!!! They probably have the highest of unemployment experience ratings an employer can have and they fight everything and not always fairly. But I'll tell you, after the dirty deed is done, you only have yourself to blame.

Here's a truth. When you work for an employer, you are at the mercy of how they enforce their rules and if you are collecting unemployment you have in effect become the employee of the state and your job is to look for work. Again, you're at the mercy of the employer's rules and how they choose to enforce them.

Here's the Maryland unemployment decision digest and specifically the information dealing with suitable work.

The unfortunate part of what would otherwise be a valuable research tool is that not all decisions are linked and there's too few of them.

Appeal and make it timely and provable that it was timely. Find out if there is any place be it in person or on the internet where you can research more decisions that provide a little more detail and if you wouldn't mind .. please update us. I'd sure like to narrow this subject down to something more definitive that 10 miles if you have no transportation up to 50 is to far.

If it's happening to you .. it's happening to someone else.

And remember, just because they denied benefits .. doesn't mean they were right .. or there wouldn't be an appeal process.

Chris