McEachern v. South Carolina Employment Security Commission

**What Happened** McEachern applied for unemployment benefits after claiming he lost his job with Roof Doctor. However, the South Carolina Employment Security Commission denied his application. The dispute centered on whether McEachern was actually unemployed or still working. **What the Court Decided** The court sided with the Employment Security Commission and upheld the denial of unemployment benefits. The court found there was strong evidence that McEachern was not truly unemployed because he was still working more than full-time hours for his own corporation during the time he claimed to be out of work. **Why This Matters for Workers** This case highlights an important rule about unemployment benefits: you cannot collect them if you're still working, even if it's for your own business. Workers who own businesses or work as independent contractors need to understand that continuing to work substantial hours for their own company will disqualify them from receiving unemployment benefits, even if they lose a separate job with another employer. To qualify for unemployment benefits, you must genuinely be out of work and available for employment.