Will I qualify for unemployment if I quit due to the stress of learning a whole new trade?
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Will I qualify for unemployment if I quit due to the stress of learning a whole new trade?
I have pretty much always worked in some kind of physical labor that requires me moving around and staying active. I have now recently decided to venture into another completely different career path, from moving around and being physically active to office work. I’ve been stressing out over the fact that I’m being ‘trained’ and it seems to not be sticking. that combined with the fact I’m sitting all day is only letting me know that I made a mistake. I’ve been looking for another job in my prior trade and haven’t gotten any calls. I’m wanting to quit because the stress is causing me issues at home with my family as I bring all that home with me. I catch myself being a different person. I am under probation and training for about a year and they are limiting the time off I can take to 24 hours within 6 months of starting and 48 hours within a year. If I quit can, would I qualify for unemployment to hold me over until I do get find something in my trade?
Asked on October 4, 2019 under Employment Labor Law, California
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 4 years ago | Contributor
No, unfortunately stress is not a valid reason to quit your job and get unemployment benefits; if it was, pretty much everyone would quit and get unemployment, since most of us (self included) find work stressful. Employment in this country is "employment at will." That means there is no right to a job. That in turn means, among other things, that a job can be immensely stressful, since the legal theory is that if you don't like a job, you find another one. The employer does not owe you an unstressful job, and so if you quit due to stress, that is taken as a voluntary decision to do so on your part--and a voluntary separation from employment does not entitle you to unemployment benefits. So if you quit due to stress, you will not receive any unemployment.
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