The Appeals Process
Connecticut's unemployment compensation system is governed by CGS Chapter 567, CGS §§ 31-222 et seq.1 Following an initial eligibility determination by the Connecticut Department of Labor, an aggrieved party has exactly 21 calendar days to file an appeal to an Employment Security referee under CGS § 31-2422. The referee hearing is conducted de novo on an evidentiary clean slate: prior agency findings carry no weight, and testimony is taken under oath subject to cross-examination.
Appeal Deadline: 21 Days
Appeals of an initial unemployment determination must be filed within 21 days under CGS § 31-2425. The referee hearing is a formal de novo evidentiary proceeding. Subsequent appeals to the Board of Review under CGS § 31-249 are generally limited to the record created before the referee.
Eligibility disputes center on whether the separation was a voluntary quit without good cause attributable to the employer, or a discharge for willful misconduct under CGS § 31-2364. Because sworn testimony and documentary exhibits introduced at the referee hearing can have collateral estoppel consequences in subsequent wrongful termination or discrimination litigation, the administrative record must be developed deliberately.
For Employers
Uncontested or mishandled unemployment claims increase an employer's experience rating and state unemployment tax liability. More critically, an adverse finding at an unemployment hearing can impair defenses in later civil litigation.
I represent employers at referee hearings and before the Board of Review: drafting initial contest statements, organizing disciplinary records and written policies, preparing management witnesses, and establishing willful misconduct under statutory standards.
For Employees
An initial denial is not the final word. The de novo hearing before the referee is your opportunity to introduce documentary evidence, present witness testimony, and demonstrate that your resignation was for good cause or that your discharge did not involve statutory willful misconduct under CGS § 31-2366.
I represent employees in evaluating denial grounds, preparing direct testimony, cross-examining employer representatives, and appealing adverse referee decisions to the Board of Review under CGS § 31-2493.