Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you quit you won't be eligible for unemployment. Plus, why would you quit and speed up your time without a paycheck? Stay put, but keep looking.

+1

+2

Another reason to stay. If you are laid off, you can tell future employers that your position was phased out as your previous company was moving away from your area of specialization. Often, employers know basics of competitors in the same field and they will know that Acme Contracting was moving away from field A and into fields B and C. I had that happen once and my next employer knew looking at my skill set that my previous employer was no longer in the area I specialized in (all federal contractors). It is a far worse ding on your resume to quit with no job to go to and without a solid reason (such as harassment, unfair management practices, or whatever). Then you'll be noted as a person who could do that to the next employer. Employers like to think that employees will remain loyal to them until the employer lets the employee go rather than the employee leaving, especially without cause. This plus there is no reason to turn down the unemployment insurance. Last, in your situation, you will definitely be laid off and eligible for unemployment. Unemployment is for those employees who were involuntarily let go for no fault of their own.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:related Q: about how much $ is unemployment benefit, and for how long do you get it? work in DC.

It is based on your salary , I'm not sure how it is calculated. But there is a maximum, I think somewhere in the range of $350 a week.

Yep, and you're no better off unemployment wise if you were making over $50k than if you were making $35k. The max applies to a relatively low salary.

OP here. thanks for the opinions. I thought I better stay put, I just wanted to make sure that the down side of having to say I was let go is not so toxic that I should avoid it by quitting. Hope to land something else soon. Thanks!

Anonymous wrote:related Q: about how much $ is unemployment benefit, and for how long do you get it? work in DC.

It is based on your salary , I'm not sure how it is calculated. But there is a maximum, I think somewhere in the range of $350 a week.

Another don't quit. They told my DH the same thing, so he just started looking for other work. Four interviews in the next two weeks- it's SO much easier to get a job when you have a job. Plus, why would you quit, thus forgoing not only a paycheck (and in the holiday season!) but the opportunity to collect unemployment. And finally, you will probably be given a small severance when and if you are let go. It's usually a week for every year you've been with the company, plus any vacation time you haven't yet used. It makes literally no sense to quit. If you get fired, you tell potential employers, "My position was cut due to budget reasons." It's not your fault. Quitting IS your fault though.

Don't quit -- if you do get laid off, you may be eligible for severance and often companies extend medical insurance for employees in this situation.

And if the timing is right, you could end up with a severance package from your employer, and a new job to go to. Keep looking, and emphasize that you're looking for just the right match, which makes a longer transition time more likely.

Do not quit. It doesn't sound to me like you'll be fired, but that you will be laid off. Spend every second of free time job-hunting and networking and stay as long as you can.

Good luck!!

Unemployment probably won't be much, but it'll be better than nothing. (I got a few hundred a week in VA after being laid off from a $100K job in DC. which sucked.) I think unemployment depends on your state of residence, not where your job is located, but I'm not 100% sure.

related Q: about how much $ is unemployment benefit, and for how long do you get it? work in DC.

Agree, don't quit. And if you haven't landed the next job before they lay you off, at least you get unemployment. And you can still claim you are employed while looking, which is always better (look for a job when you have a job). You can tell the interviewer you were laid off--although I've heard that is bad too because they assume you weren't valuable to your old employer for whatever reason and are wary of these types of applicants. Can you start consulting on the side now to build up business if you eventually need to do it? Or is that a conflict of interest with your current position?

Stay put so you can collect unemployment. When interviewing you don't have to say you were fired. Tell them just like you told us that your position had been phased out due to restructuring

Anonymous wrote:If you quit you won't be eligible for unemployment. Plus, why would you quit and speed up your time without a paycheck? Stay put, but keep looking.

+1

If you quit you won't be eligible for unemployment. Plus, why would you quit and speed up your time without a paycheck? Stay put, but keep looking.

I have been told unofficially that my job is being phased out and I should look for other work. Situation is that I am a specialist in skill A, and the org's work has shifted to more of B and C, and so they want to hire a generalist in A, B, C rather than pay for a specialist in A. I am job hunting. The employer plans to post a new position seeking different skills and replace me with that new hire. I think they'd also rather hire someone less senior and save some money.

If I am fired, or laid off (which is this situation? I'm not even sure), how do I talk about that in job interviews? I realize I have to be truthful, but don't need to say a lot.

Would I be better off to quit first, so I don't have to say I was fired? Financially that is worse for me, would prefer to get unemployment, but I'm not sure just how horrible it is to be let go, and if I should beat them to the punch, so to speak. Hoping the job hunt pays off before it comes to this. My work is something that can be done as a consultant, so option to quit and hang up a shingle while seeking a full-time job, but that offers less financial stability, may take a bit to generate clients.