Abernathy v. Division of Employment Security

**What Happened** A worker named Abernathy applied for unemployment benefits after leaving his job. The Division of Employment Security denied his claim, saying he voluntarily quit rather than being fired or laid off. Abernathy disagreed and challenged this decision, arguing he should receive unemployment compensation. **What the Court Decided** The court sided with the state agency and upheld the denial of unemployment benefits. The Missouri Labor and Industrial Relations Commission had already determined that Abernathy voluntarily quit his position, and the appeals court agreed with this finding. Because he quit voluntarily, the court ruled he was not eligible to receive unemployment compensation. **Why This Matters for Workers** This case highlights an important rule about unemployment benefits: workers who voluntarily quit their jobs typically cannot collect unemployment compensation. To qualify for these benefits, workers usually must be terminated through no fault of their own, such as being laid off or fired for reasons unrelated to misconduct. Workers considering quitting should understand they will likely be ineligible for unemployment benefits, which could create financial hardship while job searching.