Also known as: good cause attributable to employer · good cause · employer fault
Written by attorneys · grounded in primary & secondary sources — see below
A standard in unemployment compensation law under which an employee who voluntarily leaves a job remains eligible for benefits only when the resignation stems from employer conduct such as harassment, discrimination, unsafe conditions, or unequal pay rather than purely personal considerations.
Giselle Guerrero resigned from Genesis Pharmaceuticals after her supervisor repeatedly made unwelcome sexual advances and ignored her complaints. When she applied for unemployment benefits, the agency found good cause attributable to the employer because the harassment created an intolerable work environment that a reasonable employee would not endure.
Gloria Green quit Gateway Bank after discovering she received a substantially lower salary than male colleagues performing identical work despite repeated requests for equalization. The unemployment office determined she had good cause attributable to the employer because the discriminatory compensation violated equal-pay standards and forced her departure.
Gavin Grant left Golden Gate Logistics after management refused to repair faulty equipment that had already caused multiple injuries. The claims examiner concluded good cause attributable to the employer existed because the persistent safety violations made continued employment unreasonably dangerous.
Select any source to read its text and confirm it supports the definition.
Grace Gupta resigned from Grandview Holdings when coworkers directed repeated racial slurs at her and supervisors declined to intervene despite her formal complaints. The hearing officer found good cause attributable to the employer because the unaddressed harassment rendered the workplace hostile.
Gwen Gallagher quit Genesis Pharmaceuticals after her supervisor assigned her disproportionately burdensome tasks immediately following her report of gender discrimination. The agency ruled she possessed good cause attributable to the employer because the retaliatory assignments created an intolerable environment.
Gerald Gibson resigned from Gateway Bank solely to care for an ailing family member with no evidence of employer misconduct. The examiner denied benefits because the departure lacked good cause attributable to the employer and instead reflected purely personal considerations.
Good cause attributable to the employer requires the resignation to stem from employer conduct such as harassment, discrimination, or unsafe conditions. Purely personal reasons do not qualify in states applying this standard.
Supporting sources
Yes when the harassment is abusive or of a racial or sexual nature and the employer fails to rectify the situation after notice. Victims who do not request correction or who contributed to the atmosphere may be disqualified.
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Yes. Grossly unequal pay based on gender or especially burdensome assignments given to a disfavored worker constitute employer conduct that supplies good cause for resignation.
Supporting sources
…[in Sherbert and Thomas ] provided that a person was not eligible for unemployment compensation benefits if, ‘without good cause,’ he had quit work or refused available work. The ‘good cause’ standard created a mechanism for individualized exemptions.” Bowen v. Roy, supra , at 708 (opinion of Burger, C. J., joined…