Share Your Story

Please share your story about how you became unemployed or underemployed?

xxxxxxxx, 2 yrs, Accounting/Finance
I was laid off of my perm position in August 2008. I have accepted a number of temp roles because I want to be able to support myself, and not expect the government to do it for me. However, even temp jobs are going by the wayside. I did work for the census for 3 months. However that ended last week. I moved home. I just want a job and have not been selective. Never thought that I would be in this position.

xxxxxxxx, Three months. I do not get benefits only food stamps. My benefits will open in August 2011.,
My name is Tatyana Rogach I am 63 years old and I am a US citizen. I came to the US in 1998 from Kazakhstan together with my 16 year old daugther. We lived in Dallas, TX 10 years. My daughter graduated from Dallas Baprist University College in 2005, got married and lives in Argentina. I came to Alaska, Anchorage, hoping to find a full time employment with medical benetits.
It was stunning to learn that there is no agency in the US investigating the reasons of separation from a job. In other words there is no way for an employee to prove that he/she is not guilty. As I was told a lot of times, by people in Unemployment Department, an employer may not like the color of your shirt and fire you.
Since it is universally known, why does every job application have a question " What was the reason for leaving the job?" Does the government want people to lie saying they left the job, when they were fired for reasons which were not explained to them or which were made up?
I was fired from the Arc of Anchorage, where I worked as a caregiver for disabled people during 15 months, for the incident which took place in Fall of 2009.
As I was walking along a hall way, by the door of one of the employees, she stopped me and asked if I was looking for something and needed help. I answered that I knew where I was going and did not need help. HR director, who was sitting in the next room with an open door, heard my voice and told me to answer the question. I told her that I was heading to a traing room to watch the traing video which I had started watching the day before. She told me that there was no any training room in the direction where I was going. I told her that I did not know exactly the name of the room, but I had been there and watched the video and was schedulled by my supervisor to do it again. HRD told me again that there was no room for watching videos and asked me not to go anywhere and wait until my supervisor came. She called the supurvor. The supervisor,Ms. Robin C., came and confirmmed that I was supposed to watch the video in a room which had several computers in it and was used as a training room for individual training. She led me into the room.
Next morning I was supposed to go, together with my supervisor, to a new client with trechestomy, for whom I had been watching the video. When I came to the Arc, Ms. Robin C. told me that we had to go to a meeting before we could go to the cllient.
There were four people in the meeting. The HR director took the lead and accused me of misconduct: arguing with her, speaking in a loud voice. I told her that my voice was always lound because I was a teacher. Ms. Robin C's supervisor asked her if I was a good worker. She answered that I was a very good worker. I was asked to tell the story of how I was walking in the hall way and stopped by the woman from Human Resources. I repeated word for word all the dialogues. HRD and the RH woman, who stopped me, could not add or take away anything. So it did not sound like I argued. The only accusation left was my loud voice. To my great surprise, the HRD said that nothing could change the situation and I was fired. She asked the other three women to vote. Everybody raised their hands. I was shocked. It was like I lived in the former Soviet Union in Stalin times.
Still, after all of this unfair judgement, I dared to ask HRD if the fact that I had a loud voice outweighed all my good work. She answered "Yes", I was fired for misconduct.
When I applied for unemployment benefits, I appealed and there was a telephone hearing during which the judge found me not guilty of misconduct. I got my unemployment benetits ( 0 a month).
I worked in Anchorage ISD as a substitute teacher, substitute teacher assitant or as a tutor, from Dec 2007 through September 2010, periodically being suspended for something which I did not do or which nobody knew how it could be a reason for suspention. For example, I was accused by a Teacher Assistant of saying to a student " Look me in the eyes", which I did not do. I exactly described the topic which we had with the student when the T.A. came up and what we talked with her about. There was no talk about looking "at me or in the eyes". Anyway, it was impossible to prove it against the permanent employee, who accused me of this. But what is wrong about saying this to a student,even though the student is in the special education class? Is there a Regulation saying that it is wrong to say that? If this student had a specific intolerance to looking at somebody, I had to be warned about it.
I wander if there are any Regulations saying for what wrong doings an employee can be discharged. I never heard about them.
Also I would like to know if there is an agency which can stand for employees,if the employees have a right to prove that they are not guilty,if the employer accuses them of something.
As of today, I am a strong, though not young woman, well educated, intelligent and knowing the language to such extent that I can teach it. Everywhere I worked, co-workers admitted that they loved me work with them. I am fexible, fitting into the system, loving the United States, curious about the culture, laws, politics. I am passionate about any job I am competent to do. I equelly love to teach a classroom, or wipe childen noses, change diapers of little babies, or disabled adults. I enjoy cleaning group homes for disabled people, taking them out for raspit, teaching them to make jewelry, knit, crochet, clean, cook, etc.
Despite all of the above, I am unemployed, homeless, do not get benefits ( only in August they will open and will be 0 per month). I have a small job with a disabled girl which pays for my car loan. But I have a debt of ,000.00, on my two credit cards, as well as a debt of ,300.00 to IRS and can't pay it. This debt accumulated because of the frequent unemployment and the move from Dallas, TX to Anchorage, AK. I hoped to improve my chances to get more working hours in Alaska,but it did not help.
I came to the US to live up to the highest potencial possible, make my living, get ready for retirement saving money.
My Father was a born American who lived in the USSR most of his life, but came back to the USA in 1990 and died in Worcester, Massachsett in 2005. He used to say: " The US is the best country in the world. Work hard and be honest, do not be a charge to the country and you will be fine." I want to follow his rules and values. How can I do that?
My phone is 907-602-0236. E-mail: tat2yana@juno.com . No address, I am homeless, living at my friends at 6230 Camrose, Anchorage, AK 99504.