Can I Get Unemployment if I Quit My Job in Oregon?
If you are thinking about quitting your job or have already left, you may be wondering if you can file for unemployment benefits in Oregon.
The short answer is it depends on whether you had a strong reason for quitting, known as good cause. If your reason isn’t strong enough, you won’t be able to collect unemployment.
What counts as a good cause to quit in Oregon?
To claim unemployment after quitting in Oregon, you must have a very strong reason for leaving. That reason must be so strong that most people in your situation would feel they had no other option but to leave the job. This is called good cause.
If you have a long-term illness or disability, the same rule applies. The law looks at what a reasonable person with the same illness or disability would have done.
You may still qualify if you had good cause to quit
You can still file for unemployment if you quit your job for good reasons, such as:
- Unsafe working conditions: Your workplace is unsafe. For example, there is dangerous equipment or exposure to hazards, and your employer refuses to fix the problem.
- Harassment or discrimination: You’re being harassed or discriminated against, you report it, and your employer does nothing to stop it.
- Major change in your job: Your employer suddenly makes a big change, such as significantly reducing your pay, cutting your hours so much that the cost of working is more than what you are paid, or changing your job duties so much that it’s no longer the job you agreed to.
- Hostile or abusive treatment: A supervisor or coworker threatens you, yells at you, or treats you in a way that most people would not like. If you report it and your employer does not fix the problem, this can count as good cause.
- Illegal or unethical work: You’re asked to do something illegal, unethical, or against company policy, and the employer refuses to change the assignment.
- Serious health problems: You have a health condition that makes it unsafe to keep working, and you tried to work with your employer to fix the issue, such as asking for workplace accommodations, but nothing helped.
- Caregiving responsibilities: You quit because your job would not let you take time off to care for a seriously ill person who could not be left alone.
- Domestic violence: You are in an abusive relationship and need to quit your job to stay safe.
When you likely won’t qualify for unemployment
Here are some scenarios that usually do not qualify you for unemployment:
- You quit without trying to fix the issue: In most cases, you need to talk with your employer about the problem before quitting, unless you are in an unsafe situation.
- You didn’t get along with your boss or coworkers: Personality conflicts by themselves are not enough. There must be serious harassment or unsafe behavior that your employer refused to fix.
- You wanted a different schedule: Wanting better hours or a different shift is not good cause unless your employer suddenly made a major change that caused a serious problem for you.
- You no longer liked the job: Losing interest, wanting a new career, or feeling bored at work does not count as good cause.
- You left for other personal reasons: Things like moving or going back to school don’t count as a good cause.
Need more help?
- Free legal hotline: If you aren’t sure if you qualify, you can call Oregon’s Public Benefits hotline at 1-800-520-5292 for quick, free advice from a legal aid lawyer or paralegal. The hotline is open Monday to Thursday. Find out more about the hotline here.
- Employment lawyers: You can also consult with a private employment lawyer if you have questions about unemployment benefits or other job-related questions. For help finding a lawyer, you can contact Oregon’s Lawyer Referral Service.
Ready to apply?
- Apply online using Oregon’s Employment Department Frances Online website.
- Be honest about why you quit.
- Explain the steps you took to try to solve the problem before quitting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Oregon’s unemployment laws are found in Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS) and Oregon’s Administrative Rules (OARs).
- ORS 657.176(2)(c) says you can't get unemployment benefits if you quit without good cause.
- OAR 471-030-0038 says good cause exists only if a reasonable and prudent person, using ordinary common sense, in your shoes, would have also quit, and had no reasonable alternative but to leave.
You can also read Oregon case decisions to better understand how these laws apply to real-life situations:
- Employment Appeals Board decision 2025-EAB-0052: A worker quit after the owner yelled at him and threw a drop cloth that knocked off his glasses. The Board found a reasonable person would quit under those conditions. That is “good cause.”
- Employment Appeals Board decision 2017-EAB-1173: An employee quit after the owner increasingly berated him for perceived performance deficiencies, including things that were not his fault. Based on the employee’s past attempts to discuss improvements, the Board inferred that complaining to the owner was not a reasonable alternative and concluded that the employee had good cause to quit.
- Employment Appeals Board decision 2025-EAB-0255: An employee quit after being subjected to foul and racist language and inappropriate imagery. Due to the substantial possibility of retaliation in that case, the Board concluded that complaining to human resources was not a reasonable alternative and found good cause.
If your claim is denied, you can fight the decision by going through an appeals process. But you only have 20 days to file your appeal, so act quickly!
Learn more about unemployment appeals and how to file an appeal here
Yes. If you apply for unemployment, you may need to provide details and documents about your workplace situation. Here are some tips:
- Write down what happened: Keep a simple timeline of events. Include dates, who you spoke with, and what was said.
- Save any messages or emails: Keep copies of emails, texts, or notes that show what the problem was and what you did to try to fix it.
- Document unsafe or unfair treatment: If you experienced unsafe conditions, harassment, or major changes to your job, write down what happened as soon as possible.
- Record your attempts to fix the issue: Oregon usually requires you to try to resolve the problem before quitting. Keep notes about any conversations with your employer and any solutions you requested.
- Get copies of important workplace documents: These can include schedules, write-ups, policy changes, or incident reports.
Keeping clear records shows that someone in your situation would also feel they had no choice but to quit. Good records can also help your case move faster if the Employment Department needs more details.
Probably not.
If your employer gives you the choice to accept severance and leave your job early instead of waiting for a layoff, the state often treats this as leaving voluntarily. That can lead to a denial of benefits unless you show good cause for leaving. (See Employment Appeals Board Decision 2025-EAB-0304).