BELINDA MENDEZ-AZZOLLINI VS. BOARD OF REVIEW (BOARD OF REVIEW, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR)

**Worker Wins Right to Unemployment Benefits After Wrongful Termination** Belinda Mendez-Azzollini, a former employee of the Irvington Board of Education, was fired from her job and applied for unemployment benefits. Initially, an Appeal Tribunal ruled in October 2016 that she was eligible to receive these benefits. However, the Board of Review later overturned this decision after hearing a late appeal from her employer. The New Jersey appeals court sided with Mendez-Azzollini. The court found that the Board of Review did not have the authority to hear the employer's late appeal because the employer failed to show "good cause" for filing it after the deadline. The court reversed the Board of Review's decision and ordered them to restore the original 2016 ruling that granted Mendez-Azzollini unemployment benefits. This case is important for workers because it shows that employers cannot simply ignore deadlines when challenging unemployment benefit decisions. When employers file late appeals without proper justification, workers' rights to benefits should be protected. The ruling reinforces that unemployment benefit systems have procedures and deadlines that must be followed, helping ensure workers receive the financial support they're entitled to after losing their jobs.