While You Receive Benefits
If you do meet all the various qualifications to receive unemployment, be aware that compensation comes with conditions. While you are receiving unemployment, you must be actively seeking a new joband states can request proof of your job search.
If you turn down a suitable position , your unemployment benefits may be terminated. Also, during the Great Recession that bottomed out in 2009, many states changed their laws to prohibit receiving severance and unemployment benefits simultaneously.
What If You Quit Or Were Fired
Workers who leave their jobs for personal reasons or who are fired may not be eligible for Unemployment Insurance benefits. If these circumstances apply to your application, we will need more information from you before we make a decision.
If you quit voluntarily
If you quit your job without “good cause connected with the work” you may not be eligible to receive benefits. “Good cause connected with the work” means that your reason for leaving must be directly related to your job, and be so compelling that you had no choice but to leave the job. While in most cases you cannot voluntarily quit a job and collect unemployment insurance benefits, where you can show unsafe, unhealthful, or dangerous working conditions, that were so intolerable that you had no choice but to leave the employment, you could be eligible to collect unemployment insurance benefits. The burden of proof is on you, the employee, to prove that you quit for good cause.
If you leave your job for personal reasons for example, to move out of the area your reason for quitting is not connected with the work. If you quit your job for better pay or more hours, you may be eligible for benefits under certain circumstances.
In both cases, a claims examiner will contact you by phone or email for a fact-finding interview to decide if you are entitled to benefits based on Unemployment Insurance law and policies.
If you were fired or discharged
There are two types of misconduct: misconduct and gross misconduct.
Learn If There Are Other Opportunities For You With This Employer
If you were fired due to budget cuts or downsizing and are happy at your company, your employer may be able to offer you a role in a different department. Alternatively, you could inquire with your employer about other opportunities within the company.
For issues related to job performance or a lack of skills, you might consider asking if your employer would agree to hire you back upon professional improvement.
Note that there may not be other opportunities for you at this company. If your employer responds with a no, its a best practice to respectfully accept their decision.
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Youre Not Actively Job Searching
To maintain your unemployment benefits, you must show that youre actively looking for work. If you end up turning down a suitable job, then the state could cut your allowance. You wont get penalized for turning down a job thats way below your pay grade or skill level.
Your benefits may also get reduced if youre supplementing your income with part-time work. If you quit this part-time job without good cause, then your benefits could stay permanently lowered.
Now That I Am Unemployed I Am Going To Move To Another State Am I Still Eligible For Unemployment Benefits
If you relocate permanently to another state, you are generally still eligible for benefits if you are actively looking for suitable employment in that state. However, as indicated above, states interpret the requirements for unemployment eligibility differently. Before permanently relocating, you should contact the unemployment offices in both your current and future states of residence and/or an attorney to determine the effect that relocation will have on your eligibility.
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Are You Available And Actively Searching For Work
To maintain your eligibility for unemployment compensation, you must be able to work, available to accept a job, and looking for work. If you are offered a suitable position, you must accept it. You must also keep a written record of your work search contacts, which the agency may ask you to submit at any time.
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You Quit Because Of Qualifying Personal Reasons
There are also some personal reasons that could make you eligible for UI after quitting voluntarily. “Even a spouse getting a job offer in another state can be considered a good cause in some states,” says Martin.
Quitting due to a medical reason such as a prolonged illness, injury, disability, or on your doctor’s recommendation could also be acceptablehowever, some states might only allow it if the injury was caused by the job. If you quit a job because of domestic violence or needing to care for a severely ill family member, you might be eligible for UI checks too.
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When To Take Your Case To A Lawyer
With so many attorneys offering a free phone call consultation, it is a good idea to run your situation past a professional to get their initial opinion and information about the costs of pursuing a claim. If you hire counsel, they will be able to advise you on accepting the denial, doing an appeal, or taking things to court.
You can always seek a second legal opinion as well. If you feel your job loss and unemployment denial were wrong, then you should start gathering knowledge on what you can do about it.
Are Federal Employees Eligible For Unemployment Insurance Benefits
Yes. States administer the Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees program to assist eligible unemployed federal civilian employees. The state where your last official duty station in federal civilian service was located provides the law which determines eligibility and other details of unemployment insurance benefits. This federal program mirrors the basic unemployment insurance provided for non-federal employees by states.
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Advice On Quitting Your Job
Are you planning to resign from your job? Theres a right way and a wrong way to quit.
