Unemployment After a Job Ends
MCA 39-51-2402 — quitting without good cause or a firing for misconduct disqualifies, and an appeal is due within 10 days
A person who left work without good cause attributable to the job is disqualified, and requalifies after earning six times the weekly benefit amount in covered work. Leaving on a doctor's advice for illness or injury, or for a spouse's mandatory military transfer, does not disqualify.
Who handles this in Montana: Montana Unemployment Insurance Division, Claims Center; and legal aid programs, lawyer referral and the state offices, listed in the Montana directory.
- A person discharged for misconduct is disqualified until earning eight times the weekly benefit amount in covered work.
- For gross misconduct, the disqualification lasts 52 weeks.
- So does failing or refusing a drug test under a written workplace drug policy, apart from a marijuana test of a registered cardholder.
A determination is final unless a party asks for reconsideration or appeals within 10 days after it was sent. The appeals referee holds a hearing, often by phone, and that decision is final unless review by the board is sought within 10 days.
Sources for this section (5)
- MCA 39-51-2302 — Disqualification for leaving work without good cause -- requalification
- MCA 39-51-2303 — Disqualification for discharge due to misconduct
- MCA 39-51-2402 — Determination -- redetermination
- MCA 39-51-2403 — Hearing -- decision of appeals referee
- MCA 39-51-2404 — Appeal to board procedure
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Montana attorney.