How can I prove that I was unable to do the job not avoiding calls?

I was fired in Michigan for what my ex employer called call avoidance.

I worked at a call center for 4 years and was trained in 5 different departments during my history with the company. The company would often take you out of a department, and retrain you for a previous dept you worked in to handle the calls or sometimes just leverage you.

Recently, I was leveraged back to an old dept that I had not worked in about 4 months and was unable to complete the calls. I didn’t have any of my call handling tools with me for that dept and when I left the remaining advisors in the dept received additional training to handle the calls. Also policy and procedure and scripting changed so much, I knew that I could not complete the calls. So, I informed leadership that I couldn’t handle the calls and needed to be transferred back to my current dept (which I also struggling in trying to keep up with sales goals and ever changing policy and procedures).
I was put back into my correct department for about 15 minutes and handled those calls accurately and professionally. Then they transferred me back to my previous department because they were still busy. Since I could not handle the calls I warm transferred them to the other advisors that still work in that department.

My company fired me the next time I came in to work and said that I should have been able to complete the calls. I had been taken off the email list for that department and obviously was transferred out because I wasn’t cutting it. I simply could not keep up with that dept and my current dept. Most of the time when I was transferred back to a previous dept, they gave me a refresher or some kind of training review.

When I applied for unemployment I was denied and the state said that I was fired for unacceptable and improper conduct for call avoidance (misconduct)

This is just not true. I have always handled calls, even from previous lines of business when I was able. I have never received any warnings of any kind for call avoidance and feel that my company was just looking to fire me because I did have seniority and was among the mid range with compensation.

How can I prove that I did not willfully avoid the calls if I have to go to court because this company is known for fighting everyone’s unemployment? I do have good performance recognitions, should I send them to the state to add to my unemployment file?

Thank You

Hi,

Good performance recognitions do not cancel out rule violations.

Which brings up a question .. have you been written up for “other” rule violations? One thing to understand is that progressive discipline doesn’t necessarily have to be for the same rule violation .. it could be for distinctly separate and different rules.

The exception might be when instead of a rule .. it’s a policy .. like attendance.

You are the one with the information to understand how to fight this .. crack open the employee handbook and see if you can figure out how to prove the discharge was without good cause.

If you would like me to assess your situation .. I’d be happy to do so.