General guidelines for quitting include:
- Weighing your options before you quit. Evaluate your job to be sure that leaving is really in your best interests. Do you hate your job, for example, or just one aspect of it? Could small changes like telecommuting a few days a month make a difference, or are you ready to go? And do you have a plan for what comes nexta new job lined up or plenty of leads, plus enough money to sustain you during the transition?
- Give two weeks notice. Dont burn your bridges on the way out. Giving the appropriate amount of notice will ensure that your employer is willing to give you a good reference, should you need one later on.
- Write a resignation letter. A formal resignation letter is still the best option when you leave a job. Its good manners, and it prevents any confusion about your last day and other details of your departure.
- Observe the simple do’s and don’ts of resigning. For instance, you’ll want to make sure to clean your computer and remove any personal documents before giving notice. It’s also best to avoid bad-mouthing your co-workers or manager, or boasting about your next steps.
You never know when a prospective employer will conduct a reference check so it’s best to leave on as positive a note as possible.
Other Types Of Misconduct
In a number of states, the misconduct for which an employee was fired has to be quite serious to render the employee ineligible for unemployment compensation. An employee who is fired for poor performance, lacking the necessary skills for the job, or simply being a poor fit will still be able to collect unemployment in these states. An employee who intentionally acts against the employers interests, on the other hand, will not be eligible for benefits.
Other states are more strict, finding that an employee who is fired for violating a workplace policy or rule, or even for performance problems, wont be eligible to collect benefits.
In most states, these types of misconduct will likely render an employee ineligible for benefits:
- Criminal actions. An employee who engages in criminal behavior relating to the jobsuch as driving for work while under the influence, assaulting a customer or coworker, or selling illegal drugs at workwill not be eligible to receive benefits.
- Theft. An employee who steals money, trade secrets, or other valuable property from the company, or who steals from coworkers or customers, will not be eligible for benefits.
- Safety violations. An employee who is fired for intentionally violating an important safety rule probably wont be eligible for benefits.
- Excessive unexcused absences. Failing to show up for work repeatedly is likely to be seen as intentional misconduct, not the kind of mistake or inability to meet standards that some states will excuse.
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You Were Fired For Misconduct
Theres a difference between getting fired and getting laid off. If youre fired for gross misconduct, then you likely wont qualify. Misconduct could include chronic lateness or absenteeism, carelessness or violence.
Some states only consider misconduct within the workplace. Others let employers fire employees for their behavior outside of work.
If theres bad blood between you and your employer, then you can argue your case at an unemployment hearing. If the judge decides against you, your last recourse is to appeal the decision and try again.
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Time Limit To File A Complaint
A complaint of harassment must be filed within twelve months of the last event of alleged harassment leading to the complaint unless there are extenuating circumstances. The information provided must be as precise and concise as possible.
Allegations can go back further in time to describe incidents or events if you can demonstrate that they are directly related to the last event of alleged harassment that led to your complaint. This is especially necessary in cases where you intend to demonstrate a pattern of events.
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I Quit My Job Because I Didnt Like My Boss Can I Still Collect
Probably not. Caimants who quit their jobs are disqualified from receiving benefits unless they quit for a good reason involving employer fault. Simply disliking your boss or a co-worker isnt good enough.
However, if your boss or a co-worker harassed or mistreated you and your employer did nothing about it, see a lawyer. Not only are you probably entitled to benefits, but you may also have grounds for a lawsuit.
I Quit To Enter An Apprenticeship Program
If you quit your job because you are entering an apprenticeship program, you may be able to establish good cause to quit by showing the following:
The apprenticeship program is approved by the Washington state apprenticeship training council.
Prior to leaving work, you had a confirmed start date and
You continued in your employment for as long as was reasonably consistent with whatever arrangements were necessary to begin the apprenticeship program.
To enter includesapprentices who: accept temporary work with an employer who is not a party to the apprenticeship agreement and quit to reenter training or quit work for a participating employer to ender a different apprenticeship program.
To enter does not include apprentices who: at the time of quitting work were not enrolled in an apprenticeship or pre-apprenticeship training or current apprentices who temporarily stop work for participating employer to attend related instruction that is a required component of the apprenticeship agreement.
For more information, please refer to RCW 50.20.050 and WAC 192-150-160.
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Rules For Unemployment After Quitting
A good rule of thumb is to ask friends or family if they would have quit in the same situation. Leaving because you wanted more money isnt usually a good enough reason to quit if you are going to need unemployment benefits.
