Separation Allowance (severance pay, buy-out)

If you have been paid a separation allowance by your employer, you cannot receive unemployment or sickness benefits for roughly the period of time it would have taken you to earn the amount of the allowance.

Voluntary Quit

• Voluntary Quit Without Good Cause--If you leave either your railroad job or non-railroad work voluntarily and the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) determines you left without good cause, you will be disqualified for railroad unemployment benefits until you return to railroad work and earn wages sufficient to qualify for benefits again.
• Voluntary Quit With Good Cause--If you leave either railroad or non-railroad work voluntarily and the (RRB) determines you had good cause for doing so, you will be disqualified from receiving railroad unemployment benefits for any day that you are qualified to receive State unemployment benefits. If you are not qualified for State unemployment benefits, you may receive railroad unemployment benefits.

Refuse Suitable Work/Fail to Apply for Work

If you refuse to accept suitable work, or fail to follow instructions to apply for work, or to report to a State employment office, or to a RRB office for an interview, you may be disqualified for unemployment benefits for 30 days.

Illegal Strike

You will be disqualified for unemployment benefits for any day on which you take part in a strike which began in violation of the Railway Labor Act or in violation of the established rules and practices of your labor organization.

False or Fraudulent Claim

You will be disqualified for both unemployment and sickness benefits for 75 days if you make a false or fraudulent statement or claim in order to receive benefits. You may also be subject to fine or imprisonment. The RRB conducts checks, including computer matching checks with State and Federal agencies, as well as railroads, in order to detect fraudulent benefit claims.

Benefits Under Other Laws

You will also be disqualified from receiving railroad unemployment insurance benefits for any day for which you

• receive unemployment benefits under any other law;  or
• receive sickness benefits under the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act or any similar law.