Southwestern Bell Telephone, L.P. v. Director of Arkansas Employment Security Department

Andree Layton Roaf, Judge.

Appellant Southwestern Bell Telephone (“Southwestern Bell”) appeals from the Board of Review’s (“Board”) decision granting unemployment benefits under Ark. Code Ann. § ll-10-513(c) (Supp. 2003) to employee Stephen Barkley, who voluntarily participated in a work force reduction process initiated by Southwestern Bell. On appeal, Southwestern Bell argues that the Board’s decision that Barkley left his employment after it requested volunteers for a permanent work force reduction is not supported by substantial evidence and amounts to an erroneous construction of section…