Quitting and receiving Unemployment due to a change in the hiring agreement.

by Cilly Murphy

(Houston, Texas)

Since Hurricane Ike, my job has moved to a new location. There are several locations in the city I reside, but the supervisor is unwilling to send me to a location in the city where I live. The commute is a little over two hours and I do not have reliable transportation to get there. Can I quit and receive unemployment?

Hi Cilly,

This is what Texas says on their website:

“If you quit your job for a good well-documented work-related or medical reason. TWC may rule good cause if the work situation would cause a person who truly wants to keep the job to leave it.

* Examples of possible good cause are unsafe working conditions or a significant change in hiring agreement, or not receiving payment for your work.”

A significant change in the hiring agreement sounds most like what you have said happened.

Texas is tough to get unemployment from. They have one of the lowest recipiency rates in the country. So, make every effort to “preserve the work”.

Have you documented your attempts to resolve the situation with your supervisor? If you haven’t, start now.

The fact is, that people in your situation will usually end up at an unemployment hearing whether you are given the benefits or denied. Employers, especially those that have a third party handle their unemployment, appeal any quitting.

If you do document with a written request to be transferred to a location in your hometown, be sure to mention the specific changes in the hiring agreement, you will be strengthening your position when you do apply for unemployment.

I would also suggest you go up the ladder to the next authority, if this is possible, explaining your dilemma and requesting a solution.

Documentation is so important when you will be the one to prove you had good cause. Many think it will be just enough to say what you did…not so.

The only person that can decide you have tried hard enough to stay employed…is you.

If you do quit and file for unemployment, let us know how it goes. I’m certain others need to know too, what TX decides.

Chris

Comments for Quitting and receiving Unemployment due to a change in the hiring agreement.

Feb 18, 2011

Added workload & responsibilites with no increase in pay

by: Darryl

Hello,
I recently quit my job of two years due to constant work duties given to me without a raise or review since I started two years ago. The position is now posted online with the title of office manager.I was not hired for this title but I have been doing office manager work since the beginning of my employment there but without compensation.

I live in Illinois
Thank you

Please ask questions on this page.

Jul 26, 2018

Too Hard 1st Denial – now Hiring Agreement Changed

by: Steve

I worked for 6 days for a contract service for a client. I was put in a storage cubical without a computer and used my phone to research and as a calculator. The company didn’t have time to train me in their way of preparing documents. On day 5 I was told this is not how they do it. I called my contract company and told them this was not a good fit. I went and spoke with the manager/client and he apologized for throwing me in without any training. We both agreed I would be better off quitting and he appreciated me coming forward. I have emails saying all this. Now I could go back on the previous unemployment before this job, but the contract company lost a commission and turned in a Too Hard for the first decision. I filed an appeal and now the documents for a phone hearing say ” Hiring Agreement Changed”. I’m not sure what this means or how to fight it.

Hi,
Me either, but mostly because I don’t understand how “Hiring Agreement Changed” is suppose to relate to what you said was a voluntary quit.

May 28, 2020

Covid19

by: Anonymous

Changes in my work place reduce hours is one from 8 hrs now 4 hrs a day 3 days a week from 40 hrs to 12hrs.Work with clients in a health care facility.Changes due to covid19 you is not allow to relieve yourself within the 4 hours u is with a client.Exposing yourself to take clients temp which is fine but taking every person thatâs in the vehicle temp is exposing yourself to more and is unsafe.

Hi Anonymous,
I know we’re all tired and could be feeling the need to rant a bit, I’ll assume you posted because you wanted an opinion about whether the changes to your working conditions may provide you with an objective good cause to quit for reasons attributable to the work, or employer .. as assessed by your state .. or OSHA regulations .. because I too have been known to do the same about just one little thing that somehow got under my skin.

If you had asked a question, it would of been one I could frame an answer as being a definitive yes, or no answer. Any question about cause for quitting, or being fired, is just another set of circumstances we can choose to debate about at a quasi-legal unemployment hearing .. if we so choose.

And from my perspective .. that is just one reason why so few who quit based on emotion .. for a reasonable reason, are often unable to prove what in particular made the fault for quitting, that of their former employer.

Chris-Unemployment-Tips.com

Good Cause to Quit a Job?