Question 1

Can you get unemployment if you were fired in Tennessee?

Accepted Answer

You are disqualified if you were fired from your most recent work for misconduct connected with the work. Misconduct includes conscious disregard of the employer's rights or interests; deliberate violation of reasonable standards of behavior; carelessness or negligence serious or repeated enough to show intentional or substantial disregard of the employer's interests; deliberate disregard of a written attendance policy when the firing follows that policy; and violating an employer rule, unless you show you could not reasonably have known the rule or the rule is unlawful or unrelated to the job. Certain job-related dishonesty and crimes also count. Misconduct does not include poor performance due to inability, ordinary negligence in isolated instances, or good-faith errors in judgment. The disqualification lasts until you work again in covered employment and earn ten times your weekly benefit amount.

Question 2

Can you get unemployment if you quit in Tennessee?

Accepted Answer

You are disqualified if you left your most recent work voluntarily without good cause connected with the work. The disqualification lasts until you work again in covered employment and earn ten times your weekly benefit amount. Leaving because of sickness, disability or pregnancy is treated as quitting without good cause, but you can become eligible if you prove with medical evidence that you were forced to leave, gave the employer written notice as soon as practical, were later able to return, offered to return to your former duties, and the employer did not rehire you. The disqualification does not apply if you left to join the U.S. armed forces, or to follow a military spouse on a military transfer.

Question 3

Can you get unemployment if your hours were cut in Tennessee?

Accepted Answer

Unemployment insurance pays workers who are unemployed through no fault of their own and are able, available and looking for work. You may file the first day after you are separated, or after your employer has significantly reduced your work hours. A lack-of-work separation includes being laid off, having your position abolished, or a business closing or plant shutdown.

Question 4

How much do you need to have earned to get unemployment in Tennessee?

Accepted Answer

The base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before the quarter you file. You must have earned an average of $780.01 in each of two quarters of the base period; your wages outside the highest quarter must be at least the lesser of $900 or six times your weekly benefit amount; and your total base period wages must be more than 40 times your weekly benefit amount.

Question 5

How much is unemployment in Tennessee?

Accepted Answer

Your weekly benefit amount comes from a benefit table based on the average of your wages in the two highest-paid quarters of your base period. Eligible claimants may receive up to $325 per week; the lowest amount in the table is $55 per week.

Question 6

How long can you get unemployment in Tennessee?

Accepted Answer

The number of weeks depends on the state average unemployment rate. You can receive up to 12 weeks when the rate is at or below 5.5%, with one more week for each 0.5% increase above that. The number of weeks set for your claim does not change during your benefit year, and no extensions are available once you use up your benefits.

Question 7

Is there a waiting week for unemployment in Tennessee?

Accepted Answer

Yes. If your claim is approved, the first week you certify for is a waiting week. It is paid only if you certify for and are eligible for four weeks in a row; on the fourth week you receive a double payment covering the waiting week and the fourth week.

Question 8

What are the work search requirements for unemployment in Tennessee?

Accepted Answer

You must complete at least four job searches or re-employment activities each week and report them on your weekly certification; services at an American Job Center can also count. Accepted activities include submitting a resume or job application, attending an interview or job fair, taking a civil service exam, and completing a department-approved job search plan or skills assessment. Exceptions apply if you have a definite return-to-work date with your employer, get work only through a union hiring hall, or are in agency-approved training.

Question 9

Does severance pay affect unemployment in Tennessee?

Accepted Answer

You are disqualified for any week covered by wages in lieu of notice, or by a severance package that pays the salary you would have earned that week, unless your employer filed the required notice under Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-1-602 as of July 1, 2012. Vacation pay allocated to a designated vacation week reduces your benefit for that week when work will be available with the employer afterward. A pension paid under a plan fully funded by a base-period employer reduces your weekly benefit by the prorated weekly amount (no reduction if all of it is rolled into an IRA, and none if you contributed to the plan); Social Security and Railroad Retirement are not deducted this way.

Question 10

How do I apply for unemployment in Tennessee?

Accepted Answer

File online 24/7 at Jobs4TN.gov after creating an Unemployment Claimant e-Services account. Have your Social Security number, driver's license number, contact information, alien registration number if applicable, bank routing and account numbers for direct deposit, DD-214 if you served in the military in the past 18 months, and your employment history for the last 18 months including your separating employer's name, address and phone number and the reason you left. Complete any fact-finding questionnaires by their due date (within 7 days of filing). Certify weekly starting the first Sunday after you file, even before a decision; if you wait more than 3 weeks to certify, your claim is closed and you must refile.

