If you get fired, you are eligible for unemployment, but you will most likely get a bad report if a potential employer contacts your former; however, as far as I know, most companies only give out the dates you worked and the fact that you actually did work there, so maybe it’s a non-issue.
If you quit, no unemployment, but you’re in a position to put a positive spin on why you left when it comes up with a potential employer.
I’m stuck. At this point, I feel that I would rather be fired (and feel that I am, in fact, abou to be) so that I can receive unemployment. I know that it probably wouldn’t be a huge sum, but I definitely need the money while I’m looking for a job. I don’t want to be forced to take something immediately, just to be doing something.
Best line up a job before you quit. But if that’s not a possibility, depending on your job and relationship with your supervisor, you may be ‘let go’ with the excuse of budgetary cuts, lack of projects for you, etc. which looks better than ‘fired’ but still gets you benefits.
Quitting or being fired doesn’t automatically disqualify you for unemployment, in Iowa anyway. Have your job conditions changed? How about the hours? Hostile work environment? Why were you fired? If you missed work because of illness, lack of transportation or child care and were let go, the unemployment people might accept that.
I’d rather quit and lose the unemployment than have a termination in my work record.
I used to work in HR, and it was common for employees to quit or be fired and still be granted unemployment.
In general, it’s better to quit than to be fired; that way the decision to leave was yours. As my Grandpa used to say, “If you’re being run out of town, get in front of the crowd and make it look like a parade.”
To think that being fired will not adversely affect your next job search strikes me as optimistic.
You could start registering with temp agencies right now. Give them an availability date that will allow you to give notice to your current employer, and ask them to start looking for relatively long-term assignments for you, like maternity leaves and such. That way, if you do decide to quit, you could have assignments already scheduled, which eliminates the concern about needing income while you look for other, full-time work.
And temping is a great way to job hunt, too, even if you aren’t looking for the kind of clerical jobs that temping usually entails. I’ve gotten several jobs that way – went in to do phone surveys and got hired in sales, etc. Also, check with some of the larger employers in your area, to see if they have an in-house temp agency you can work with. I temped at Mattel for a year and a half, moving around to various departments and never missing a single day of work, until finally being hired on there full-time.
Get a job lined up first, then quit, or manage to get yourself laid off.
Do not trust unemployment to take anything as a good excuse for quitting. I have a hold on my payments right now because of a “quit” two jobs ago. (I quit to go to another, higher paying job, which is considered acceptable, but the complete automation of the Minnesota UI bureau means I can’t get anyone to actually listen to me or read what I sent in.)
I’ve been involved in hiring, a lot. I wouldn’t hire somebody who got fired from their last job. No reason to - there are a lot of job seekers out here!
Psychologically, it’s better to quit than be fired. But financially, it depends on the package. If you quit voluntarily, you are usually NOT eligible for unemployment benefits (i disagree with Auntie Pam here.)
Even if you are ‘fired’ you may still be eligible for benefits depending on what state or country you are in. Sad to say, this just happened to me; I had been involuntarily transferred to a job I hated and wasn’t much good at, after more than 9 years at the company. FWIW I was fired for performance reasons, but I’m receiving unemployment benefits, and this is in California. It’s a godsend for me, I’m able to focus on my degree program and up the ante with a few more technical courses.
On the other hand, if you’re fired for gross misconduct or illegal activities, you probably wouldn’t eligible.
It won’t help, but, again, depending on the jurisdiction it may not have too much of an impact. In California, your former employer can say pretty much only what you were paid and your dates of employment, and whether they would hire you again. The boss who fired me even promised to give me a reference when I needed it, recognizing it was more of “bad fit” situation than sheer incompetence. That’s a hard bridge not to burn, but I know better.
Maybe in a situation involving large companies, but I have had other veterinarians call me about prior employees. After I tell them “what I am supposed to say” they always come back with, “come on, it’s just between me and you”.
I once had a veterinarian ask me if I would rehire someone who he was considering. My answer was, “Sure. If someone had a gun to my head. And even then I’d later regret my decision.”.
Also, unemployment compensation is tricky. I have disputed a few claims, and won.
As vetbridge points out, what people “can” say and what actually gets said are often different, especially when the person being asked knows the person asking and does not want to damage their professional relationship by sticking him or her with a bad employee.
A lot of things get said off the record, and neither party will ever admit it. The potential employee just doesn’t get hired because he or she “was not the best candidate” or “would not be a good fit.”
What about this:
Tell your boss you’re looking for a new job? If he doesn’t like that idea, maybe he’ll fire you, but then it’s not for a reason that a prospective employer would care about. If he doesn’t fire you, then he’s ok with you looking for a new job while keeping the current one.
The key (in my experience only – it’s probably different everywhere) is to convince the UC people that you had a good reason for quitting. I was able to collect when my employer moved from Seattle to Federal Way, even though the company provided transportation for employees who needed it.
At my last job, employees who were terminated because they had used all their attendance points were given UC if they had a “good reason” for their final absence. Being sick or bad weather/roads was considered a good reason.
Occasionally an employee would quit because his shift changed. They got UC even though they knew when they were hired that their shift was subject to change depending on their seniority, shift requirements, etc.
One case in particular I remember was a guy who quit because he claimed that the light duty job he was placed in wasn’t light enough, even though it met the restrictions set by his doctor. He collected UC.
There are lots more, but it’s been almost five years since I worked there, and memory (blessedly) is fading.
Ah, but even two years ago, unemployment was more lenient, at least around here. This year, they question everything, and a hold on payment at a bad time can mean the mortgage. (My hold has been “pending” for 2 months now.)
True, but then the thing is you can have someone call and ask on your behalf, and tape the conversation, and if certain things are said about you, you can file a lawsuit.
What “record”? Most employers will only provide the dates you worked at their company. There is not “permenant record” that follows you through life letting potential employers know the circumstances of your departure.
It’s far better to get fired than to quit. If your job is that bad or your think there’s a chance you might get fired, don’t quit. Look for a new job. You’ll still be collecting a paycheck and if you do get fired you won’t be any worse off.
As I already said, this is not necessarily true. If the prospective employer and past employer don’t know each other, sure. But if they do, and if the former employer does not want to stick the future employer with a shitty employee, there are ways to “wink wink, nudge nudge” disapproval. People meet for drinks. People talk in confidence. Anyone who honestly believes that all that ever gets said about crappy employees is “Name/Salary/Rehire?” is, as I said, optimistic.
That may not be your experience, but that doesn’t mean I’m wrong.
Our lawyers said it was all right to give job title, dates of employment, and whether the person was eligible for rehire. The “eligible for rehire” question might be interpreted as “are they on layoff and likely to be recalled”, or it might mean “would you take this person back?”
As others have said in this thread, employers cooperate with each other. In a smallish market, you don’t even need a cooperative former employer. Chances are someone who works for you or someone you know is familiar with the applicant and their work history.
When we were hiring, sometimes 50-100 people at a time, it wasn’t unheard of to run the names by people outside HR and ask if they knew the applicant. “Oh yeah, I worked with him at Dunder-Mifflin – he was bad news. He’d bring dead animals to work and cook them.” Or “He says he was laid off? That company hasn’t had a layoff in years.”
But even without employers blabbing to each other, what do you put on the job application in the space marked “Reason for leaving last job”? If you were fired, you can lie and say you were laid off, or whatever, but many employers use lying on an application as grounds for termination. When they find out, you’re done.
