hi all, just looking for some advice and want to see if i’m shit out of luck. here’s the facts:
i worked and managed a small retail store for five years until, after routine emotional, mental and verbal abuse i asked them if we could plan an exit strategy for me. they asked me to give a 3mo notice and i obliged as it was the holidays and i was their sole employee. i was upfront that i wanted to open my own store and tried to discuss with them ways for me to do that without stepping on their toes – they avoided the conversation as best they could. a week later they called on my day off to terminate me effectively.
i didn’t plan to file for unemployment – i was actually hoping to get short term work with one of the brands we carried at the shop, but a few days later i heard from that brand’s wholesale director who told me my former employer had called to let them know i’d been fired and if i reached out to work with them in the future, they’d be upset and potentially drop them as a brand. after this, i spoke with a family friend with a background as an employer and she said because they were the “moving party” i could collect unemployment so i filed. i had a phone call with unemployment and stated the facts and they found me eligible.
unsurprisingly, a few months later i received a note in the mail my benefits were being challenged by my former employer with a summons date to go over the facts. spoke with an unemployment lawyer who told me that i’m likely fucked and will have to pay back the entirety of the benefit paid out to me. another lawyer i spoke to told me again that because they “were the moving party” i would win. so i’m not sure what to expect or how to plan for this summons. i received the transcript of their claim and they lied and said i ultimately made the decision to terminate my employment immediately, but i don’t think that really matters?
anyone have similar experiences? this is causing horrible anxiety. candidly, i was suicidal for the majority of the time i worked there and my mental health has improved immensely since i left – but i still have nightmares a few times a week about working there. honestly, even if i lose and have to pay back $10k it will likely still be better than having to work for them. any advice is welcome.