Glossary of Unemployment Insurance Terms:

Able
A claimant must be physically and mentally able to work at the time an unemployment claim is filed.

Able and Available (Extended Benefits claims only)
Available and physically able to seek and accept work as outlined under the Extended Benefits Program.

Additional Claim
Restarting a claim for benefits within the benefit year when the person has worked and earned more than their weekly benefit amount for one or more weeks, or stopped filing due to employment.

Adjudication
The process of determining eligibility for benefits when a separation from employment or personal circumstances may prevent a person from receiving those benefits for any time period.

Alien Status
A claimant must be legally authorized to work in the United States by Immigration and Naturalization Services during the work period used when we evaluate wages, as well as during the period they are receiving unemployment benefits.

Alternate Monetary
A non-standard base period established by state law which allows claimants to qualify monetarily for a claim if they have been receiving payments for a qualifying job injury.

Appeal
An appeal is a request for a review by a higher authority of a decision made by the Division. A person must have a formal determination on eligibility before an appeal may be filed.

Appeals Hearing
A formal hearing conducted by an appeals referee to accept testimony, under oath, from all interested parties when a determination of eligibility has been appealed.

Approved Training
Training approved by the Administrator or appropriate representative of the Employment Security Division.

Available
Available to seek and accept work the major portion of the week claiming for unemployment benefits..

Back Pay
Nevada Revised Statues requires that an individual who has been reinstated to a job and awarded payment for lost wages is liable to repay unemployment benefits paid during any overlapping period for which the back pay was awarded.

Base Period
A base period is the twelve-month period established by law during which the claimant has been paid wages in covered employment in order to establish a claim. In Nevada, the base period is usually the first 4 of the last 5 calendar quarters completed immediately preceding the first day of the benefit year. In Nevada, the base period changes Sunday of the first full week of the calendar quarter, in January, April, July and October. In the case of an interstate claim, the base period is as specified by the law of the paying state. 

Benefit Year
A benefit year is the period during which benefits may be paid. In Nevada, this is the 52-consecutive-week period which begins with the first day of the week in which a valid new claim was established. The benefit year will always begin on the Sunday of the week in which the valid claim is filed. Benefits may be paid for any period that the individual is out of work during that time, as long as there is a benefit balance remaining.

Benefit Year Beginning Date
The beginning of the 52 week filing period.

Benefit Year Ending Date
The end of the 52 week filing period.

Between Academic School Terms
Benefits may not be paid to a school employee between school terms based on the wages earned from an educational institution.  A claim may be paid if the school employee has sufficient wages from non-educational employment to qualify for benefits.

Board of Review
The Board of Review is the second level of the appeals process. An interested party may appeal a referee’s decision to the Board of Review. The Board will review all evidence and render a decision. New evidence is not normally allowed to be presented at a Board of Review hearing.

Break in Filing
A break in filing occurs when an individual has not filed a weekly claim for unemployment benefits for one or more weeks for any reason, including failing to file and employment.

Claimant
A claimant is a person making a claim for unemployment insurance benefits under any state or Federal unemployment compensation program.

Combined Wage Claim
A combined wage claim is a claim based on employment and earnings from two or more states.

Continued Claim
A continued claim is a request for a benefit payment when a person has been totally or partially unemployed.  These claims are filed each week to certify that the person was unemployed the previous week and verifies the claimant met the requirements of the law for the week being claimed.  Nevada accepts continued claims via telephone, the internet, and in special circumstances, via US Mail.

Covered Employment
In Nevada, unemployment insurance is funded entirely by a payroll tax on employers. There is no deduction from the employee's wages for this insurance. Covered employment is any employment from an employer subject to Nevada Revised Statute.

Deductible Earnings
If a claimant has before-tax earnings totaling less than his weekly benefit amount during a week he is claiming benefits, 75% of the total of the gross wages or earnings will be deducted from his weekly benefit amount and remain in the account for future use. All earnings are deductible, whether wages, tips or other benefits, such as employer-provided housing. Money earned for weekend drill in the service of the National Guard, payments for jury duty and payment of wages earned prior to the week being claim need not be reported.

Discharge
A separation from employment where the employer has terminated a person from work for a reason other than a layoff due to a lack of work.

Disqualification
A situation where the claimant is not entitled to receive unemployment benefits. Disqualifications may be for reasons such as separations from employment, receipt of separation pay, or personal circumstances. Any time a person is disqualified from receiving benefits, they are notified in writing (see Non-Monetary) and have the right to appeal the disqualification.

