STATE, DEPT. OF EMPLOYMENT SECURITY DIV. VS. MURPHY

**What Happened** Murphy was an employee at Greystone Park Apartments who missed work because he was in jail. He was later convicted of a crime. After being fired for missing work due to his incarceration, Murphy applied for unemployment benefits. The Nevada Department of Employment Security denied his claim, saying his absence from work due to criminal activity counted as misconduct that disqualified him from receiving benefits. **What the Court Decided** The Nevada Supreme Court sided with the state agency and ruled that Murphy could not receive unemployment benefits. The court determined that when an employee misses work because they are incarcerated and are later convicted of a crime, this constitutes "disqualifying misconduct" under Nevada law. This means the employee cannot collect unemployment compensation. **Why This Matters for Workers** This ruling clarifies that workers in Nevada who lose their jobs due to missing work because of criminal activity and subsequent conviction will be denied unemployment benefits. Workers should understand that being absent from work due to incarceration that leads to a conviction is considered serious misconduct that makes them ineligible for this safety net benefit.