The state Supreme Court has clarified whom the Unemployment Compensation Law is intended to protect by ruling in favor of two employees who sought unemployment benefits after they got new job offers and resigned from their old jobs, only to see the offers rescinded before their start dates.

In two consolidated appeals where courts below reached divergent rulings, the Supreme Court on Monday affirmed an Appellate Division panel’s ruling to award benefits to school teacher Patricia J. McClain, and reversed a second appellate panel’s decision denying benefits to Cynthia Blake, a cook.