Cape Cod Collaborative v. Director of the Department of Unemployment Assistance

**What Happened** Stephanie Hennis, a school bus driver for Cape Cod Collaborative, was denied unemployment benefits for three days she didn't work during Thanksgiving week. The state unemployment office rejected her claim, saying she couldn't collect benefits during a scheduled vacation period. Hennis challenged this decision, arguing she deserved partial unemployment compensation for those workdays. **What the Court Decided** The Massachusetts Appeals Court sided with Hennis and overturned the lower court's decision. The court ruled that she was entitled to partial unemployment benefits for the three days she didn't work. The key factor was that the Thanksgiving vacation period didn't start on a Sunday, which meant the state law blocking unemployment benefits during vacation periods didn't apply in this situation. **Why This Matters for Workers** This ruling clarifies an important detail about when school employees and others can collect unemployment benefits during scheduled breaks. Workers may be eligible for partial unemployment compensation during vacation periods that don't begin on Sunday, even if their employer has a scheduled closure. This could help workers who face unpaid time off during holiday weeks or other scheduled breaks maintain some income during those periods.