Opinion ID: 2451259
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Unemployment Insurance Benefits Eligibility Framework

Text: Under AS 23.20.379(a), a worker may be partially disqualified from receiving benefits if she left . . . suitable work voluntarily without good cause or was discharged for misconduct. These rules are further detailed in the Department's Benefit Policy Manual. [14] The BPM clarifies that suitability and good cause are independent inquiries. A worker who voluntarily leaves unsuitable work leaves with good cause [15] and need not make a separate showing of good cause to quit. [16] The factors relevant to suitability are distinguishable from those affecting good cause: [s]uitability is based on circumstances surrounding the job, and usually involves a comparison of the offered work with other similar work in the locality. . . . Good cause is based on personal circumstances surrounding the claimant . . . and not directly related to the conditions of the work. [17] And while a worker may leave unsuitable work without further efforts to remedy the situation, establishing good cause for leaving work that is otherwise suitable requires a two-step showing: not only must [t]he underlying reason for leaving work . . . be compelling, but [t]he worker must exhaust all reasonable alternatives before leaving the work. [18]