Many professionals, including health care professionals, face a double-edged sword when they are terminated from their jobs. First, they receive letters of investigation from their licensing boards concerning their professional licenses. Second, their claims for unemployment compensation are denied because the former employer tells the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (FDEO) that the individual is not eligible for unemployment benefits. This is because they were terminated for cause.
When you apply for unemployment benefits you become a “claimant.” After the FDEO investigates your claim, an adjudicator issues a notice approving or disapproving the payment of benefits. This notice/determination is the initial ruling as to whether a claimant will be paid or denied benefits. Adverse formal notices/determinations create appellate rights for the claimant. They serve as the “point of entry” into the unemployment assistance appeals process.
Fortunately, you can appeal the FDEO’s decision. However, the process is complicated. You need to retain an experienced attorney like from the attorneys at Chapman Law Group, to assist you. If you lose your appeal, you stand to go without financial assistance (money) to support your family and yourself until you find a new job.
If you have been dismissed from your job without just cause (i.e. misconduct), you should be eligible for unemployment compensation. An employer can fight and win the appeal, if the they terminated an employee for job-related misconduct, and the employer previously warned the employee that their job was in jeopardy. Chapman Law Group has contested many unemployment issues.
The attorneys at Chapman Law Group can help you win your unemployment appeal, because they have experience with appeal hearings. The key to an effective appeal, is proper preparation for the telephonic hearing with the Appeals Referee. The Unemployment Appeals hearing before the Appeals Referee, is a critical step in the process. It is the only opportunity that you will have to introduce evidence to prove your case and obtain the unemployment benefits that you are entitled to receive.
A claimant who receives an adverse notice/determination has the right to protest that notice/determination and to participate in a hearing before an Appeals Referee. Upon receiving an appeal from a terminated employee (claimant), the Office of Appeals schedules a hearing. The Office of Appeals notices all interested parties, so the parties can appear and address the issues. The parties will be mailed a Notice of Hearing, telling them when the hearing will be held and whether they are expected to participate in-person or by telephone.
Appeals hearings are evidentiary hearings, meaning that documentary evidence and testimony is presented by each side. It is important to note that if the termination was due to alleged “misconduct,” the initial burden of proving misconduct to deny benefits is always on the employer. Not only is the burden of proof on the employer, the proof must be by a preponderance of the evidence.
Unemployment Appeals Hearings are adversarial proceedings. The Referee will examine you, the employer’s witnesses, and the available evidence. Chapman Law Group prepares you in advance of the hearing, so that you are confident and ready to answer questions.
During the Unemployment Appeals hearing, your attorney from Chapman Law Group will examine (i.e. question) your employer’s witnesses, offer witnesses for your side, submit documentary evidence, and submit legal and/or factual reasons as to why you are entitled to receive benefits. At the end of the hearing, Chapman Law Group will make a closing statement of your behalf.
Misconduct is defined under Florida Statutes and case law. It is important for an employee to have an experienced attorney, like Chapman Law Group, representing him/her during an appeals hearing, who is familiar with the law in this area.
For example, the alleged diversion of medications can be considered misconduct and a basis for denying unemployment benefits. However, proof of the diversion must be clearly proven by the employer. The employer must provide records and or documentation showing that medications were withdrawn and not administered to the patient, and that it was the fault of the employee.
Chapman Law Group knows the hearing process and your rights as a party during the hearing. We make sure that you are provided all your rights including:
After Chapman Law Group presents all of your evidence and testimony to the Appeals Referee, the Referee makes a decision based solely upon the evidence and testimony presented during the hearing. Therefore, it is critical that you hire an experienced attorney who knows how to get all of the proper information in front of the Appeals Referee. When the hearing ends, the Referee issues a written decision.
If you are in a situation involving unemployment compensation, contact us today and we will review your case. Our offices are in Michigan, where we serve the Metro Detroit area (Troy, Dearborn, Ann Arbor), Grand Rapids and Lansing; and in Florida, where we work with clients in Miami, West Palm Beach, Orlando, Tampa and Jacksonville.
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