West Virginia Code § 21A-6-3

Disqualification for benefits
Open in Lexace · Ask the AI about this section
Upon the determination of the facts by the commissioner, an individual is disqualified for
benefits:
(1) For the week in which he or she left his or her most recent work voluntarily without good
cause involving fault on the part of the employer and until the individual returns to covered
employment and has been employed in covered employment at least 30 working days.
For the purpose of this subdivision, an individual has not left his or her most recent work
voluntarily without good cause involving fault on the part of the uemployer if the individual
leaves his or her most recent work with an employer and if he or she in fact, within a 14-day
calendar period, does return to employment with the last preceding employer with whom he
or she was previously employed within the past year prior to his or her return to work, and
which last preceding employer, after having previously employed the individual for 30
working days or more, laid off the individual because of lack of work, which layoff
occasioned the payment of benefits under this chaplter or could have occasioned the payment
of benefits under this chapter had the individusal applied for benefits. It is the intent of this
paragraph to cause no disqualification for benefits for an individual who complies with the
foregoing set of requirements and conditions. Further, for the purpose of this subdivision, an
individual has not left his or her mosgt recent work voluntarily without good cause involving
fault on the part of the employer, if the individual was compelled to leave his or her work for
his or her own health-related reeasons and notifies the employer prior to leaving the job or
within two business days after leaving the job or as soon as practicable and presents written
certification from a licenLsed physician within 30 days of leaving the job that his or her work
aggravated, worsened, or will worsen the individual's health problem.
(2) For the week in which he or she was discharged from his or her most recent work for
misconduct and the six weeks immediately following that week; or for the week in which he
or she was discharged from his or her last 30-day employing unit for misconduct and the six
weeWks immediately following that week. The disqualification carries a reduction in the
maximum benefit amount equal to six times the individual's weekly benefit. However, if the
claimant returns to work in covered employment for 30 days during his or her benefit year,
whether or not the days are consecutive, the maximum benefit amount is increased by the
amount of the decrease imposed under the disqualification; except that:
If he or she were discharged from his or her most recent work for one of the following
reasons, or if he or she were discharged from his or her last 30 days employing unit for one
of the following reasons: Gross misconduct consisting of willful destruction of his or her
employer's property; assault upon the person of his or her employer or any employee of his
or her employer; if the assault is committed at the individual's place of employment or in the
course of employment; reporting to work in an intoxicated condition, or being intoxicated
while at work; reporting to work under the influence of any controlled substance, as defined
in chapter 60A of this code without a valid prescription, or being under the influence of any
controlled substance, as defined in said chapter without a valid prescription, while at work;
adulterating or otherwise manipulating a sample or specimen in order to thwart a drug or
alcohol test lawfully required of an employee; refusal to submit to, or failure of, random
testing for alcohol or illegal controlled substances for employees in an employment position
where alcohol or drug use creates an inherent risk to the health and safety of the employee
or others, or employees in safety-sensitive positions as defined in §21-1D-2 of this code;
violation of an employer's drug-free workplace program; violation of an employer's alcohol-
free workplace program; arson, theft, larceny, fraud, or embezzlement in coennection with his
or her work; or any other gross misconduct, he or she is disqualified for benefits until he or
she has thereafter worked for at least 30 days in covered employment: rProvided, That for the
purpose of this subdivision, the words "any other gross misconduct" includes, but is not
limited to, any act or acts of misconduct where the individual has received prior written
warning that termination of employment may result from the act or acts.
(3) For the week in which he or she failed without good cause to apply for available, suitable
work, accept suitable work when offered, or return to his or her customary self-employment
when directed to do so by the commissioner, and for the four weeks which immediately
follow for such additional period as any offer of suitable work shall continue open for his or
her acceptance. The disqualification carries a reduction in the maximum benefit amount
equal to four times the individual's weekly benefit amount.
(4) For any week or portion thereof gin which he or she did not work as a result of:
(a) A strike or other bona fide elabor dispute which caused him or her to leave or lose his or
her employment.
(b) A lockout is not a strike or a bona fide labor dispute and no individual may be denied
benefits by reason of a lockout. However, the operation of a facility by nonstriking
employees of the company, contractors, or other personnel is not a reason to grant
employees of the company on strike unemployment compensation benefit payments. If the
operation of a facility is with workers hired to permanently replace the employees on strike,
theW employees would be eligible for benefits.
(c) For the purpose of this subsection, an individual shall be determined to leave or lose his
or her employment by reason of a lockout where the individual employee has established
that: (i) The individual presented himself or herself physically for work at the workplace on
the first day of such lockout or on the first day he or she is able to present himself at the
workplace or herself; and (ii) the employer denied the individual the opportunity to perform
work.
(d) For purposes of this subsection, an individual is determined to be permanently replaced
where the individual employee establishes that: (i) He or she is currently employed by an
employer who is the subject of a strike or other bona fide labor dispute; and (ii) the position
of the employee has been occupied by another employee who has been notified they are
permanently replacing the employee who previously occupied the position. Employees or
contractors who are hired to perform striking employees' work on a temporary basis, such as
