You’ve probably heard this scenario in movies or on TV, and I can think of a song that has it in it.
The boss tells the guy, “You’re fired.”
The guy responds, “You can’t fire me – I quit!”
How, officially, then, was the guy’s employment status ended? Does he go down as having quit or being fired?
Does it matter that the boss said he was fired first?
I would say that if the boss says, “You’re fired!” first, then he wins… you’ve been fired, even if you counter by saying, “I quit!” right afterwards.
Just my opinion…
If the boss is half smart he/she will shout,
“Oh, Yeah? Write it down.”
And get a signature on it.
If YOU are half smart you’ll keep your trap shut and collect all that nice unemployment you wouldn’t have gotten if you quit.
Oh, Human Resources keeps a file. What’s it say on the final sheet in that file? What was cause for termination?
If you gave 'em a letter of resignation, it’ll be there.
As evidence.
If you just shouted something and walked out they may have to assume you did it under pressure and didn’t really mean it. In which case you’ll be asked nicely to give 'em something in writing.
Again, something you submit in writing can and will be used as evidence if you try to file for unemployment.
In most companies, it’s not who says it first, but who finished the paperwork first. Of course, in some companies, it’s very hard to fire someone; you’ve got to have a very long paper trail, showing cause, disciplinary action, and repeated offenses.
I’ve pointed this out before, but I think it deserves mention here. In general, if you quit, you can’t collect unemployment benefits and if you are fired, you can. However, there are exceptions to both cases depending upon the circumstances. If you quit “with cause” you are eligible to collect and if you are fired for certain reasons, you are ineligible for benefits.
I’ve pointed this out before, but I think it deserves mention here. In general, if you quit, you can’t collect unemployment benefits and if you are fired, you can. However, there are exceptions to both cases depending upon the circumstances. If you quit “with cause” you are eligible to collect and if you are fired for certain reasons, you are ineligible for benefits.
I’ve had this exact question for some time myself. I’ve also seen it in the form of “forced resignations”. “Here is your letter of resignation. Please sign it.” Often this is done in the form of the person having committed some grievous or damaging to the company offense, and the resignation is to preclude being fired. I’ve been wondering what are the advantages/disadvantages.
It seems to me the distinction is one of honor. I think maybe it has to do with your record for future jobs. If you were fired, that shows some level of incompentence on your part. You did something so heinous they didn’t want you around. Thus the fine distinction between being fired (you suck as an employee) and being layed off (we don’t have enough work to go around and you’re the unlucky stiff we can’t pay). Whereas, if you quit, you chose to leave the company, so you may be a good employee who made a choice.
Otherwise, as you say, the unemployment benefits favor getting fired. But again, the devil is in the details, so to speak.
So I disagree with the folks before - you don’t want to be fired over dissatisfaction with your work, because that will reflect on you for your next job.
They may have to assume, but they may not. Someone who (used to sit) across the way from me jumped up from his computer and yelled, “I’ve had enough – I <expletive> quit!” He then left the building (this was at around lunchtime). This was treated as a resignation, although popular opinion is that they wanted rid of this loser anyway.
There is a concept called “job abandonment” which is defined (by my employer at any rate, YMMV) as 3 consecutive days absent without notice.
You go away, fine. Come back and apologize. You go away and stay away, and you quit.