I live in FL and requested a severance package instead of accepting a PIP in March. My last day of employment was May 16, 2024. I did not try to apply for unemployment then because I was hoping to find a job sooner than later. It's been 4 months and still no job offers. Can I file for unemployment now or am I even eligible since, technically, I was terminated due to performance (which we all know is BS)? Has anyone else opted out of a PIP for a severance package, filed for and received unemployment benefits? If yes, did you say you were terminated when filing or laid off? If I'm eligible, can I get back pay to May? The application is asking if I received severance. Will receiving severance make me ineligible? Any advice/knowledge anyone can provide is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
3 replies (most recent on top)
Yes, you are eligible for unemployment. I was PIPed last year and I applied and was approved for unemployment insurance. I live in MA. I made the silly mistake of not applying sooner; I ended up using only 70% of my 26k unemployment money. I should used the whole thing.
I just told unemployment that pipped. A pip is still eligible for unemployment in MA. I also told them it was unjustified and a way for them to do layoffs without paying people. The UI department called C1, and those sc-mbags didn't disagree. They didn't even respond back to MA UI. Everybody at MA UI knows about C1.
YOU SHOULD HAVE FILED FOR UNEMPLOYMENT THE DAY AFTER YOUR LAST DAY. WHATS WRONG WITH YOU? THEY MAY DENY YOUR CLAIM BECAUSE YOU ARE FILING LATE.
You are eligible for unemployment even if you received severance. My situation is similar: my last day was in April after opting out of a PIP and I received severance and bonus. I just got my first unemployment payment. If you mention severance, it takes extra verification by human and time, but the payment will be retroactive to the date you requested unemployment. I filed in early August and just received six weeks of payments. I was told your eligibility date will be postponed by the period your severance amount covers at your regular compensation level. I didn't confirm this with the unemployment office, but for me, early August was about when my severance ran out, and that's how they paid it. It seems that bonus payment did not make a difference.
I also indicated "involuntary termination" as the reason for leaving C1, after opting out of the performance improvement plan with unreasonable requirements that made me dependent on another team that did not have this work prioritized. Which was accurate.