Lawuan Stanford v. The Commissioner of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development and Altama Footwear

**What Happened** Lawuan Stanford lost her job at Altama Footwear and applied for unemployment benefits through Tennessee's Department of Labor. The state denied her benefits, claiming she was fired for misconduct. Stanford disagreed and challenged this decision in court, arguing she deserved unemployment compensation. **What the Court Decided** The Tennessee Court of Appeals sided with the state and upheld the denial of Stanford's unemployment benefits. The court found that Stanford had failed to properly report two absences from work according to her employer's attendance policy. The judges ruled that this failure to follow company rules constituted "work-related misconduct," which disqualifies workers from receiving unemployment benefits under state law. **What This Means for Workers** This case highlights how important it is for employees to carefully follow their employer's policies, especially regarding attendance and reporting absences. Even seemingly minor policy violations can be considered misconduct that prevents workers from collecting unemployment benefits after being fired. Workers should familiarize themselves with their company's rules and follow proper procedures for calling in sick or reporting absences to protect their eligibility for unemployment compensation if they lose their job.