by Renee
(New Jersey Unemployment)
I quit my job as a counselor at an abortion clinic recently for a number of reasons. My spouse suffers from bladder cancer and went through surgeries, chemo and radiation from October 2011-May-2012.As a result he became unemployed and due to the cost of living in NJ we wound up going bankrupt. Then my mother unexpetedly passed in April. Due to these unexpected tragedies,i sought comfort in religion and no longer felt morally right working in a facility that performed abortions. I was no longer able to effectively perform the duties of the job.Unable to secure a job in NJ my husband (after recovery) was offered a job in Indiana and we moved. I did not tell my employer I quit for moral reasons because I didn’t think it was necessary. They are not trying to dispute my unemployment. I was denied for following my spouse but have appealed explaining the true reason. What are my chances? If my employes don’t dispute do I have a better chance?
Better to pick the path of least resistance when it comes to an unemployment appeal, but I’ll come back to quitting a job based on moral objections due to new found religious beliefs.
For not, you just need to see that NJ has in their unemployment laws .. something about following a spouse. See Table 5-6 for New Jersey’s stance on quitting to follow a spouse.
Now as long as you understand I do not offer legal advice, but a lay person’s understanding of how I’ve seen unemployment to work .. we’re good to go.
Quitting with good cause for personal reasons is generally speaking, not going to be attributable to the work.
Rather it’s something provided for either in the law itself or in a special provision for certain reasons, such as quitting to follow a spouse. However, if the state doesn’t have a corresponding non-charging provision to protect the employer from being charged for any benefits paid to you .. they have no choice, but to fight on the ground that the person still didn’t make those required efforts to preserve the employment.
However, I do not think of quitting on post job acceptance on moral grounds, at least for purposes of collecting unemployment benefits as a reason to be allowed benefits.
This being true because it was you that accepted the job and were fully aware of what the employer did and the conditions of your employment then.
If you’re going to pursue the right to quit on new found moral grounds, understand this.
It is you, not the employer, that has altered the conditions of employment .. rather than being able to attribute any fault to the employer for you needing to quit .. only you can own your change of heart now.
If you had gone to work for a family practice and all of sudden the doctor decided to start performing abortions .. then okay .. I’d say yes .. you have the ability to prove good cause to quit on moral grounds.
I can’t explain why NJ ignored the fact you quit to follow your spouse because he found new work in Indiana ..
But I know that’s the only appeal argument I see possibilities for .. because this is a New Jersey claim .. not an Indiana claim because of where the wages are located .. and that’s the unemployment laws that matter here.