What questions will the hearing officer ask during the hearing?
At the beginning of the hearing, the hearing officer will usually ask the employer witness to give details of the claimant’s employment history date of hire, last day worked, positions held, rate of pay and reasons for the separation. If the claimant was discharged, the hearing officer will want to know who at the company discharged the claimant. The employer witness should be prepared to discuss the final incident that caused the discharge, how the claimant’s actions were detrimental to the company, how the claimant knew they could be discharged for their actions (company rules, handbooks, etc.) and what disciplinary steps (verbal and written warnings) were taken prior to the discharge. If the claimant voluntarily quit, the hearing officer will ask the employer witness how they were informed that the claimant voluntarily quit and the reasons why the claimant quit. In voluntary quit issues, the claimant will be asked to prove they voluntarily quit with good cause attributable to the em