the duration of a strike or other bona fide labor dispute, or a shorter period of time, may not
be determined to have permanently replaced a striking employee.
(5) For a week with respect to which he or she is receiving or has received:
(a) Wages in lieu of notice;
(b) Compensation for temporary total disability under the workers' compensation law of any
state or under a similar law of the United States; or
(c) Unemployment compensation benefits under the laws of the United States or any other
state.
(6) For the week in which an individual has voluntarily quit employment to marry or to
perform any marital, parental, or family duty, or to attaend to his or her personal business or
affairs and until the individual returns to covered employment and has been employed in
covered employment at least 30 working days: Provlided, That an individual who has
voluntarily quit employment to accompany a spouse serving in active military service who
has been reassigned from one military assignment to another is not disqualified for benefits
pursuant to this subdivision: Provided, howiever, That the account of the employer of an
individual who leaves the employment to accompany a spouse reassigned from one military
assignment to another may not be charged.
(7) Benefits may not be paid to any individual on the basis of any services, substantially all of
which consist of participating in sports or athletic events or training or preparing to so
participate, for any week which commences during the period between two successive sport
seasons (or similar periods) if the individual performed the services in the first of the
seasons (or similar p eriods) and there is a reasonable assurance that the individual will
perform the sVervices in the later of the seasons (or similar periods).
(8) (a) Benefits may not be paid on the basis of services performed by an alien unless the
alien is an individual who was lawfully admitted for permanent residence at the time the
services were performed, was lawfully present for purposes of performing the services or
was permanently residing in the United States under color of law at the time the services
were performed (including an alien who is lawfully present in the United States as a result of
the application of the provisions of Section 203(a)(7) or Section 212(d)(5) of the Immigration
and Nationality Act): Provided, That any modifications to the provisions of Section
3304(a)(14) of the federal Unemployment Tax Act as provided by Public Law 94-566 which
specify other conditions or other effective date than stated in this subdivision for the denial
of benefits based on services performed by aliens and which modifications are required to be
implemented under state law as a condition for full tax credit against the tax imposed by the
federal Unemployment Tax Act are applicable under the provisions of this section.
(b) Any data or information required of individuals applying for benefits to determine
whether benefits are not payable to them because of their alien status shall be uniformly
required from all applicants for benefits.
(c) In the case of an individual whose application for benefits would otherwise be approved,
no determination that benefits to the individual are not payable because of his or her alien
status may be made except upon a preponderance of the evidence.
(9) For each week in which an individual is unemployed because, having voluntarily left
employment to attend a school, college, university, or other educational institution, he or she
is attending that school, college, university, or other educational institution, or is awaiting
entrance thereto or is awaiting the starting of a new term or session thereof, and until the
individual returns to covered employment. u
(10) For each week in which he or she is unemployed because of his or her request, or that
of his or her duly authorized agent, for a vacation period at a specified time that would leave
the employer no other alternative but to suspend operaations.
(11) In the case of an individual who accepts an earlly retirement incentive package, unless
he or she: (i) Establishes a well-grounded fears of imminent layoff supported by definitive
objective facts involving fault on the part of the employer; and (ii) establishes that he or she
would suffer a substantial loss by not acceipting the early retirement incentive package.
(12) For each week with respect to which he or she is receiving or has received benefits
under Title II of the Social Security Act or similar payments under any Act of Congress, or
remuneration in the form of an annuity, pension, or other retirement pay from a base period
employer or chargeable employer or from any trust or fund contributed to by a base period
employer or chargeable employer or any combination of the above, the weekly benefit
amount payable to the individual for that week shall be reduced (but not below zero) by the
prorated weekly amount of those benefits, payments, or remuneration: Provided, That if the
amount of benefits is not a multiple of $1, it shall be computed to the next lowest multiple of
$1: Provided, however, That there is no disqualification if in the individual's base period
theWre are no wages which were paid by the base period employer or chargeable employer
paying the remuneration, or by a fund into which the employer has paid during the base
period: Provided further, That notwithstanding any other provision of this subdivision to the
contrary, the weekly benefit amount payable to the individual for that week may not be
reduced by any retirement benefits he or she is receiving or has received under Title II of
the Social Security Act or similar payments under any Act of Congress. A claimant may be
required to certify as to whether or not he or she is receiving or has been receiving
remuneration in the form of an annuity, pension, or other retirement pay from a base period
employer or chargeable employer or from a trust fund contributed to by a base period
employer or chargeable employer.
(13) For each week in which and for 52 weeks thereafter, beginning with the date of the
decision, if the commissioner finds the individual who within 24 calendar months
immediately preceding the decision, has made a false statement or representation knowing it
to be false or knowingly fails to disclose a material fact, to obtain or increase any benefit or
payment under this article: Provided, That disqualification under this subdivision does not
preclude prosecution under §21A-10-7 of this code.

‹ Prev All West Virginia sections Next ›


Lexace provides legal information, not legal advice, and no attorney–client relationship is created. Statute text is provided for general information and may not reflect the most recent amendments; verify against the official state code.