Teacher at a Community College Entitled to Unemployment Insurance Benefits—Teacher Was Offered Employment in the Next School Year But the Hours Were Drastically Reduced—Therefore the Teacher Did Not Receive “Reasonable Assurance of Continued Employment” within the Meaning of Labor Law 590(10)

The Third Department determined claimant, who taught at a community college, did not receive “reasonable assurance of continued employment” during the next school year and therefore was eligible for unemployment insurance benefits.  Claimant had been offered employment for less than a third of the hours he had worked in the past school year:

Labor Law § 590 (10) precludes professionals employed by educational institutions from receiving unemployment insurance benefits for periods between two successive academic years when the employer has provided them with a reasonable assurance of continued employment … . “A reasonable assurance . . . has been interpreted as a representation by the employer that substantially the same economic terms and conditions will continue to apply to the extent that the claimant will receive at least 90% of the earnings received during the first academic period” … . Whether a claimant received a reasonable assurance of employment is a question of fact for the Board to resolve and its findings in this regard will be upheld if supported by substantial evidence … .

Here, claimant worked 150 hours during the 2010-2011 academic year, but was only offered 45 hours during the 2011-2012 academic year, limited to the 2011 fall semester. The employer did not specify any hours for the 2012 spring semester either in its reappointment letter or notice advising claimant of his assignment, and claimant was offered significantly fewer hours during the 2011 fall semester than he had worked during the 2010 fall semester. Matter of Rosenbaum …, 2015 NY Slip OP 00926, 3rd Dept 2-5-15