Minnesota Unemployment, Explained in Plain English.
Free guides to Minnesota unemployment benefits, appeals, and hearings — written and reviewed by the employment attorney behind The Unemployment Advocate, and kept current with Minnesota law.
Appealing a Denial
What to do when you receive a Determination of Ineligibility — the deadline, the filing, and what happens next.
How to Appeal a Minnesota Unemployment Denial
Every step from your determination to the judge's decision, including the strict 45-day deadline.
Minnesota's 45-Day Appeal Deadline: What Counts, What Doesn't
Why the deadline is absolute, how the days are counted, and what to do if yours is close.
What to Write in Your Unemployment Appeal
Why two sentences beat two pages, and what never to put in writing.
Misconduct & Being Fired
When a firing does — and doesn't — disqualify you from benefits under Minnesota's employment misconduct standard.
What Counts as "Employment Misconduct" in Minnesota?
The legal definition under Minn. Stat. § 268.095 — and the long list of things that don't qualify.
Fired for Attendance: Can You Still Get Benefits?
Absences, tardiness, illness, and proper notice — where Minnesota draws the line.
Poor Performance vs. Misconduct
Being bad at a job is not the same as misconduct — a distinction that decides many cases.
Quitting & Good Reason
The exceptions that let you keep benefits after quitting, from employer-caused good reason to medically necessary quits.
Quitting With "Good Reason Caused by the Employer"
Pay cuts, schedule changes, harassment — and why complaining first usually matters.
Quitting for Medical Reasons in Minnesota
When a health condition makes quitting necessary — and what you must do before you resign.
Your Hearing
How Minnesota unemployment hearings actually work — and how to prepare like someone who has been through hundreds of them.
What a ULJ Phone Hearing Is Really Like
Who's on the call, what the judge asks, how long it takes, and how the record gets made.
Evidence, Exhibits, and Witnesses
What to submit, when to submit it, and when to ask the judge for a subpoena.
After the Decision
Requests for reconsideration, the Minnesota Court of Appeals, and your options if you lose.
Requests for Reconsideration, Explained
What the judge will — and won't — look at the second time around.
Taking Your Case to the Minnesota Court of Appeals
The writ of certiorari, the deadline, and what appellate review actually means.
Employer Appeals & Overpayments
What to do when your employer appeals benefits you already won — or DEED says you owe money back.
My Employer Is Appealing My Unemployment. Now What?
Your benefits, the hearing ahead, and the overpayment risk nobody warns you about.
Minnesota Unemployment Overpayments
Why you got an overpayment notice, what it means, and what your options are.
Glossary & Quick Answers
Short, clear definitions of the terms in your paperwork — ULJ, DEED, determination, and more.
Who (or What) Is a ULJ?
The Unemployment Law Judge who will decide your appeal — and what their job actually is.
Determination of Ineligibility vs. Determination of Eligibility
Two nearly identical documents with opposite meanings — how to read yours.
Not sure which guide fits your situation?
Eliza can point you to the right resource — or tell you whether your case is one The Unemployment Advocate can help with. She's available any time, day or night.
Chat with Eliza