SUBHASH AGRAWAL VS. BOARD OF REVIEW (DEPARTMENT OF LABOR)

**What Happened** Subhash Agrawal worked for the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission and quit his job while facing a possible termination. After leaving, he applied for unemployment benefits. The Department of Labor's Board of Review denied his claim, saying he voluntarily resigned without good reason related to his work. Agrawal disagreed and appealed the decision to court. **What the Court Decided** The appellate court sided with the Board of Review and upheld the denial of unemployment benefits. The court agreed that Agrawal had voluntarily quit his job without "good cause" that was connected to his workplace or job duties. The fact that he might have been fired later didn't change the court's analysis—since he chose to resign first, it was treated as a voluntary resignation. **Why This Matters for Workers** This ruling shows that timing matters when leaving a job. If you quit before being fired, unemployment offices will likely treat it as a voluntary resignation, which can disqualify you from benefits. Workers facing potential termination should carefully consider whether to resign or wait, as this decision could affect their ability to collect unemployment compensation. The key issue is whether you can prove your resignation was for work-related reasons that would justify leaving.