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READ THIS BOOKLET. It contains information you will need in the appeal process. If you still have questions after reading this, contact the hearing office listed on the reverse side of the determination. The hearing office can tell you about general hearing procedures but cannot help prepare your case or give you advice about the merits of the case.
If you have questions about the payment of benefits or issues not under appeal, call:
Refer to the Handbook for Claimants online at: https://dwd.wisconsin.gov/uiben/handbook.
If you are the employee and your appeal is pending, you should continue to file weekly claim certifications until the appeal process is over. If you stopped claiming unemployment benefits and want to start again, refer to your Handbook for Claimants.
Start to prepare your case now. Do not wait until you receive a hearing notice.
The following is general information on unemployment hearings under chapter 108 of the Wisconsin statutes and chapters DWD 100-150 of the administrative code.
You may read these documents on the Internet:
To receive a copy of the UI law, contact the hearing office listed on the reverse side of your determination.
You will be participating in a legal proceeding where testimony is taken under oath by an appeal tribunal.
The proceeding is open to the public and is conducted to resolve issues about:
The department does not furnish legal representation to parties. If you want to be represented by an attorney, you must arrange such representation yourself. Your attorney should contact the hearing office immediately upon being retained to indicate that he/she will be representing you at the hearing.
Hearings are scheduled by the UI Hearing Office. Hearing office hours are from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
The hearing office will try to schedule your hearing as soon as possible. This may be as soon as six days after you requested your hearing. However, there are times that you may have to wait several weeks for a hearing. Your hearing will be in person or by telephone.
The hearing office will send you a Hearing Notice (Form F) telling you:
Please read both sides of the Hearing Notice.
The hearing office will attempt to accommodate your scheduling requests but cannot promise a specific date and time for a hearing. If you are the appellant, include “unavailable” dates in your appeal letter. If you are the respondent, contact the hearing office with any scheduling conflicts immediately upon learning that a hearing will be scheduled. If at all possible, please do not wait until the hearing is scheduled to notify the hearing office of conflicts.
Postponements of scheduled hearings are generally not given unless you can show exceptional circumstances that justify delaying the proceedings. Requests for postponements cannot be made in writing. You must telephone the hearing office to discuss the particular facts that you believe require a postponement of the case.
If you need an interpreter, it is your obligation to inform the hearing office immediately. The hearing office uses its own interpreters (sign or language) during the hearing.
If you think you might need special arrangements (such as disability accommodations), immediately contact the hearing office.
If your appeal is scheduled for a telephone hearing, you must furnish the hearing office with the phone number at which you and/or your witnesses can be contacted for the hearing. At the time of the hearing, the hearing office will place a call to you and/or your witnesses at the number(s) furnished.
You will receive a Telephone Hearing Instructions packet (Form C) before the hearing. If you have other documents that you want considered as exhibits, you should provide them to the hearing office and the other party at least 3 days prior to the hearing.
If the hearing office has scheduled a telephone hearing and you wish to appear at the hearing location in person, you must contact the hearing office in advance so that the appropriate preparations can be made.
Only the party who requested the hearing (the appellant) may withdraw that request.
You can withdraw the request for a hearing at any time during the appeal process online, by mail, by fax, or by calling the hearing office. If you do withdraw your request, no further proceedings will be scheduled in the matter.
You may review the file on your case at the hearing office. Call the hearing office listed on the Hearing Notice first to make sure that the file will be available when you plan to arrive.
Gather together documents with pertinent information. The first time that you look at written materials for the hearing should not be during the hearing itself! Review your materials before the hearing. Write down questions and points that you want to make at the hearing.
You should allow additional time to find the hearing office, park and walk to the building. If you are the appellant and you are late, your appeal may be dismissed. If you are the respondent and you are late, the hearing may be conducted without you.
In most cases, both the appellant and the respondent should attend with their witnesses. If the appellant does not show up, a hearing will not be held. Your hearing notice will tell you if you are required to participate and, if so, by phone or in person.
The appeal tribunal will control the hearing. It is the appeal tribunal’s job to gather all the information needed to make a complete record and make a decision in your case.
The appeal tribunal will identify persons in the room and explain how the hearing will work. The appeal tribunal will identify the determination being appealed, define the issue(s), and may ask you to state your position.
The appeal tribunal will decide the order of the witnesses who will give their testimony under oath. The appeal tribunal may require a witness(es) or other person(s) to leave the room while others testify.
The appeal tribunal will ask questions of any witnesses who are necessary for purposes of developing a record. The appeal tribunal will give you an opportunity to ask questions of each of the witnesses at the appropriate time. During “cross-examination,” you are NOT permitted to make statements. You will not be allowed to argue or disrupt the hearing. You are only permitted to ask questions.
Each party will also have its opportunity to present documentary evidence. After the parties have had a chance to present evidence, the appeal tribunal will close the hearing.
Once the hearing is closed, the appeal tribunal can no longer discuss the case with you. It is important to present all of your evidence at the hearing. THE DECISION WILL BE BASED ONLY ON THE EVIDENCE PRESENTED AT THE HEARING. Information previously submitted to the department will not be considered by the appeal tribunal unless you appear and present it. Any further appeal will only involve review of the record made at the hearing.
The hearing will be recorded. To make sure the recording is clear, speak loudly and clearly. If you want a copy of the hearing recording, call (608) 266-3174.
