(a) Request. A claimant shall have the right to request reconsideration of an initial determination under §320.5 of this part which denies in whole or in part his or her claim for benefits. A claimant shall have the right to request reconsideration of a notice of overpayment under §320.9 of this part. The base-year employer(s) shall have the right to request reconsideration of an initial determination under §320.5 of this part which awards in whole or in part a claimant's claim for benefits. A reconsideration request shall be made in writing and addressed to the adjudicating office that issued the initial determination and must be received by the adjudicating office no later than 60 days from the date of the notice of the initial decision. A railroad employer may fulfill the written request requirement by using an electronic system that has been approved by the agency in the manner prescribed by the agency.

(b) Review of evidence. Upon request, the party requesting reconsideration shall have an opportunity to review all evidence and documents that pertain to the initial determination. The Board shall made all reasonable efforts to protect the identity of the source of adverse evidence.

(c) Notice of decision. The adjudicating office shall, as soon as possible, render a decision on the request for reconsideration. If a decision rendered by a district office, as the adjudicating office, sustains the initial determination, either in whole or in part, the decision shall be referred to the appropriate Field Service-Headquarters staff for review prior to issuance. The party who requested reconsideration shall be notified, in writing, of the decision on reconsideration no later than 15 days from the date of the decision or, where the Field Service-Headquarters staff has conducted a review of the decision, within 7 days following the completion of the review. If the decision results in denial of benefits, the claimant shall be notified of the right to appeal as provided in §320.12 of this part. If the decision results in payment of benefits, the base-year employer(s) shall be notified of the right to appeal as provided in §320.12 of this part.

(d) Right to further review of initial determination. The right to further review of a determination made under §320.5 or §320.9 of this part shall be forfeited unless a written request for reconsideration is filed within the time period prescribed in this section or good cause is shown by the party requesting reconsideration for failing to file a timely request for reconsideration. A railroad employer may fulfill the written request requirement by using an electronic system approved by the agency in the manner prescribed by the agency.

(e) Timely request for reconsideration. In determining whether either the claimant or the base-year employer(s) has good cause for failure to file a timely request for reconsideration, the adjudicating office shall consider the circumstances which kept either the claimant or the base-year employer(s) from filing the request on time and whether any action by the Board misled either of them. Examples of circumstances where good cause may exist include, but are not limited to:

(1) A serious illness which prevented the claimant from contacting the Board in person, in writing, or through a friend, relative or other person;

(2) A death or serious illness in the claimant's immediate family which prevented him or her from filing.

(3) The destruction of important and relevant records;

(4) A failure to be notified of a decision;

(5) The existence of an unusual or unavoidable circumstance which demonstrates that either the claimant or the base-year employer(s) would not have known of the need to file timely or which prevented either of them from filing in a timely manner; or

(6) The claimant thought that his or her representative had requested reconsideration.

[56 FR 65679, Dec. 18, 1991, as amended at 67 FR 77156, Dec. 17, 2002; 71 FR 53004, Sept. 8, 2006; 80 FR 13764, Mar. 17, 2015]