Double Dip
In order for benefits to be paid on a subsequent claim, a claimant must have worked since creating a benefit year, and earned three times the amount of his weekly benefit paid during the first benefit year.

Effective Date
The beginning date of the claimant's benefit year, additional or reopened claim filing period. This date is the Sunday of the week the claim was filed.

Eligibility Requirements
Actions required of a claimant to be eligible to be paid unemployment benefits such as: filing timely weekly continued claims, providing correct or requested information relating to the claim, and contacting the division as directed.

Extended Benefits
A supplemental program that pays extended compensation, during a period of specified high unemployment. This period of high unemployment is defined by law.

Failure to Apply / Refusal (Extended Benefits claims only)
Failure to apply for employment or refusing a referral to apply for employment as instructed by the division.

Former Inmate
An individual who performs services in the employ of a private employer while incarcerated in a custodial or penal institution and is separated from the employer because of a transfer or release from the institution is not entitled to base a claim for unemployment benefits based on the wages from this employment.  

Fraud
False statement or failure to disclose an important fact in order to obtain or increase benefits.  Filing a fraudulent claim, such as failing to report earnings while receiving unemployment benefits, is a crime.

Gross Misconduct
A proven crime in connection with employment, such as theft from the employer, vandalism, arson or assault of an employee. A claimant determined to have been discharged for Gross Misconduct is not entitled to use wages earned from that employer to establish a claim for unemployment benefits.

Interstate Claim
A claim filed from one state against a different state, called the liable state. With the emergence of remote claims, interstate claims are frequently filed directly with some liable states, including Nevada. Click here for a list of states taking interstate claims via telephone.

Labor Disputes
A labor dispute (trade dispute) is a controversy concerning the terms and conditions of employment which causes the claimant to become unemployed, but does not sever the employer-employee relationship. The controversy is ordinarily between management and a group of employees, most frequently union employees.  This is often called a strike or a lock out.

Labor Market
The geographical area where the claimant can normally expect to secure employment in the customary occupation. This area varies, depending on the type of employment. A person who works as a cashier may have a labor market as small as a section of a city, while a person who normally works as a seafaring merchant marine may have a labor market which is world-wide.

Maximum Benefit Amount
The maximum benefit amount is the total amount of benefits a claimant will be entitled to receive during the period of his claim. This amount is one-third total base period wages or twenty six times the weekly benefit amount, whichever is lower. For claims filed against other states, this amount is set by the law of the paying state.

Misconduct
A discharge from employment where the individual has been released due to a disregard for the employer’s reasonable policies or standards. 

Misrepresentation
Knowingly providing false information or failing to provide relevant information to obtain unemployment benefits.

Monetary Determination
A monetary determination is a form showing the claimant's benefit amounts.  This information is based on wages showing as having been paid in the base period of his claim.

Monetary Eligibility
The minimum earnings that an individual must have within a base period to meet monetary qualification for benefits. Each state sets their own criteria to determine this. In Nevada, the following conditions apply:

Non Monetary Determination
A non monetary determination is a written decision about any factor that could prevent an individual from receiving unemployment insurance benefits to which he is monetarily eligible.

Notice of Claim Filing
A notice is sent to the most recent employer of an individual who has filed a new or additional claim.  It advises the employer that the person has filed for unemployment benefits. The employer has the right to respond to this notice, providing information which may impact payment of the claim.  If the individual has not worked sixteen weeks for the most recent employer, a notice is also sent to the next previous employer. 

In addition, notices are sent to any employer who has contributed wages to the claimant’s base period.  If the employer is not the most recent employer or the next previous employer, these employers may only request that their accounts not be charged for benefits paid.

On-Call
On-call employment is defined as work that is not regularly scheduled which is done on an as-needed basis. On-call workers normally have no set schedule and work as requested by an employer.

Overpayment
An unemployment insurance benefit payment made to a claimant to which he was not entitled.

Paid Vacation
An individual on a paid vacation from his employer.

Part-Time
Part-time employment is defined as work which is regularly scheduled with the same employer on a steady basis. Part-time employees normally have set schedules that either do not vary, or change very little on a week to week basis.

Pension
Deductible pension or retirement income received by a claimant under a plan maintained by a base period employer.  Benefits are reduced by a pro-rated amount based on the pension received if the base period employer contributed the entire amount to the pension or retirement plan.  Social Security benefits are not a deductible pension.

