Inconsistent Information Can Undermine Your Credibility
Credibility Is Earned
Credibility is one of the most valuable assets employers and claimants bring into the unemployment adjudication process. Employers often focus on gathering documents, identifying policy violations, or explaining why an employee was discharged, while claimants focus on explaining why they qualify for benefits. All the while, credibility quietly influences how that information is received and evaluated.
Most employers approach an unemployment claim wanting to know what they can say or provide to improve their chances of a favorable outcome. Some respond with only a few brief statements, assuming the adjudicator will gather the remaining details during the investigation. Others take the opposite approach, providing every document, policy, and concern they can think of in hopes that something will stick to strengthen their position. Claimants often approach the process with the same objective, wanting to present the facts in a way that supports their eligibility for benefits.
Neither approach addresses one of the most important considerations in the adjudication process: credibility.
Credibility in the Adjudication Process
Before an adjudicator can determine what happened, they must first evaluate the reliability of the information presented by both parties. Credibility helps establish how much weight should be given to each version of events. It isn't separate from the facts. Instead, it influences how those facts are understood throughout the investigation.
Many people think credibility is purely a matter of telling the truth. While honesty is certainly part of it, credibility goes beyond that. It also reflects whether an explanation remains consistent, specific, and dependable as additional information is gathered.
Every response contributes to the overall picture an adjudicator must look at. The more reliable that picture appears from beginning to end, the easier it becomes for the adjudicator to focus on determining what actually occurred.
Once Built, Credibility Can Be Lost
Credibility isn't established by a single statement or document. It develops as information is gathered, compared, and evaluated throughout the claim. Every response, conversation, witness statement, and piece of evidence either strengthens or weakens the overall account.
One of the most common reasons credibility becomes an issue for an employer is that different people within an organization become involved at different stages of the claim. A manager or owner may complete the initial written response. Human Resources may later provide additional information. The adjudicator may then interview the supervisor who made the decision to discharge. If each person describes the events of the separation a little differently, even unintentionally, inconsistencies begin to emerge.
Another factor that can affect credibility for both employers and claimants is the passage of time. Memories fade, people often remember events differently or begin emphasizing different aspects of the separation. Timelines become less precise. Details that once seemed clear become less certain. The final incident may gradually shift as someone tries to explain everything that contributed to the decision to sever the employment relationship rather than focusing on the event that actually ended it.
These differences aren't necessarily the result of dishonesty. In many cases, they occur because each individual experienced the events from a different perspective or is recalling them at a different point in time. Even so, inconsistencies can make it more difficult for an adjudicator to confidently determine what occurred.
Credibility may come into question when explanations change as fact finding progresses or the claim moves into an appeal. The initial written response may identify one reason for the separation, the adjudication interview may focus on something different, and testimony at a hearing may introduce yet another explanation. Different witnesses may also describe the same event in ways that don't fully align with one another. None of those differences automatically mean someone is being untruthful, but together they can weaken the reliability of the overall account.
Credibility and the Final Incident
One of the things that surprised me most when I first started as an adjudicator was how often the employer's account and the claimant's account differed—not only from each other, but sometimes even within their own explanations. In many claims, both parties genuinely believed they were accurately describing what happened. Yet the more I explored the facts and reviewed evidence, the more apparent it became that identifying the final incident wasn't always as straightforward as it first appeared.
That relationship between credibility and the final incident is one of the most important aspects of adjudication. Before the appropriate unemployment law or administrative rule can be applied, the adjudicator must first determine what event actually resulted in the separation. When the employer and claimant identify different final incidents, or when the available evidence points in different directions, the adjudicator must determine which explanation is most consistent with the information available.
Contrary to what many people assume, adjudicators don't simply decide whether to believe the employer or the claimant. Instead, they evaluate how each version of events fits with the available evidence. It doesn't mean documentary evidence automatically outweighs witness testimony, nor does witness testimony automatically outweigh documentary evidence. It means documentary evidence, witness testimony, business records, policies, and written accounts from both parties are all considered together.
A written document may answer one question while creating another. Firsthand testimony may clarify the meaning of a document or explain circumstances that the written record doesn't capture. The value of any particular piece of evidence depends on how well it helps establish the facts during the investigation.
When the available evidence clearly identifies the final incident, applying the appropriate law is often relatively straightforward. When it fails to do so, credibility takes on added significance as the adjudicator evaluates conflicting accounts and determines which explanation is most reliable.
Protecting Credibility
Unlike many aspects of an unemployment claim, credibility can't be added later if it becomes an issue. It begins with the first response and continues through every step of the process from fact finding to appeal.
As an employer, the best way to protect your credibility is to ensure everyone involved understands the facts of the separation before responding to the claim or participating in an interview or hearing. That doesn't mean memorizing a script or rehearsing answers. It means having a common understanding of what occurred, why the employment relationship ended, and how the events leading to the separation unfolded.
In many organizations, several individuals contribute information during the claim eligibility process. Preparing before anyone responds gives everyone the opportunity to understand the same sequence of events and the same basis for the separation. It also reduces the likelihood that important details are overlooked or unintentionally described differently as the claim progresses. That preparation benefits both the employer and the adjudicator by creating a clearer understanding of the circumstances surrounding the separation.
Many employers view preparation as gathering documents. While documentation certainly has its place, preserving credibility involves more than assembling paperwork. It begins with understanding the facts, communicating them consistently, and recognizing that every response becomes part of the record the adjudicator will evaluate.
The Influencer
Credibility is one of the few things that quietly influences every stage of an unemployment claim. It doesn't guarantee a particular outcome, nor does it replace the need for supporting evidence. It does, however, affect how the available information is viewed from beginning to end, regardless of its source.
Every unemployment claim presents two competing accounts. Both are evaluated. Both are assigned credibility.
Perhaps the better question isn't whether credibility matters. It's whether your organization has taken the steps necessary to ensure its account will be viewed as the more credible one when it matters most.
Every unemployment claim comes with its own facts, challenges, and circumstances. If this article made you realize there's more to an unemployment claim than you first thought, imagine what you could learn by seeing your claim through the eyes of a former unemployment adjudicator.