Can my employer deny me unemployment benefits if I quit my job?
Under some circumstances, you can collect unemployment even if you quit your job. In order to collect benefits after you’ve quit, you must be able to show the Department of Labor that you quit for “good cause attributable to the employer.” Read directly from the CT Department of Labor website here. This includes if your employer cut your pay or violated wage laws; significantly cut your hours; or if it created working conditions that threatened your health, safety, or were abusive. You can also sometimes collect unemployment compensation if you had to quit because you lost your transportation or had to care for a sick or disabled family member. For a full listing of these approved reasons, see the regulations posted here.
*Also, please be aware that due to cuts in government spending, federal emergency unemployment compensation payments will be reduced starting June 16, 2013. State unemployment benefits will not be affected. The DOL’s website has more information at https://www.ctdol.state.ct.us/progsupt/unemplt/sequestration/FAQs.htm.