DEENA BRELL v. DENIECE THOMAS, COMMISSIONER OF THE TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ET AL. - Articles

All Content

DEENA BRELL v. DENIECE THOMAS, COMMISSIONER OF THE TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ET AL.

Posted by: Azya Thornton on Mar 13, 2025

Court: TN Court of Appeals

Attorneys 1: David A. Kozlowski and Patricia Louise Sellars, Columbia, Tennessee, for the appellant, Deena Brell.

Attorneys 2: Jonathan Skrmetti, Attorney General and Reporter, and Jason R. Trautwein, Assistant Attorney General, for the appellee, Commissioner, Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

Judge(s): BENNETT

This is an appeal of a denial of unemployment benefits. The issue presented is whether, under Tennessee’s unemployment statutes, an employee who gives her employer notice of her resignation as of a certain date and is terminated by the employer prior to the effective resignation date is disqualified from receiving unemployment benefits on the ground that the employee voluntarily quit. The trial court affirmed the agency’s decision denying benefits. Based upon the plain language of the relevant statutory provision, we conclude that the employee’s actions do not constitute a voluntary decision to quit. Therefore, we reverse the trial court’s decision.

Attachments: