VAN RIJN v. Employment Dept.

# Van Rijn v. Employment Department – Plain English Summary **What Happened** Van Rijn worked for AgVentures NW, LLC when his supervisor told him to leave his job. The company claimed he voluntarily quit, which would have prevented him from receiving unemployment benefits. Van Rijn disagreed, arguing he was actually fired. **What the Court Decided** The Court of Appeals sided with Van Rijn. The court found that the lower board's decision was wrong—there wasn't enough evidence to prove Van Rijn voluntarily left. When a supervisor tells an employee to leave, that's a termination, not a voluntary quit. The case was sent back for further proceedings. **Why This Matters for Workers** This ruling protects workers from being unfairly labeled as voluntary quitters. Employers sometimes claim workers quit to deny them unemployment benefits. This decision clarifies that if a supervisor orders you to leave, you were terminated—not a voluntary quitter—even if those exact words weren't used. This distinction is crucial because voluntary quitters typically cannot receive unemployment benefits, while fired workers can.