Exceptions to the Standard Quit Disqualification

If your reason for quitting a job is “not within any of the exceptions,” you are not eligible to receive UI until you have earned wages from covered employment equal to at least 6 times your weekly benefit rate after the week of the quit.

However, there are several reasons for quitting where UI can be paid. Each exception requires certain conditions be met.

If you quit your job for any of the following reasons, you may be eligible to receive UI:

• Accepting a layoff in lieu of another employee.
• Quitting with good cause attributable to the employer.
• "Good cause" is interpreted as a valid, substantial reason for which your employer is responsible, and which leaves you with no reasonable alternative but to quit.
• "Good cause" includes a request, suggestion or directive by your employer that you violate federal or state law.
• "Good cause" includes established acts of sexual harassment by your employer, your employer’s agent or by a co-worker if your employer knew or should have known but failed to take timely and appropriate corrective action. (Refer to the paragraph at the end of this chart for an explanation of what is considered sexual harassment.)
• Quitting because your health left you with no reasonable alternative but to quit.
• Quitting because the health of a member of your immediate family left you with no reasonable alternative but to quit.
• Quitting because your employer required you to transfer to a different shift than you were hired to work, the new shift results in a lack of childcare for your minor children, and you are able to work full-time on the shift that you last worked for the employer.
• Quitting a job within the first 30 calendar days that you could have refused with good cause, or which does not meet labor standards with regards to wages, hours, or other conditions.
• Quitting to take another job that offers at least the same average weekly wage, at least the same hours of work, significantly longer-term work, or work significantly closer to your home and is covered employment for unemployment purposes.
• Quitting a job held concurrently while serving in the military if the quitting was the result of an honorable discharge from active military duty.
• Quitting a job due to domestic abuse, concerns about your safety or harassment or the personal safety or harassment of family members who reside with you or of other household members if a temporary restraining order or injunction was obtained prior to quitting and is reasonably likely to be violated.
• Quitting a job to relocate with a spouse if your spouse is a member of U.S. armed forces on active duty, your spouse was required by U.S. armed forces to relocate to a place impractical for you to commute, and you terminated your work to accompany your spouse to that place.

Sexual harassment as it relates to quitting with "good cause attributable" to the employer:

• For unemployment insurance purposes, the meaning of sexual harassment is not limited to the definition under the Wisconsin Fair Employment Law.
• Sexual harassment may be either direct or indirect.
• Direct sexual harassment includes but is not limited to:
  • unwelcome sexual advance or contact
  • verbal or physical sexual conduct such as displaying sexually graphic materials or making sexual gesture or comments.
• Indirect sexual harassment can occur:
  • by allowing sexual harassment to occur,
  • by not responding to complaints of sexual harassment, and/or
  • by allowing an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment to develop or continue.