Loretta Trull v. Margaret Culpepper, Commissioner of Tennessee Department of Employment Security, and Kerr Plastic Products, Manpower Temp Svcs.

**What Happened** Loretta Trull was fired from her job at Kerr Plastic Products for missing too much work. She had been absent frequently due to family and personal illness issues. After being terminated, Trull applied for unemployment benefits but was denied by the Tennessee Department of Employment Security. She appealed this decision, arguing that her absences were due to legitimate health reasons beyond her control. **What the Court Decided** The Tennessee Court of Appeals sided against Trull and upheld the denial of her unemployment benefits. The court ruled that even though her absences were caused by family and personal illness, her excessive absenteeism still qualified as "work-related misconduct" under Tennessee law. This meant she was not eligible to receive unemployment compensation. **Why This Matters for Workers** This case shows that workers can be denied unemployment benefits even when their job performance issues stem from health problems or family emergencies. In Tennessee, excessive absenteeism—regardless of the underlying reasons—can be considered misconduct that disqualifies someone from receiving unemployment benefits. Workers facing health or family crises should understand that these circumstances may not protect their eligibility for unemployment compensation if their attendance becomes problematic.