Kosiek v. Virginia Employment Commission

**What Happened** A hospital employee quit her job after refusing to accept a mandatory schedule change. She had been attending weight control meetings that conflicted with her new work hours. When the Children's Hospital of King's Daughters changed her schedule, she chose to leave rather than adjust her personal meeting times. She then applied for unemployment benefits, claiming she had good reason to quit. **What the Court Decided** The Virginia Court of Appeals upheld the state's decision to deny her unemployment benefits. The court ruled that she voluntarily quit without good cause because she didn't try all reasonable options before leaving. Specifically, she could have rescheduled her weight control meetings to accommodate the new work schedule but chose not to. **Why This Matters for Workers** This case shows that workers who quit due to schedule changes may not qualify for unemployment benefits if they don't first explore alternatives. Before quitting over scheduling conflicts, employees should document their efforts to find solutions, such as requesting different hours or adjusting personal commitments. Simply refusing a schedule change without attempting reasonable compromises could disqualify you from unemployment compensation.