Unemployment if you quit or were fired in Alabama

Quit, fired or refused work

If you quit

If you quit your most recent job voluntarily without good cause connected with that work, you are disqualified. A personal reason, such as lack of transportation or moving farther away, is not a work-connected cause. ADOW decides.

Examples the state names:

• Unsafe working conditions
• Being unemployed because you or your child were a victim of domestic violence, stalking or sexual assault
• Leaving because you were sick or disabled, if you told your employer as soon as reasonably possible and offered to come back as soon as you were able
• Leaving to go right back to work for your regular employer, or to a job where you had seniority or recall rights
• Leaving to move with your active-duty military spouse under permanent change of station, activation or deployment orders

If you were fired

Being fired does not by itself stop benefits. You are disqualified if you were fired for misconduct connected with your work. How long depends on how serious it was: a dishonest or criminal act, sabotage, endangering others, or illegal drug use or refusing a drug test after a warning is the most serious; misconduct repeated after a warning is next; other misconduct means a shorter disqualification.

If benefits are denied for the separation

After a quit without good cause, misconduct repeated after a warning, or the most serious kinds of misconduct, you cannot get benefits until you go back to insured work, earn at least 10 times your weekly benefit amount, and lose that job for a non-disqualifying reason; your benefit total may also be reduced. For other misconduct, you are disqualified for the week you were fired plus 1 to 4 more weeks, and your benefit total is reduced by those weeks.

Refusing work

If you refuse a referral, miss an appointment with an employer, or turn down suitable work without good cause, benefits may be delayed or denied. ADOW decides what is suitable based on your training, experience, the job and the local labor market.

Law: Ala. Code sec. 25-4-78(2), (3), (5)

Official source: Source page

You usually must be unemployed through no fault of your own. In most states this means you lost your job because there was not enough work.

Able, available and looking for work

Job contacts per week: 3

You must make systematic and sustained efforts to find work, including contacting at least 3 possible employers each week you claim, unless ADOW tells you the requirement is waived. You give your work search contacts with each weekly certification. Apply for work you are qualified for within normal commuting distance, and log in to AlabamaWorks or visit a Career Center at least once a week to log your activities.

Records to keep

ADOW requires proof of your work search with each weekly certification and randomly reviews at least 5% of work search proof each week. Keep a record of each employer you contact.

Law: Ala. Code sec. 25-4-77(a)(5)

Official source: Source page

To be paid for a week, you must be able to work, available to work and actively seeking work.

Law: 42 U.S.C. 503(a)(12)

Noncitizens

What the state says

If you are not a U.S. citizen, you must give your alien registration number. ADOW checks it with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. If USCIS says you are not authorized to work, ADOW cannot pay benefits, and wages earned before you had work authorization cannot be used for a claim.

Free help

Call 1-866-234-5382. Legal aid and other free help in Alabama → Official sources →