Some people believe the best time to apply is first thing in the morning. This strategy works only if you are willing to arrive early, up to a half-hour before the office opens. Cold winter mornings usually play havoc with this strategy. Late in the day can be a good time to apply as well, because many people believe you have to get there early to get in line right away. If you try this approach, don't arrive any later than 2:00 p.m. because if your number isn't called, you will be sent home and told to come back the next day. Government employees generally don't work overtime.
As for particular days of the week, Donald Sheehan explains that his office receives a larger number of new claims on Monday. Later in the week the numbers tend to decrease. "Friday is definitely the best day," he believes.
Whichever time you choose, take something with you to pass the time you'll spend waiting. Read a book, crochet an afghan, or work on your resume. You'll feel less frustrated with the wait if you accomplish something in the process.
Appeal a Bad Decision
Crazy as it may sound, you may do everything right and still find that your claim has been denied. If this happens, the most important thing to remember is the old Yogi Berra adage, "It ain't over 'til it's over." In most states, that's true for at least half the people whose claims are initially refused. In other words, if your claim is denied, your chances are 50-50 of having the denial overturned by your appeal.
An appeal will, of course, require another form and another trip to the office. The hundreds or even thousands of dollars you can receive on appeal are worth the trip. Appealing a decision is a little like deciding to appear in traffic court, only your chances of winning are better.
When you receive notice that your benefits have been denied, a reason for the denial will appear on the form. Basically, these reasons fall into two categories: Either the unemployment office believes you do not fit their criteria for compensation, or your former employer responded in a way that refuted your responses. In fact, even if your claim is initially granted, your former employer can appeal the claim. In this case, you will be required to attend a hearing, just as if you had filed an appeal yourself
Similar to a traffic court hearing, once you appeal you will be assigned a date on which you are expected to appear for a hearing. And, like a traffic court hearing, the more information you can bring to support your case, the better your chances of having the ruling go in your favor. Witnesses, signed letters that support your position, even a written severance agreement between you and your former employer can help you win your case. The examples below show some of the reasons your claim may be denied and give you ideas of the kind of evidence you should bring with you to your hearing.
Your employer says you were fire for misconduct. Assuming your employer's statement isn't true, the burden of proof is on him or her. Most states have fairly strict guidelines of what they consider to be misconduct.
However, if you and your former employer show up to the hearing alone, it may come down to his word against yours. In this situation, you may want to get a former co-worker to come with you and testify that you were not fired for misconduct. A signed letter will also help. A written severance agreement, detailing the reasons for your termination, will help as well. In most cases, though, unless your former employer is actually out to defraud the unemployment system, he or she will not realize that "misconduct" has a very strict definition according to the state. If your employer believes that a personality conflict counts as misconduct, you've most likely already won.
The state doesn't think you are willing to accept suitable work. In other words, on the original form you got one of the answers wrong. You may have said you were unwilling to work second shift or that you would only accept a job with a starting salary well above what you were making. In this case, you may simply need to justify your answer to the state's representative at the hearing. If, for example, you were a bank teller and no banks in your area are open on Saturday, you can probably make a case for refusing to work on Saturdays.