Question 11

How do I appeal an unemployment denial in Tennessee?

Accepted Answer

You must file an appeal within 15 calendar days of the date of the agency's decision. File online by logging in to your Unemployment Claimant e-Services account at Jobs4TN.gov, selecting the determination and clicking File Appeal. An appeals hearing officer takes testimony and evidence and decides based only on what is presented at the hearing. A party who disagrees with the hearing officer's decision can appeal to the Office of Administrative Review, also within 15 calendar days.

Question 12

Can you work part-time and collect unemployment in Tennessee?

Accepted Answer

Report earnings for the week you earn them, regardless of when you are paid. You can earn $50 or 25% of your weekly benefit amount, whichever is greater, without reducing your benefit; earnings above that are subtracted. If you earn more than your weekly benefit amount, your benefits stop. You must report all earnings, even amounts under the allowance.

Question 13

Can self-employed or gig workers get unemployment in Tennessee?

Accepted Answer

When you file, Tennessee asks whether you are a business owner, independent contractor or self-employed worker who received only a 1099 tax form last year. Each week you must say whether self-employment kept you from being available for work. For unemployment purposes, Tennessee decides whether a worker is an employee using the IRS 20-factor test. Disaster Unemployment Assistance, a federal program run by the state, can cover people whose employment or self-employment was lost or interrupted as a direct result of a declared major disaster and who are not eligible for regular unemployment; apply through Tennessee's regular program first.

Question 14

Where do I log in to my unemployment claim in Tennessee?

Accepted Answer

Tennessee claimants log in to their Unemployment Claimant e-Services account on Jobs4TN.gov to file a Weekly Certification for the prior week; a new certification becomes available each Sunday, and the link appears on the Summary screen and in the Action Center. You report earnings and four work search activities each week. If you wait more than 3 weeks to file a certification, your claim is closed and missed weeks can no longer be filed. The Summary screen's Benefit Details panel shows claim status, and determinations and wage protests are handled in the same account. Department of Labor and Workforce Development toll-free line: 844-224-5818.

If you were fired	You are disqualified if you were fired from your most recent work for misconduct connected with the work. Misconduct includes conscious disregard of the employer's rights or interests; deliberate violation of reasonable standards of behavior; carelessness or negligence serious or repeated enough to show intentional or substantial disregard of the employer's interests; deliberate disregard of a written attendance policy when the firing follows that policy; and violating an employer rule, unless you show you could not reasonably have known the rule or the rule is unlawful or unrelated to the job. Certain job-related dishonesty and crimes also count. Misconduct does not include poor performance due to inability, ordinary negligence in isolated instances, or good-faith errors in judgment. The disqualification lasts until you work again in covered employment and earn ten times your weekly benefit amount. Tennessee Code text read on a public code mirror (FindLaw), because the official Tennessee Code is published through LexisNexis. Source: Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-7-303(a)(2), (b)(3); Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Do I Qualify?
If you quit	You are disqualified if you left your most recent work voluntarily without good cause connected with the work. The disqualification lasts until you work again in covered employment and earn ten times your weekly benefit amount. Leaving because of sickness, disability or pregnancy is treated as quitting without good cause, but you can become eligible if you prove with medical evidence that you were forced to leave, gave the employer written notice as soon as practical, were later able to return, offered to return to your former duties, and the employer did not rehire you. The disqualification does not apply if you left to join the U.S. armed forces, or to follow a military spouse on a military transfer. Tennessee Code text read on a public code mirror (FindLaw), because the official Tennessee Code is published through LexisNexis. Source: Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-7-303(a)(1)
Layoffs and reduced hours	Unemployment insurance pays workers who are unemployed through no fault of their own and are able, available and looking for work. You may file the first day after you are separated, or after your employer has significantly reduced your work hours. A lack-of-work separation includes being laid off, having your position abolished, or a business closing or plant shutdown. Source: Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Do I Qualify?; Application Questions
Earnings needed to qualify	The base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before the quarter you file. You must have earned an average of $780.01 in each of two quarters of the base period; your wages outside the highest quarter must be at least the lesser of $900 or six times your weekly benefit amount; and your total base period wages must be more than 40 times your weekly benefit amount. Source: Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Do I Qualify?
Self-employed, 1099 and gig workers	When you file, Tennessee asks whether you are a business owner, independent contractor or self-employed worker who received only a 1099 tax form last year. Each week you must say whether self-employment kept you from being available for work. For unemployment purposes, Tennessee decides whether a worker is an employee using the IRS 20-factor test. Disaster Unemployment Assistance, a federal program run by the state, can cover people whose employment or self-employment was lost or interrupted as a direct result of a declared major disaster and who are not eligible for regular unemployment; apply through Tennessee's regular program first. The 20-factor test is in Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-7-207, read on a public code mirror (FindLaw), because the official Tennessee Code is published through LexisNexis. Source: Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Application Questions; Questions Asked During Certification; Disaster Unemployment; Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-7-207(b)(2)(B)

