It IS possible for an employee to qualify for unemployment in the state of Georgia if it is not clear to the employee that attendance might cause them to lose their job. The relevant portion of the state code comes from O.C.G.A. § 34-8-194 (2)(B)(iv). An employee shall not be disqualified from unemployment if:
The discharge occurred as a violation of the employer’s rule of which the claimant was not informed by having been made aware thereof by the employer or through common knowledge. Consistency of prior enforcement shall be taken into account as to the reasonableness or existence of the rule and such rule must be lawful and reasonably related to the job environment and job performance…
Employers should have an attendance policy that is clearly written and states that those that violate the policy may result in the loss of unemployment benefits. This policy should be given to new-hires during orientation and a copy given to current employees if any changes are made.
