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Asked to sign letter of resignation; plus, employer obviously lied

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econdude

Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Nebraska

I was fired over six months ago by a pretty nasty employer. I am not taking further action, just trying to reconcile what happened and get over it. It's been very difficult.

The scenario is: employer threatened me and gave me three months to "improve". Six weeks later the supervisor asked me if I knew about the "meeting" Friday afternoon and they made me sit down and shoved a letter of resignation in front of my face and asked me to sign it. I refused, asked if I should log out and got my stuff and left.

I did some research and I know that they can't refuse me unemployment compensation when I sign or submit a letter of resignation. So why did they do that? I have no way of suing them for anything, at least successfully, and I live in an employment at will state. Knowing why they did that might at least be able to allow me to move forward. It was most certainly predicated on a lie, since they said they would tell prospective employers that I am eligible for rehire if I signed the letter. It's a relatively small employer, 150employees or so? I am absolutely confounded as to why they would try to get me to sign a resignation letter.

p.s. I highly doubt any attorney I would ask for advice would recommend signing the resignation letter, so I wonder what kind of game the former employer is playing?
 


Hot Topic

Senior Member
Nothing illegal about telling an employee that they had three months to improve their performance (the follow up has to be that if they didn't, they'd be terminated). In fact, three months seems generous.

You could have told them that you'd like to seek counsel before signing the letter of resignation. If you refused, then left the building of your own accord, all you did was provide them with ammunition.

Do you have the code for the law that prevents employers from denying an employee unemployment compensation if the employee submits or signs a letter of resignation? That should be helpful to other Nebraskans.

Why are you concerned with something that happened six months ago? Are potential employers rejecting you because of any illegal action by your former employee? You need to concentrate on finding employment because you've got a heck of a lot of competition out there, and things are just getting worse.
 

cbg

I'm a Northern Girl
In NO state do employers get to approve or deny unemployment benefits. That decision is made solely by the state.
 

econdude

Junior Member
Not really answering the question

Not that I don't appreciate the responses, but they don't answer my question. Why would an employer ask me to sign a letter of resignation, with the premise that they would tell future employers calling about me that I was eligible for rehire? Obviously, if they fired me, I am not eligible for rehire. I already knew that the employer cannot do something to deny me unemployment benefits whether or not I signed a letter of resignation. I verified this with the State of Nebraska unemployment office.

They gave me three months to "improve" because I made a fool out of my supervisor, who refused to take responsibility for training or anything else and the relationship turned sour. If anyone thinks "three months" is anything but a ruse that's your problem, I knew I was going to be fired. I just don't know why they tried to get me to sign the letter! Based on the response it sounds like damned if I did, damned if I didn't.
 

las365

Senior Member
Not that I don't appreciate the responses, but they don't answer my question. Why would an employer ask me to sign a letter of resignation, with the premise that they would tell future employers calling about me that I was eligible for rehire?
No one but your former employer can answer that question. Anything else is speculation.
 

cbg

I'm a Northern Girl
We do not know why they tried to get you to sign the letter either. Mind reading is not practiced on this board.
 

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