If you apply for unemployment benefits when you move into a period of voluntary leave from your company, your application will be rejected because you are not in a legal situation of unemployment.

However, if while on voluntary leave you work for a different company and, when that contract ends for reasons beyond your control, you apply for unemployment benefits, you may be entitled to them in the following cases:

• If the period of voluntary leave has not yet ended at the time the legal situation of unemployment arises. In this case, if the benefit period is longer than the leave period, you will receive the benefit until the leave ends. At that point, the benefit will be suspended, as you must request reinstatement with your company and await its response. If the company states that it cannot reinstate you due to the lack of a suitable vacancy, or denies reinstatement at that time but agrees to re-employ you at a later date, you may continue to receive unemployment benefits until the date of reinstatement or until the benefit entitlement expires.
• If the duration of the voluntary leave has already ended when you apply for benefits, or if no minimum leave period was established. In this case, you must first request reinstatement with the company. Until the company responds, the unemployment benefit application cannot be decided, as there is no legal situation of unemployment. If the company replies that reinstatement is not possible at that time, a legal situation of unemployment will be established and the benefit application may be processed.