Prevailing Wage
A prevailing wage is the average wage paid for the same type of work within the labor market. While employers have the right to pay any wage rate above the legally required minimum wage for any type of employment, the prevailing wage is the average pay for all similar jobs, as reported by the employers.

QuickClaim
The weekly telephone claim filing system. Claims are entered through a touch tone telephone by pressing buttons to correspond with answers asked by the automated system.

Quit to Seek / Quit to Accept Other Work
Voluntarily leaving employment to seek or accept other employment with another employer.

Receipt of Benefits
Unemployment benefits paid on an unemployment claim that has been withdrawn, or receiving benefits from unemployment claims in two states for the same time period.

Refusal of Suitable Work
A situation where a claimant has refused a job deemed suitable (see Suitable Work), or has failed to report to apply for work or attend an interview as directed by a representative of the Nevada JobConnect.

Reopened Claim
A claim filed within a benefit year after a break of one week or more with no intervening employment.

Reporting Requirements
The claimant is requested to report in person to an office to provide information or to participate in employment services program.

Requalification
If an individual has been denied benefits for any indefinite period of time, requalification is the process of again becoming eligible to receive unemployment benefits. In no situation does a requalification result in payment of benefits for weeks which were claimed prior to the requalifying event.

Severance Pay
Payment made to an employee in conjunction with separation from employment in recognition of past years of service.

Sport / Athletic Wages
A professional sports/athletic employee between the customary season will be denied benefits based on the wages earned from the professional sport/athletic team.  A claim may be paid if the sports/athletic employee has only minimal wages from non-sport employment and sufficient wages from other employment to qualify for benefits.

Suitable Work
Suitable work is defined as employment which the claimant has the customary skills and abilities to perform and pays an amount that is normal for that occupation within that labor market. Refusing an offer of suitable work is basis for denying unemployment benefits.

Temporary Layoff
A temporary layoff is a period of normally not more than four weeks during which an individual is laid off due to a lack of work.  This period may be extended only upon the request of the employer and only if they show a good reason for a period exceeding the four weeks.  Individuals who work in seasonal industries, such as for ski resorts or in tax preparation, are not considered to be temporarily laid off.

Tips
Any employee who reports his tips properly to his employer may be able to use these tips as wages for the purpose of determining monetary eligibility. Tips are considered "covered" employment if reported by the employer to the Employment Security Division, and can be used for requalification purposes. Any tips earned while filing weekly claims for benefits must be reported as wages.

Total Temporary Disability
Disability payments to an individual unable to work due to an on the job injury.

Unemployed
In order for an individual to be eligible for unemployment insurance benefits, the claimant must be "unemployed".  A person who is on a company-approved leave of absence, who is self-employed, who works solely on commission but generates no income, or who is receiving benefits for a job-related injury is not considered unemployed.

Unemployment Compensation for Ex-Service Members
The federal program that provides benefits to former military members of the United States Armed Forces.  The branch of the military separating the member has sole authority for determinations of eligibility for unemployment benefits.

Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees
The federal program that provides benefits to former Federal civilian employees.

Vacation Pay
Accrued vacation/annual time paid to an individual following termination of employment.

Vacation Recess
A school employee on vacation recess will be denied benefits based on the wages earned from an educational institution.  See "Between Academic Terms" for more information.

Voluntary Quit
An individual who voluntarily leaves his employment or who is determined to be the moving party in the separation, even if the individual felt they had no alternative, or the employer was trying to force them out.  In addition, persons who retire from employment, voluntarily or involuntarily, are considered to have quit.

Wage Protest
A wage protest is a request by the claimant who feels there are missing or improperly reported wages as shown on his monetary determination.

Wages in Lieu of Notice
Payments made to an employee when the employee is to be laid off, but the employer cannot or will not give the customary notice period.

Work Search
A claimant is expected to make a good faith effort to find suitable employment unless designated as a temporary layoff by the state paying the unemployment compensation. A good faith effort means that the individual is making a consistent search for employment. This effort varies by the type of work the person normally does. For a cashier, this may mean going out and submitting applications to hiring employers several days each week, contacting several employers each time they go out. For a certified public accountant, this may mean submitting resumes to prospective.  Individuals who are referred to work solely through hiring hall unions are required to report for job call as directed by the union and are expected to remain in compliance with the union's requirements for payment of dues.  If the individual is no longer eligible for referral to work through his union FOR ANY REASON, the individual is required to engage in an active search for work.

Worker Profiling
Under the Worker Profiling system, claimants must be held ineligible for any week in which there is a failure to participate in reemployment services which they are required to attend.