Quarantine and termination

What is a quarantine?

When you terminate employment, the unemployment fund must assess the reason. This is because the reason can determine whether you are entitled to unemployment benefits immediately or if you will be quarantined. The quarantine is 111 hours for full-time insured and 90 hours for part-time insured where you are not entitled to unemployment benefits.

Why are you quarantined?

According to the unemployment benefit rules, we must always assess the reason for your unemployment to determine when you are entitled to unemployment benefits. You will be quarantined if we assess that your unemployment is self-induced. Self-induced unemployment can be if you have resigned without a so-called "valid reason" or if your employer has terminated you because you have not shown up for work.

You can also be quarantined even if you are already in the unemployment benefit system. This happens if you do not actively contribute to getting out of unemployment within the limits set by the unemployment benefit system. When you are quarantined, you lose the right to unemployment benefits for 111 hours, or 90 hours as part-time insured. This applies after you have registered with the job center, even if you are entitled to unemployment benefits. It is also considered self-induced unemployment. 

Self-induced unemployment - what does it mean?

You are considered self-induced unemployed if you: 

• You quit your job or are at fault for your dismissal.
• You resign after you have been dismissed by the employer (=contract termination).
• Have your working hours reduced in order to receive supplementary unemployment benefits.
• Accepting too short a notice period.
• Taking leave from your job.
• Rejects a mediated work.
• Decline to participate in creating or revising "My Plan".
• Declining an offer after "My Plan".
• Missing out on an offer after "My plan".
• Refuses, terminates or fails to appear in connection with a training order.

Settlement and expiration of quarantine

Unwinding

The quarantine can only be lifted during periods when you are entitled to benefits from the unemployment fund. This is called an effective quarantine. You can only end a quarantine if you are registered at the job center, are entitled to unemployment benefits and submit an unemployment benefit card. The quarantine takes effect from the day after termination, or from the day you have refused a job offer if you are unemployed.

Statute of limitations

The quarantine becomes time-barred three months after the day you stopped working or refused a job offer. It also expires if you have had 185 hours of work reported in the income register after the date you received the suspension.

If you get multiple suspensions

If you are quarantined due to self-induced unemployment twice within 12 months, you will be affected by what we call the repetition effect. This means that you lose the right to unemployment benefits and can only receive unemployment benefits again when you have reported 300 hours of unsubsidized work in the income register in a continuous period of 3 months (monthly salaried employees). For 14-day salaried employees, the requirement is 276 hours.

If you are part-time insured, you must have reported 150 hours of unsubsidized work in the income register in a continuous period of 3 months (monthly salaried employees). For 14-day salaried employees, the requirement is 138 hours.

Termination: What is a valid reason?

You may have a valid reason to quit your job. If you have a so-called "valid reason" for quitting your job or refusing an offer from the Jobcenter, you can avoid quarantine.

According to the unemployment benefit rules, it is always your unemployment fund that assesses whether your reason can be characterized as a valid reason. Therefore, it's always a good idea to contact Min A-kasse or your professional organization if you are considering resigning.

Examples that are often characterized as a valid reason