Wise v. The Department of Employment Security

# Wise v. The Department of Employment Security **What Happened** Wise worked at Casino Queen, Inc. and was fired after refusing to follow a supervisor's directive. She applied for unemployment benefits, which the state initially denied. Wise appealed, and a lower court sided with her. However, the employer appealed that decision. **What the Court Decided** The appellate court reversed the lower court's ruling and agreed with the state's original decision to deny Wise's unemployment benefits. The court found that her refusal to follow her supervisor's instruction counted as "misconduct" under state unemployment insurance law, which makes workers ineligible for benefits. **Why This Matters for Workers** This ruling clarifies that refusing to follow a supervisor's orders can result in losing unemployment benefits, even if you disagree with the directive. Workers who are terminated for not complying with instructions may not be able to collect unemployment insurance. This emphasizes the importance of following workplace directions, or documenting safety or legal concerns if you believe an order is problematic, before refusing to comply.