CYNTHIA A. CORDOVA VS. BOARD OF REVIEW (BOARD OF REVIEW, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR)

**Worker Denied Unemployment Benefits After Voluntarily Reducing Hours** Cynthia Cordova worked for BAYADA Home Health Care and chose to reduce her work hours from full-time to part-time, even though full-time work remained available to her. She made this decision primarily because of Social Security earnings limits, not for medical reasons. When she applied for unemployment benefits to make up for her reduced income, the state denied her claim. Cordova appealed this decision, arguing she should receive benefits to supplement her reduced wages. However, the court sided with the Board of Review and upheld the denial of unemployment benefits for the period from May 21, 2017 through July 8, 2017. **What this means for workers:** If you voluntarily choose to work fewer hours when full-time work is available, you typically cannot collect unemployment benefits to make up the difference in pay. Unemployment benefits are generally reserved for people who lose work involuntarily or reduce hours due to circumstances beyond their control, such as medical issues. Personal financial planning decisions, like managing Social Security earnings limits, usually don't qualify you for unemployment compensation. Workers should carefully consider the financial impact before voluntarily reducing their hours.