I was fired for "failure to comply with policies regarding internet usage during offfice hours", can I still collect unemployment?

by Christine
(Texas)

I was was recently fired for using the internet during business hours, which is done company wide. I'm a graphic designer and use the internet everyday for looking up websites for ideas and inspiration for designs. I use it also to download photos and clip art to use for my job. Our computers block access to personal email and some websites, so I'm limited to what I can look at anyway. I don't understand how I can be fired for this "violation" when my job has me on the internet anyway and the entire company browses the web as well. I feel like I was discriminated or singled out and this was just an excuse to let me go.



Hi Christine,

Is there a question in there? You have not provided me with any relevant information to even make assumptions about your ability to collect unemployment benefits.

It would be very useful if you could just relate the facts about the internet usage policy and whether it is subject to a progressive discipline policy. If whether you had been previously warned for violation of this or other rules and finally if you think the employer can prove that you should have "known" the sites you were accessing were outside the scope of what the employer had informed the employees of through policy and or memorandum.

And possibly, if you have any way of showing that the policy was not uniformly enforced and only used on you because the employer wanted to fire you.

If you would like to discuss your situation with me, this is what I do.

Chris