Witnesses at a hearing should have actually seen, said or heard what they are testifying to.
Do not expect to submit written statements of witnesses who are not present at the hearing because they will likely be considered “hearsay.” Although relevant "hearsay" documents may be admissible, a fact can't be proven with hearsay alone.
The rules of evidence at a hearing are like the rules in court. The appeal tribunal cannot decide a case solely on hearsay testimony (statements made by a witness who does not have firsthand knowledge of the facts).
The appeal tribunal may limit the number of witnesses to the same incident and will only allow testimony that is relevant to the case.
If a witness will not appear at a hearing voluntarily or you need certain documents for evidence at your hearing, you can request a subpoena from the hearing office. If you decide to have a lawyer represent you, that lawyer may also issue a subpoena and must send a copy to the hearing office.
Before calling the hearing office for a subpoena, have ready the witness(es)’ name(s), address(es), and the reason(s) why his/her testimony relates to your case. If documents are needed, have a detailed description of the documents and the name of the person who has firsthand knowledge of those documents. If the hearing office has granted your request for a subpoena, it will provide you with an instruction sheet concerning subpoenas.
If your request for a subpoena is granted, you are responsible for properly serving the subpoena before the hearing. You must also pay the witness(es) for appearing and cover mileage expenses of the witness(es) you subpoenaed. The appeal tribunal will decide if you can be paid back for witness fees and mileage expenses. If you want to be repaid, you must request it.
The evidence you submit must relate to the issue(s) of the case. Bring the original document and two copies with you to the hearing. The appeal tribunal will decide what to accept as evidence. If you bring a video or audio recording, video evidence must be supplied to the hearing office in a .mp4 (MP4) format. All exhibits are left with the appeal tribunal.
If you are the employee, a report from the health care professional who is treating you may help decide your case. The employee may request or the department may send the employee a medical form to have the health care professional complete. This report should be returned by the due date on the form.
The person who completes the form does not have to be at the hearing, though you may subpoena (require) a health care professional to appear. An employer may also subpoena the health care professional or present its own report by a qualified expert for rebuttal purposes. That report must be certified to be included as evidence.
The appeal tribunal may also take testimony from department staff or receive into the record a certified report from the department’s labor market database to make a decision. The report describes jobs, wages and other labor market conditions that may affect your case.
The appeal tribunal decides how the law applies to the facts of your case and issues a written decision. A copy of the decision is mailed to the parties, usually within two weeks of the hearing.
If a determination denying benefits is reversed, it may take two to four weeks for benefits to be paid.
If a determination allowing benefits is reversed, an employee may be required to repay the benefits already received. If you were overpaid because of a departmental error, and you were not at fault, you may not have to repay the benefits.
For an “in person” hearing, the appeal tribunal will wait 10 minutes for the appellant (the party requesting the hearing) to arrive before dismissing the appeal. Similarly, for a “telephone” hearing, if the appellant cannot be contacted within 10 minutes of the scheduled time, the appeal will be dismissed.
The dismissal decision issued in any case will become final, unless there is good cause (excusable neglect) for not attending.
For either “in person” or “telephone” hearings, the appeal tribunal will proceed with the hearing if the respondent does not arrive or cannot be contacted within 10 minutes of the scheduled time.
Due to unforeseen delays, parties are expected to wait up to one hour from the scheduled time for the appeal tribunal to start the hearing/call you.
If you fail to attend your hearing, you must explain in writing why you did not appear. Your explanation should be mailed to the hearing office immediately. Make sure to provide the hearing number in your letter of explanation.
Your explanation for failing to attend the hearing will be reviewed, and a decision may be issued on that explanation only. The hearing office may also schedule a hearing to decide if you had good cause for not appearing at the original hearing. If the reason for failing to attend the hearing was not for good cause, the appeal tribunal will deny your request for another hearing. If the failure to appear was with good cause, the appeal tribunal may go on to the merits of the case or order a new hearing to take testimony at a later date on the merits of the case.
Your explanation for the late appeal will be reviewed, and a decision may be issued based on that explanation only. The hearing office may also schedule a hearing on the late appeal issue. If the reason for the late appeal was not for reason beyond your control, the appeal tribunal will dismiss the appeal.
If the late appeal was for a reason beyond your control, the appeal tribunal may proceed to the merits of the case or order a new hearing to take testimony at a later date on the merits of the case.
If you disagree with the appeal tribunal’s decision, you have 21 days from the date the decision is mailed to file an appeal for review by the Labor and Industry Review Commission (LIRC). Your appeal must be postmarked or received by LIRC within those 21 days. LIRC will accept faxed appeals at (608) 267-4409, and appeals filed online at https://lirc.wisconsin.gov/ui_appeal.htm.
If you are the employee and your appeal is pending, you should continue to file weekly claim certifications until the appeal process is over.
View or print UI calendars online at https://dwd.wisconsin.gov/uiben/calendars.htm.
Publication Number: UCL-4478-P
DWD is an equal opportunity employer and service provider. If you have a disability and need assistance with this information, please dial 7-1-1 for Wisconsin Relay Service. Please contact the Unemployment Insurance Division at (414) 435-7069 or toll-free at (844) 910-3661 to request information in an alternate format, including translated to another language.
Updated: March 2, 2020
DWD Contact Information
201 E. Washington Ave
P.O. Box 7946
Madison, WI 53707
(608) 266-3131
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