Proving an Oklahoma unemployment claim when you quit your job is not as easy is if you were fired, laid off, downsized or the company went out of business. Part of the reason it is more difficult for a person who quit their job to prove a claim is that, in unemployment appeals, the burden of proof is on the person who terminated the employment relationship.
If your employer fired you, it is their burden to prove they fired you for misconduct as defined in Oklahoma unemployment law. When you decide to leave a job, because you were the one who ended the employment relationship, it is up to you to prove you had a valid reason to quit.
Contact an Oklahoma unemployment lawyer to find out what are valid reasons to leave a job and still collect unemployment. It can be better to call a lawyer before you leave a job. Let me explain.
If you are considering quitting a job that has become unsafe, because of harassment or even because an employer is making unreasonable demands that you simply cannot meet, first contact an Oklahoma unemployment attorney.
Sometimes it is better to let the employer make the first move to terminate your employment. Contrary to what many think, often you can collect unemployment after you were fired. It is up to the employer to prove they fired you for a good reason. It may be easier to show the employer did not prove a case than to have to prove you had a good reason to quit your job.
What Will Future Employers Think?
An employer might encourage an employee to voluntarily quit under the pretext that it is better to quit than to get fired. The employer might pretend to have the employee’s best interests in mind, hinting at a better recommendation.
Nonetheless, the employer’s real interest is often to avoid unemployment claims and keep the company’s unemployment insurance rates at a minimum.
Whether or not you were fired, future employers are likely to ask why you left your last job. An employer might ask if you have ever been involuntarily terminated. Deceptive answers on a future job application could put future jobs at risk.
How a person handles future job interviews of course depends on each person’s circumstances and career goals. Even if you gave fair notice before quitting your job, the former employer might tell future employers you are not eligible to be rehired. Your best position is often to have a good explanation of why your job ended, regardless of whether you or the former employer terminated the relationship.
A candidate might explain that they were ready to move on, yet they were doing their best to provide honest service to an employer while they sought a better opportunity. Maybe you mutually agreed with a former employer that the job was not a good fit, yet the employer decided to replace you before you abandoned the company.
However you explain your particular circumstances, when you win an unemployment claim, you establish that the former employer did not have good cause to fire you or, if you quit, it was for good cause.
Low-cost Consultation: Oklahoma Unemployment Attorney
Either way, if you were quit or if you got fired, that might not be the end of the story. Contact an Oklahoma unemployment lawyer to find out what how you can collect unemployment benefits after you quit your job. For a confidential, no-obligation consultation call (918) 923-3776 or click the button below to ask the unemployment lawyer to call or email you about your claim.
