Prospect Heights Fire Protection District v. Department of Employment Security

# Court Rules Mandatory Retirement Age Bars Unemployment Benefits ## What Happened A firefighter for the Prospect Heights Fire Protection District retired when he reached the mandatory retirement age of 65, as required by his employer's rules. He then applied for unemployment benefits, but the fire district denied his claim. The firefighter appealed, arguing he should receive benefits because he lost his job. ## What the Court Decided The appellate court sided with the fire district. The court ruled that the firefighter was not eligible for unemployment benefits. Because he separated from his job due to mandatory retirement rules—not because of lack of work or employer wrongdoing—he did not qualify. ## Why This Matters for Workers This ruling clarifies that unemployment benefits typically go to workers who lose jobs through circumstances like layoffs or misconduct. Mandatory retirement based on age is different—it's a predetermined separation, not an unexpected job loss. Workers facing mandatory retirement should understand they generally cannot claim unemployment benefits in these situations, even though they involuntarily left work.