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Hernandez v. Florida Unemployment Appeals Commission

Citations: 23 So. 3d 824; 2009 Fla. App. LEXIS 18415; 2009 WL 4281282Docket: No. 3D09-1348

Court: District Court of Appeal of Florida; December 1, 2009; Florida; State Appellate Court

Narrative Opinion Summary

This case involves an appeal by an individual against the Florida Unemployment Appeals Commission's decision to deny unemployment compensation benefits. The appellant, a former employee of a cleaning service, argued that he was unjustly denied benefits after his employment terminated due to transportation issues. The appeals referee found that the appellant voluntarily left work without good cause attributable to the employer, as required under Florida Statutes Section 443.101(1)(a). The appellant's car trouble and subsequent inability to attend work were deemed personal reasons, not linked to any fault of the employer. The court cited precedent from Coolaire Nordic Int’l Corp. v. Fla. Dep’t of Commerce, emphasizing that transportation is the employee's responsibility. The court concluded that the referee's decision was supported by competent substantial evidence and affirmed the denial of benefits. Consequently, the appellant was not entitled to unemployment compensation, as his departure from employment was not due to any employer-related cause.

Legal Issues Addressed

Competent Substantial Evidence Standard

Application: The decision to deny unemployment benefits was supported by competent substantial evidence, validating the appeals referee's findings.

Reasoning: The decision of the appeals referee was supported by competent substantial evidence, and the denial of benefits was upheld.

Employee Responsibility for Transportation

Application: The court referenced precedent to affirm that transportation issues are the employee's responsibility and not a valid reason for claiming good cause when voluntarily leaving employment.

Reasoning: The ruling referenced a similar case, Coolaire Nordic Int’l Corp. v. Fla. Dep’t of Commerce, which established that it is the employee's responsibility to secure transportation.

Voluntary Termination and Unemployment Benefits

Application: The court applied Florida Statutes Section 443.101(1)(a) to determine that the appellant voluntarily left his employment without good cause attributable to the employer, thus disqualifying him from unemployment benefits.

Reasoning: Under Florida Statutes Section 443.101(1)(a), an individual is disqualified from receiving unemployment benefits if they voluntarily leave work without good cause attributable to the employer.