Dierkes v. US Department of Labor

**What Happened** Dierkes, a worker, had a dispute with the U.S. Department of Labor and lost their case before an administrative review board. Unhappy with that decision, Dierkes tried to appeal to a federal court. However, there was confusion about when exactly the deadline to file the appeal started counting. **What the Court Decided** The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals threw out Dierkes's appeal because it was filed too late. The court ruled that the 60-day deadline to file an appeal started on June 30, 2003—the day the review board issued its decision—not when Dierkes received it in the mail. Since Dierkes didn't file until September 2nd, the appeal was more than 60 days late and the court refused to hear it. **Why This Matters for Workers** This case highlights a crucial point for workers: appeal deadlines are strict and start immediately when decisions are issued, not when you receive them. Workers who lose employment cases and want to appeal must act quickly and pay close attention to filing deadlines. Missing these deadlines, even by a few days, can permanently end your chance to challenge an unfavorable decision in court.