I reside/work in the State of California.
Anyways I worked a job that I really enjoyed and they recently fired me. I had zero problems there in the past. I would show up to my shift on time, do my job to the best to my abilities, stay after work if needed and “went the extra mile” so to speak. I had no prior write ups or ANY issues whatsoever. I put a lot of time, money, emotion into this job. I did my best!
I was one day injured on the job. I I injured my knee pretty badly. I told my manager that I was injured and I would like to report it to administration in case I need medical care. My manager said “no” and was REALLY upset and rude about it, so I went home. The way I was injured was a MAJOR safety violation on my company’s end. I was surprised that my manager blew me off like that! I figured the manager was having a bad day. So I just went home.
A couple days later my knee injury had worsened and I could not walk well from it. I went to see a doctor in the morning to have it examined. Since my job involves a lot of walking, the doctor said to stay off my knee get treatment for it, and gave me a note to send to my work to stay off my knee.
Since it was a work injury I contacted my work’s admin HR office and sent them the doctor’s and requested that I file a worker’s comp claim right away. Obviously since I couldn’t walk, I couldn’t physically work shift, which is what I had the doctor’s note for. I requested too that I be placed elsewhere until my knee healed. After I notified my company, I heard nothing back from my company regarding my injury or what to do from there. I found that to be really bizarre.
I then was sent an email three days later saying I had terminated from my position because I didn’t show up for my shift and they took it that I had quit. I responded back that I had emailed them a doctor’s note days before that I was injured days before and wanted to file a workers comp claim and get my knee fixed. In the meantime I requested to be placed elsewhere which that company had openings for. I did not receive a response. I emailed the company again a few days later stating that I again I had been injured and if they continued to ignore me I would get a lawyer involved.
The company’s CEO actually called me personally (which has never happened before) and stated that their office manager was out sick and they were short staffed (that’s always their excuse when something doesn’t get done) so they didn’t receive my original emails right away. The CEO right then and there allowed me to file a workers compensation claim and get my knee looked at by a company doctor. Their doctor diagnosed it and told me to stay off my knee at work and sent that report to my company. My company was given the option to either place me in another position or pay me out via workers compensation while I stayed home. The CEO contacted me over this and said that I was terminated from my position, I had been replaced, they would NOT place me elsewhere in the company, and they would not pay me out. The CEO said I could “reapply online for another position with that company”. I actually tried and they keep sending me denial letters! That company does not like me for some odd reason! Ironically enough though, my workers comp rep contacted me after and said that I will be paid out the duration of my injury and until my knee is healed. My question is what do I do after? Can I file for unemployment? What can I do? I need the extra income while I look for another job! Help?