Weekly benefit amount	Your weekly benefit amount comes from a benefit table based on the average of your wages in the two highest-paid quarters of your base period. Eligible claimants may receive up to $325 per week; the lowest amount in the table is $55 per week. Source: Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Information on UI Benefits Application; Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-7-301(b)
How many weeks	The number of weeks depends on the state average unemployment rate. You can receive up to 12 weeks when the rate is at or below 5.5%, with one more week for each 0.5% increase above that. The number of weeks set for your claim does not change during your benefit year, and no extensions are available once you use up your benefits. The Department's table shows up to 24 weeks at a 10.5% unemployment rate, while the statute text on the public code mirror says the maximum is 20 weeks if the rate is above 9%. Source: Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Do I Qualify?; Restarting Benefits; Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-7-301(d)
Waiting week	Yes. If your claim is approved, the first week you certify for is a waiting week. It is paid only if you certify for and are eligible for four weeks in a row; on the fourth week you receive a double payment covering the waiting week and the fourth week. Source: Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, What to Expect After You File
Working part-time on benefits	Report earnings for the week you earn them, regardless of when you are paid. You can earn $50 or 25% of your weekly benefit amount, whichever is greater, without reducing your benefit; earnings above that are subtracted. If you earn more than your weekly benefit amount, your benefits stop. You must report all earnings, even amounts under the allowance. Source: Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Certify Weekly
Severance and vacation pay	You are disqualified for any week covered by wages in lieu of notice, or by a severance package that pays the salary you would have earned that week, unless your employer filed the required notice under Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-1-602 as of July 1, 2012. Vacation pay allocated to a designated vacation week reduces your benefit for that week when work will be available with the employer afterward. A pension paid under a plan fully funded by a base-period employer reduces your weekly benefit by the prorated weekly amount (no reduction if all of it is rolled into an IRA, and none if you contributed to the plan); Social Security and Railroad Retirement are not deducted this way. Tennessee Code text read on a public code mirror (FindLaw), because the official Tennessee Code is published through LexisNexis. Source: Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-7-303(a)(8), (9), (11), (12)

How to apply	File online 24/7 at Jobs4TN.gov after creating an Unemployment Claimant e-Services account. Have your Social Security number, driver's license number, contact information, alien registration number if applicable, bank routing and account numbers for direct deposit, DD-214 if you served in the military in the past 18 months, and your employment history for the last 18 months including your separating employer's name, address and phone number and the reason you left. Complete any fact-finding questionnaires by their due date (within 7 days of filing). Certify weekly starting the first Sunday after you file, even before a decision; if you wait more than 3 weeks to certify, your claim is closed and you must refile. Source: Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Information on UI Benefits Application; Information We Need From You; What to Expect After You File
Work search requirements	You must complete at least four job searches or re-employment activities each week and report them on your weekly certification; services at an American Job Center can also count. Accepted activities include submitting a resume or job application, attending an interview or job fair, taking a civil service exam, and completing a department-approved job search plan or skills assessment. Exceptions apply if you have a definite return-to-work date with your employer, get work only through a union hiring hall, or are in agency-approved training. Source: Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Do I Qualify?; Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-7-302(a)(1)(D)
Appealing a denial	You must file an appeal within 15 calendar days of the date of the agency's decision. File online by logging in to your Unemployment Claimant e-Services account at Jobs4TN.gov, selecting the determination and clicking File Appeal. An appeals hearing officer takes testimony and evidence and decides based only on what is presented at the hearing. A party who disagrees with the hearing officer's decision can appeal to the Office of Administrative Review, also within 15 calendar days. Source: Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Appeal an Agency Decision; Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-7-304
Logging in and filing weekly claims	Tennessee claimants log in to their Unemployment Claimant e-Services account on Jobs4TN.gov to file a Weekly Certification for the prior week; a new certification becomes available each Sunday, and the link appears on the Summary screen and in the Action Center. You report earnings and four work search activities each week. If you wait more than 3 weeks to file a certification, your claim is closed and missed weeks can no longer be filed. The Summary screen's Benefit Details panel shows claim status, and determinations and wage protests are handled in the same account. Department of Labor and Workforce Development toll-free line: 844-224-5818. Source: Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, What to Expect After You File

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