Unemployment insurance benefits are primarily for those who lost their jobs due to factors beyond their control, such as:
- Staff reduction due to budget cuts.
- A decrease in working hours.
- Dismissal for not having the necessary skills to perform their duties.
However, some situations lead the employee to resign because they have no other alternative. The law protects those who voluntarily leave their employment for a valid and substantial reason.
You do not qualify for benefits if you quit simply because of dissatisfaction with the job, which is not considered a reasonable cause. On the other hand, if you are trying to force yourself to resign because you must care for a sick family member, you are eligible, and this is a reasonable cause.
What are the substantial grounds for qualifying?
Some cases in which the employee is entitled to unemployment benefits after resigning are:
- The employee goes through domestic violence, and no arrangement or accommodation provided by the employer solved the problem.
- The work environment risks the employee’s health.
- Moving with their spouse to another location.
- Family emergencies that impact their ability to work temporarily.
- Discrimination, harassment, and other intolerable situations in a hostile environment that force the employee to resign.
- The employer changed their working location, and due to lack of transportation, he cannot get to his place of work.
Notably, to be eligible, he must show that he attempted to resolve the issues with his boss and that he exhausted all of his options. Many requests are denied because the employee chose to resign instead of speaking with his manager.
In short, it is advisable to make an effort to save your job instead of leaving it right away. You have a better chance of acquiring unemployment insurance benefits if there is evidence of reasonable cause and that you sought options to mitigate the problem.
If you need assistance with your claim for unemployment insurance benefits, contact our experts in California. We offer free consultations to answer all your questions and provide the best possible alternatives to ensure approval of your request.
