Filing An Unemployment
Appeal
You have only 21 calendar days from
the date of the Administrator's predetermination hearing decision to file an
appeal with the Appeals Division. Do not delay. Likewise, you have only
21 calendar days from the date of the Referee's decision to file an
appeal to the Board of Review. Do not delay filing your appeal at either
step.
How to File
Use the form available at any American Job Center, write a letter containing the
basis for your appeal to the Appeals Division, or use the appeal form on the
Internet.
Filing an Appeal
You may file an appeal through your ReEmployCT portal, which allows for prompt
receipt by the Appeals Division. You may also file an appeal in person at any
American Job Center or at any Appeals Division office, by mail or by fax.
Representatives who lack access to the ReEmployCT portal may file an appeal by
Internet, in addition to the other listed methods.
Preparing Your Case
Read the decision you received to determine the points of law that pertain
to your case and what factors were used in reaching the decision. Determine what
documentation and witnesses you will need to present a strong case. Proper
documentation and credible, first-hand witnesses are vital to your success.
See "Preparing for the Hearing" and
"What Goes on at the Hearing" for additional
information.
- Documentation
Records such as time cards, financial records, written warnings, employee
handbooks, contract of hire, application for employment, medical records,
police reports, and other agency reports (CHRO, Workers' Comp, rehabilitation
reports, etc.) are examples of useful documentation.
All documentation that you wish to present should be submitted to the
referee and the opposing party as soon as possible after your receipt of the
referee’s hearing notice. Documentation that is not received by the referee
at least 24 hours before your scheduled hearing could be excluded. Parties
may email, fax, or mail their documents as instructed on the referee’s
hearing notice. The ReEmployCT portal does not permit parties to upload
their own documents.
- Witnesses
Witnesses with first-hand, personal knowledge of the circumstances leading to
the separation are vital to your case. Have those witnesses attend
the Referee's hearing. Written statements by witnesses, even with
first-hand knowledge, will be given little, if any, weight because the
author is not available for cross-examination. See
"What Goes on at the Hearing" for additional information.
Attendance at Scheduled Hearings
If you file an appeal and do not show up at the hearing, you will probably
lose the case. You may be able to get another hearing but only if you can
show good cause for not appearing, such as sudden, documented illness or a
personal emergency. Overslept, on a job interview, unexpected appointment,
forgot, someone did not remind you, lost the hearing notice, and similar excuses
are not good reasons. The Referee's hearing will likely be your only opportunity
for a hearing to present witnesses and documentation in support of your case.
The Board of Review rarely conducts hearings. See
"Once an Appeal is Filed" for additional information.
Requesting a Postponement
Ask for a postponement as soon as possible if you have an unavoidable conflict.
Last minute requests are generally denied unless you have a real emergency, as
described above. See "Once an Appeal is Filed"
for additional information.
Representation
You may bring legal or other professional representation to the hearing if you
wish. However, witnesses with first-hand knowledge are still vital to the
success of your appeal. Please read the above section about WITNESSES again. A
list of free legal services is provided in the section
"Free Legal Services". You may also request a
list of independent hearing representatives by completing the
web form. See
"General Information",
"Preparing for the Hearing" for additional
information.
Free Video
The Appeals Division has a twenty-minute video
explaining the appeals process and showing you what goes on at the Referee's
hearing. The video is available for viewing on this
website.
You may request that a copy be mailed to you
if you cannot view it by calling the Appeals office nearest you, or filling out
this
online form.
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