Section 19 Location and Manner of Conducting Hearings

• Library: Employer-Employee Law 2008

By rule, hearings are conducted by telephone unless a party specifically requests an in-person setting or the appeals tribunal schedules the hearing in-person on its own motion. 8 C.S.R. § 10-015(4)(B). Parties have an absolute right to request an in-person setting. Id. Currently, the appeals tribunal only conducts in-person hearings in Jefferson City, Kansas City, St. Louis, and Springfield, which are the current locations of appeals offices.

To participate in a telephone hearing, the party must call
the Appeals Section’s toll-free number to give the telephone number where the party can be reached for the hearing and
the names and telephone numbers of any witnesses who have agreed to testify. The claimant will be called at the phone number on file with the Division unless that person calls the toll-free number to change that number for the hearing. Parties may use cellular telephones for a hearing, but it is discouraged. If a battery-powered or cellular telephone fails during the hearing, the case will not be continued, and any testimony lost will not be considered. 8 C.S.R. § 10-5.030(2)(C).

Exhibits for telephone hearings must be mailed to the other parties and the referee at the earliest possible moment to ensure receipt before the hearing. The Notice of Telephone Hearing, see §4.70, infra, contains the mailing address for each party and the referee. 8 C.S.R. §...