What Are the Georgia Unemployment Laws on Denying Unemployment?
If you file for unemployment in Georgia, as in most other states, your most recent employer can deny you benefits if it considers you at fault for losing your job. However, if your most recent employer denies your initial unemployment claim and you disagree with its decision, you may file an appeal with the Georgia Department of Labor Unemployment Insurance program.
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Quitting Your Job
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If you voluntarily quit your job without good cause, you will not qualify for unemployment benefits. However, if you had a good cause for quitting your job, such as a hostile work environment or harassment, you still qualify to receive unemployment benefits. However, if you quit for what you believe is good cause, be prepared to provide proof that such an environment existed. If your former employer denies your benefits because you quit your job because of these types of work conditions and you file an appeal, you will have to present this proof to Georgia Department of Labor.
Fired From Your Job
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If you were fired from your job because of misconduct -- for example, you stole property or money from your former employer -- you will be denied unemployment benefits in Georgia. Being fired from your job for reasons other than misconduct on the job does not automatically disqualify you from unemployment benefits. For example, if your former supervisor simply did not like you and fired you, but you completed your job tasks efficiently and did not behave in a way that is considered work misconduct, you likely can still qualify for unemployment.
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Layoffs
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If you were laid off from your job, either temporarily or permanently because your employer did not have enough work for you, you will qualify for unemployment in Georgia. If you were not laid off but your hours were reduced, you also still qualify for unemployment. In these situations, you must sill report to a Career Center, be actively looking for full-time work, be able to work full time if offered a job, and claim unemployment benefits with Georgia's On-Line Interactive Voice Response (OLIVoR) system.
Wages and Other Considerations
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To qualify for unemployment benefits, you must earn wages for at least two calendar quarters from an employer that pays Georgia state unemployment insurance taxes. A calendar quarter is three months. You must also earn wages of at least $1,134 in at least two quarters of your unemployment base period. Your unemployment base period is the first four of the last five calendar quarters. For example, if you apply for unemployment benefits in January, your base period is January to September of the previous year.
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