UI Part VI -- Appeals Process
Unemployment appeals follow a two‑tiered administrative process within DUA: the first tier is the Hearings Department; the second is the Board of Review. From there, the right of review lies with the District Court, then the Appeals Court, and, if accepted for review, the SJC.
For discussion of sources of authority, legal standards and substantive issues, see Introduction, Sources of Law Governing the UI Program; Eligibility, Part 2; and Separation from Work, Part 3. The most common issues and important sources of authority are:
- deliberate misconduct or knowing violation of a work rule, G.L. c. 151A, § 25(e)(2);
- voluntary quit or leaving for such an urgent, compelling, and necessitous reason as to make the separation involuntary, G.L. c. 151A, § 25(e)(1);
- DUA regulations, 430 CMR 1.00 et seq.
- Informal/Formal Fair Hearing Rules, 801 CMR 1.02;
- Board of Review decisions,
- U.S. Dept. of Labor, Employment and Training Division, ET Handbook No. 382, Handbook for Measuring UI Lower Authority Appeals Quality,3rd Edition, 2011, available at https://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/attach/etah/et_handbook_no_382_3rd_edition.pdf.
The Hearing Offices contacts are:
- Boston Office: (617) 626-5200
- Lawrence Office: (978) 738-4400
- Brockton Office: (508) 894-4777
- Springfield Office: (413) 452-4700
Information regarding a Board of Review appeal is available at www.mass.gov/dua/bor or call (617) 626-6400.