Unemployment if you quit or were fired in Wisconsin

Quit, fired or refused work

If you quit

If you quit without good cause attributable to your employer and your reason is not one of the exceptions in the law, you cannot get benefits until you earn wages of at least 6 times your weekly benefit rate after the week you quit.

Examples the state names:

• Your employer asked or told you to break a federal or state law
• Sexual harassment your employer knew or should have known about and did not correct
• Your own health, or the health of an immediate family member, left you no reasonable alternative
• A required shift change left you without child care, and you can work full time on your old shift
• You quit within the first 30 days a job you could have refused with good cause
• You quit to take another covered job with at least the same pay and hours, or much longer-term or much closer work
• Domestic abuse or safety concerns, with a restraining order or injunction obtained before you quit
• You moved with a spouse on active military duty who was required to relocate
• You accepted a layoff in place of another employee

If you were fired

If you were fired for misconduct, the wages from that employer cannot be used for your claim, and you cannot get benefits for seven weeks and until you earn 14 times your weekly benefit rate. If you were fired for substantial fault, you cannot get benefits for seven weeks and until you earn 14 times your weekly benefit rate.

If benefits are denied for the separation

Quitting without an exception, or refusing suitable work: until you earn 6 times your weekly benefit rate. Misconduct or substantial fault: seven weeks and until you earn 14 times your weekly benefit rate.

Refusing work

If you refuse work without good cause, you cannot get benefits until you earn at least 6 times your weekly benefit rate. Good cause can include personal safety, an unreasonable commute, sincere religious beliefs or other compelling reasons.

Law: Wis. Stat. sec. 108.04(5), (5g), (7), (8)

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: 4

You must do at least four work search actions each week unless DWD tells you the requirement is waived. Suitable work is work that is reasonable for your training, experience, length of unemployment and the jobs available.

Records to keep

Document each work search action with enough detail for DWD to verify it, and keep proof for one year.

Law: Wis. Stat. sec. 108.04(2)

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, have your alien registration number, document number and expiration date when you apply. You must be legally authorized to work in the United States to be eligible.

Free help

Call 1-844-910-3661. Legal aid and other free help in Wisconsin → Official sources →