Connecticut Department of Labor Unemployment Appeals

Were you denied compensation for unemployment?

Any denial of an award of unemployment compensation benefits by an Administrator can be appealed to an Appeals Referee. Employers often file appeals of benefit awards to former employees. An appeal must be received no later than twenty-one calendar days from the date of the mailing of the decision denying benefits to the State Of Connecticut Employment Security Appeals Division. If your appeal is late, good cause must be shown. Appeals hearings are almost always held in person with one or more employer witness providing testimony. Although much more preferable we have found that a properly prepared employee through documentation can often present a winning case without the use of witnesses. In the event your former employer succeeds in overturning a prior award of benefits in your favor you may be required to repay your accumulated benefits.

The hearing before the Appeals Referee is the only chance that you will have to fully present your side of what happened to you. As with any government body, there is documentation needed and you should be made aware of the best way to prove your claim before the Appeal Referee. At our firm, we have over 50 years of experience in every aspect of the appeals process and can help you get these vital issues under control and presented in the most favorable light.

Unemployment Benefits and Appeals in New Haven County To The Appeals Referee Or Further

The Appeals Referee will limit the testimony to the issues that he or she determines are relevant to the case. You will not be allowed another hearing to present evidence that you failed to offer the first time unless good cause is established through an appeal to the Board of Review. The types of documentation that may be required in an appeal hearing include records such as time cards, employee handbooks, contracts, applications for employment, relevant internal and external memos, letters and e-mails. It is vastly preferable to have witnesses that have first-hand personal knowledge of your work situation and termination. Witness statements may, on occasion, be accepted, in proper form, if sufficient medical or other good cause is established to the satisfaction of the Appeals Referee. However, it is unwise to assume the individual may not appear at the hearing.

We are familiar with the law and the prior decisions of the Appeals Division. Our firm will take actions and work with you to obtain the information needed and represent you at the hearing. We can obtain your entire personnel file prior to the hearing, if necessary. It is important, for your own financial future, at this time, that this situation is handled professionally. Our firm is committed to protecting the rights of workers, and we urge you to contact us immediately if you have been denied unemployment compensation unfairly.

If you are not successful at the Appeals Referee level, further timely appeals may be taken to the State Of Connecticut Employment Security Board Of Review and thereafter to the State Of Connecticut Superior Court. An appeal to the Board of Review must be received within twenty-one calendar days. Upon timely receipt of the appeal the Board of Review provides ten additional days to submit a written statement detailing every reason the Appeals Referee decision was erroneous. At Axelrod & Associates we are experienced in analyzing the prior documentation and Appeals Referee decision along with prior decisions of the Board of Review to give you the best opportunity for success at the Board of Review level.