You can still get benefits if you can prove:
- A reasonable person would not have stayed at the job
- Sexual harassment or discrimination
- Reduction in hours or wages
- You are being threatened about being fired
- Your job is unsafe
- You are being harassed or abused because you are a whistleblower
Many attorneys offer a free phone consultation. You should explain the situation at work and ask them if you have a case. They can explain the likelihood of you winning your case and your various options for unemployment.
While it is advisable to consult with an attorney who can advise you on the potential pitfalls of unemployment applications, you may also file for unemployment benefits on your own. In your application, you may be afforded a chance to explain the situation. If you are denied, you do have the chance to appeal the denial and try again.
Suitable Work Can’t Put Employee’s Health At Unusual Risk
An employee might be able to refuse to return to work and receive benefits if the job site is unsafe.
Workers can’t refuse suitable work and continue to collect, Evermore says, “but if the job is truly unsafe, they may have grounds to refuse the reassignment. … If you are going back to work at a nail salon and every other salon in town is providing masks and protective gear, you have good cause to say ‘I cant go back to work here. Theyre not as safe as all the other similar jobs in town.’ “
Unemployment assistance specifically pegged to the pandemic is modeled on disaster-related aid. Under those standards, suitable work can’t be unusually risky to a worker’s health or safety, Evermore says.
Unusual risk may be defined differently depending on the state.
“I encourage people to check with the state agency before making a decision, because if they refuse work and their boss reports they refused, they can lose their unemployment check,” Evermore says. “It has to be clear … what suitable work is.”
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I Have Only Been Working Part
You may be eligible for UI benefits even if you are working one or two days per week. If your employer reduced your schedule from full-time to part-time or if you worked full-time, lost your job, and then found a part-time job, you may be eligible for partial UI benefits. The rules vary from state to state.
I Was Laid Off But Want To Start My Own Business Instead Of Finding Another Job Is There Any Government Assistance Available For Self
Several states have Self-Employment Assistance programs that help workers while they start their own business. Usually you must have been permanently laid-off from a job, eligible for traditional unemployment insurance, and determined by the state as likely to exhaust these regular unemployment insurance benefits. Participants are given a weekly allowance while they are starting their business, with the amount being equivalent to traditional unemployment assistance.
The following states currently have Self-Employment Assistance programs: Delaware, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and Pennsylvania.
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What Is Good Cause For Quitting Your Job In California
In California, good cause to quit exists when a substantial motivating factor in the employees decision to quit was a real, substantial, and compelling reason. Work-related or personal reasons are applicable in California.
Work-related reasons may include issues such as:
- Unsafe working conditions, and
- Fraudulent or illegal activities.
Personal reasons may include health issues that impact work, domestic violence at home, caring for an ill family member, or relocating with a spouse.
If the employee left to take a job elsewhere and the new employment opportunity fell through, this may also count as a good cause.
Receiving unemployment if you quit, requires showing that you made an effort to address the issue that caused you to leave. This is primarily for issues related to the working environment and not personal issues.
What Is A Constructive Discharge
An employee is constructively discharged when they resign because they can no longer stay on the job due to a hostile work environment. This differs from a typical resignation, firing, or other types of separation of employment, as the employee is leaving because of intolerable working conditions.
Unbearable working conditions might include discrimination or harassment, mistreatment, or receiving a negative change in pay or job duties for reasons that arenât work-related. In most cases, the hostile work environment must violate federal laws prohibiting sexual harassment or discrimination based on age, national origin, pregnancy, race, religion, sex/gender, and disability.
Retaliation against whistleblowers that creates a hostile work environment and negligence by an employer who doesnt take appropriate steps to accommodate a disabled employee can also be grounds for constructive discharge complaints.
Employees can resign because of constructive discharge over one situation or due to a pattern of incidents.
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For How Long Can I Receive Unemployment
It depends on when and where you filed your initial claim. In usual times, unemployment claims last for 26 weeks in almost every state, assuming that you dont find a new job during that time. In difficult economic times, however, the federal and state governments may extend these time frames. Recently, the federal government passed a stimulus bill in response to the coronavirus outbreak that extended unemployment benefits for an extra 13 weeks on top of what your state provides, with a maximum of 39 weeks. For more information, see Nolos article Unemployment Benefits: How Much Will You Get?.
What Voluntarily Leaving Means
“Voluntarily leaving” means that the employee took the initiative and not the employer to end the employment. Voluntarily leaving is considered without just cause when you do not take every reasonable alternative available to you to avoid unemployment.
To be paid regular benefits you must show that quitting your job was the only reasonable alternative in your case, considering all the circumstances. In other words, you took all the necessary steps to avoid being unemployed.
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