LISA A. LACKEY-LAUBSCH VS. BOARD OF REVIEW (BOARD OF REVIEW, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR)

**School Employee Denied Unemployment Benefits Due to "Reasonable Assurance" of Rehiring** Lisa Lackey-Laubsch worked for the Quinton Board of Education and applied for unemployment benefits during a break period. The school district told her she had "reasonable assurance" that she would be rehired for the 2018-2019 school year. The state's Board of Review denied her unemployment claim, and she appealed this decision to the court. The New Jersey appeals court sided with the Board of Review, ruling that Lackey-Laubsch was not eligible for unemployment benefits. The court found that since she had reasonable assurance of being rehired by the school district, state law prohibited her from receiving benefits during the break period. This ruling matters for school employees and other seasonal workers who may face similar situations. If your employer gives you reasonable assurance that you'll be rehired after a temporary break (like summer vacation for school workers), you likely cannot collect unemployment benefits during that time, even if the rehiring isn't guaranteed. Workers in this situation should understand that having reasonable assurance of reemployment can disqualify them from unemployment compensation, regardless of whether they actually get rehired.