Starr v. STATE DEPT. OF EMPLOYMENT SEC.

**Court Rules Against Worker Who Left Job to Care for Family** This case involved a worker named Starr who voluntarily left their job at the Washington State Department of Employment Security to care for family members. Starr applied for unemployment benefits, arguing they had "good cause" to quit because of compelling personal reasons related to family caregiving responsibilities. The Washington Court of Appeals ruled against Starr and upheld the denial of unemployment benefits. The court determined that Washington state law strictly limits what counts as "good cause" for quitting a job. Under the law, only specific reasons listed in the statute qualify, and caring for family members—even in urgent situations—is not one of them. **What This Means for Workers:** This ruling significantly limits when Washington workers can receive unemployment benefits after voluntarily leaving their jobs. Even if you have what seems like a very good reason to quit—such as needing to care for sick family members—you may not qualify for benefits unless your situation fits one of the specific categories listed in state law. Workers facing family caregiving responsibilities should carefully review their options before quitting, as they may not have a financial safety net through unemployment benefits.