New Florida laws give bosses powerful control - private activities can negate unemployment benefits

[Liberal_in_LA]

In Florida, off-the-job conduct may put your unemployment benefits at risk

A just-passed overhaul of Florida's unemployment laws gives employers the ability to challenge jobless benefits to former employees for behavior that has little to do with how they conduct themselves at work.

The provision permits businesses to fight a worker's benefits claim based on "misconduct, irrespective of whether the misconduct occurs at the workplace or during working hours."

In essence, it allows the business to cite a worker's private behavior as a reason to deny benefits.

For example, owners of a delivery company, who can now fire a driver cited for reckless driving, could also challenge his right to benefits even if the offense occurred while he was driving his own car on his own time.

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2011-05-11/business/os-legislature-unemployment-benefits-20110511_1_unemployment-benefits-jobless-benefits-unemployment-laws