by Susan
(Southern California Unemployment)
Hello!
I live in California and for the past year or so, I have worked for a temp agency (I’ll omit the name). I was placed at a job for 8 months, however I was laid off without any prior notice. My rep from said temp agency called me to let me know about the layoff and then notified me that he had another position that he felt I would be perfect for, however it was only temporary and the pay was “close” to what I was making prior. The pay was not close to what I was making before, it was $4 less an hour and further than what I was traveling to my other job. I was told during the job interview with this new employer that “yes, it is a temporary position”. I was also told my hours would be early morning to afternoon, which suited what I was looking for. After the interview, I spoke with my temp agency rep and he stated that while I was working for this company, he would continue to look for “temp to hire” work and advised me to go into their website to see if I could find something as well. After several phone calls within the next couple of months, and leaving messages, I finally heard from a rep at the temp agency (not the one I normally work with) and she informed me that “No, we don’t look for work while our temps are employed” and “The job you are at is a permanent position”. I was informed that the previous rep did not provide me with the correct information. Oh, and my hours ended up being late morning to early afternoon also. Not what I was looking for being a single mom with a small child. Needless to say, I was VERY frustrated with the misinformation and the agency itself.
So, a few weeks ago I was informed that the employer I was currently working for was purchased by a larger company and most employees were going to be let go. Now, since I was a temp employee, I knew what that meant for me. I called the temp agency on the phone and explained the situation to them, and I was basically told I was on my own. Since my hours were so off the wall, finding and obtaining another job would be nearly impossible as it took me an hour just to get to and from work. I spoke with my department manager at the company I was working for and she basically told me she didn’t know what to tell me and that she was concerned about her own job.
After contemplating for several hours, I wrote to my temp agency and explained that I was resigning from the current employer as well as them (the agency). I never went back.
On my EDD claim form, I stated I quit and the reasons why. I had my phone interview last week. They only had questions regarding my going back to school. I asked the EDD rep if he wanted to discuss why I left my previous job and he said “No, it looks like it was a layoff”.
I got my first payment today, however another interview has been scheduled and they want to know the following questions:
1) Why I am no longer working at the job.
2) What caused me to quit the job.
3) Why did this cause me to quit the job.
4) Did I request a leave of absence or discuss this with the supervisor before quitting.
And then it states the following:
The information you provided about why you left your last job.
1) What information may have been incorrect or inadequate?
2) Why did you give that information?
Did I mess this up for myself? I am thinking the temp agency reported it was a layoff and I put on my claim that I quit.
How do I handle this situation and will my benefits now be denied after being approved?
Any advise and assistance will be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much for your time!!
Hi,
Yes, I think you did mess up. When you provide “adequate” information as you did here, you will be done for.
The temp agency did not report this as a layoff. They wouldn’t do that .. because it would be false and qualifying information from the employer.
Most temp agencies report voluntary quit even when you’re in between assignments. But, your employment with the temp agency ended without good cause because you apparently quit when “continuing work was still available”.
It is a mistake to quit any job based upon an “assumption” of what the future may hold for you if you plan on collecting unemployment.
Without discussion, I cannot tell you how to approach the interview .. I attempt to explain what the weakness or your strength might be and then hope that everyone researches their UI issues. For you, I detect more than one potential issue. Suitable work, Voluntary Quit, Able and Available ..
I would expect you to be denied benefits and from the time you resigned from the temp assignment and the temp agency.
Oddly, the title you gave this submission may be true, but I ask you, how will you prove that whatever took place during this conversation ..
“I called the temp agency on the phone and explained the situation to them, and I was basically told I was on my own.”
Why do you think this was good cause to resign from the temp agency as the only course of action and that further attempts to “preserve your employment” would have been futile?
You worked for a temp agency. That is the nature of the employment.
Wrangling a full-time (or is it a part-time job you need) out of a temp agency is truly luck and maybe a bit of proficiency.
Yes, I do believe some temp agencies might be dishonest and mislead people into accepting temporary work with promises of temp to hire, claiming higher pay than the truth, and even the hours you will have to work, but again .. how do you prove a conversation?
Document, document, document. It’ 2011 and email is putting the US Postal system out of business.
Email is the easiest way to document known to man woman and child.