Fired, could use some advice/help

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So, I was just fired. If anyone can tell me how to figure out if I qualify for unemployment, that would be really helpful. That's the help I could use.

Now, for the advice.

I'm 28 years old, I've got about 12 months of work history earning enough money to need to pay taxes on it from two jobs, the one I just lost, and one where I lasted from April to July last year. I'm really not sure where to go from here. I've got Aspergers, I've got ADD, I was diagnosed with both 15 to 20 years ago. I'm pretty sure I have some anxiety issues or something, but I haven't had the stability to see a therapist for them. Anyway, I'm pretty sure that I'm never going to get hired for another job by applying normally.

Seeing as I had performance issues at both companies (one major problem is that I have severe trouble communicating, as an example, in the first of the two real jobs I've held, by two months in, I couldn't hold a phone steady while talking to my manager. My whole arm would start shaking), I'm also pretty confident that any job I get where I'm expected to meet a neurotypical's performance metrics will result in me being fired for performance reasons again.

Right now, I just have no idea where I'm going from here, and any advice or suggestions on the subject would be appreciated.


Less on topic, I'm feeling like while people individually seem to like me and want to see me succeed (my supervisor and manager today seemed so distraught about firing me that I ended up trying to reassure them that they didn't need to feel guilty), society as a whole seems to be trying to get rid of me. Is that a common feeling?

EDIT 1 - Some facts:
I am not in a union.
I am located in the state of New York, in the United States of America.
My company size at the time of firing was 7 full time employees and 1 part time employee.

Last edited by Rainman37 on 21 Jul 2014, 12:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Are you in a union ? also what country are you in ?

The answers to these questions may have a strong effect on what happens next

In retrospect, that seems like really obvious information and I feel like a moron for not including it. I appended it to the bottom of the original post.
Also, thank you for the prompt reply.

In the United States, your legal ability to receive unemployment compensation benefits is based on your loss of employment which wasn't your fault. In other words, you were laid off instead of being fired for cause or quitting. But, quitting when you can PROVE a hostile work environment is acceptable for compensation. Applying for compensation is always a good thing because the worst that could happen is being told that you don't qualify.

Your disabilities (the federal laws' description of having Asperger's Syndrome and Attention-Deficit Disorder) might help you if: 1) your employer was aware of them, and 2) didn't accommodate them to allow you to perform your job duties.

Good luck.

Thanks. I've figured out how to apply for unemployment insurance, but it comes with so many rules and regulations that I nearly started crying just reading them I'm not even sure if I want to apply anymore.

Sadly, the Americans with Disabilities Act defines an employer as such:
"The term "employer" means a person engaged in an industry affecting commerce who has 15 or more employees for each working day in each of 20 or more calendar weeks in the current or preceding calendar year, and any agent of such person, except that, for two years following the effective date of this subchapter, an employer means a person engaged in an industry affecting commerce who has 25 or more employees for each working day in each of 20 or more calendar weeks in the current or preceding year, and any agent of such person."
ADA, section 12111, definition 5.

As best I can tell, my former employer, being less than 10 people, isn't affected.


Still hoping anyone has ideas on what I should do next or resources that can help me on my way, though. Is there some sort of assistance for people with disabilities to help them navigate stuff like unemployment or finding a job and getting accommodations?

You still may be eligible for unemployment comp. A lot hinges on how many of the previous (?) six months you worked. And if you got fired because you couldn't do the job (in the company's judgement) that's more acceptable than if you got fired for absenteeism, something like that.

All of this is a big deal, and for me takes a lot of my prime A-level energy, and often frankly things I'd rather spend on other things, like my own personal writing which is my art. I am a person who can put off calling the bank or insurance company for days and days and days running into weeks.

Yup, that's pretty much it. Now I just need to figure out if it's worth the drain of all of the mandatory job hunting and documenting of said mandatory job hunting, which leads to...

I know that feeling. Half an hour to an hour of paperwork or dealing with complicated rules and regulations can leave me completely useless for the rest of the day, so of course I don't want to do it.

You should apply for unemployment compensation. I know it's a hassle--but at least, if approved, you'll get some money to live on while you look for another job.

Are you in NYC?

Maybe you could go for something called "vocational rehabilitation." It seems as if they'll help you with interview skills and how to correctly seek a job more than getting the job itself. It's worth a try, though.

Also: are you able to work at night? It's possible there might be data entry jobs on 2nd or 3rd shift which will involve less social contact. I've had this sort of job for years--33 3/4 to be exact.

Please: if at all possible, don't give up on trying to get job. Unemployment is the path to nowhere, as far as I'm concerned. SSI sucks: you get only about $720-730 a month, it's a long drawn-out process to get approved, and Asperger's is highly questionable as a qualification, anyway.

I forgot to ask: are you totally independent?

If you have a support system, make use of it.

The economy is getting a little better. There might be those data entry 2nd or 3rd shift jobs out there.

One thing I might recommend is, do positive stuff even during difficult times. For example, I sometimes contribute to health articles on wikipedia, which at times is an exercise in frustration (wikipedia being an experiment, if we re-start corporate communications all over again, will it be any better the second time around?), but it is something I can feel good about. At times, it's a struggle but I learn as I go along. And it is a perhaps more of a worthwhile job than my real job as a cashier at *MegaMart.

Maybe you could do the unemployment compensation app the way I sometimes do taxes, which is a little bit and then quit early and then some more a couple of days later. And maybe gently and lightly make fun of the process online. Since you're from New York, people ought to know about unemployment practices in New York. I wouldn't mention the name of the company. I mean, if it was a big company, sure. But a company with 7 fulltime employees, maybe just make up a fun fictitious name.

In order:
I am not in NYC.
Vocational rehabilitation might help, but I'm not really hopeful. My primary problems seem to stem from working in a corporate/professional environment, not inability to do the work.
Yeah, I'd rather work than be on SSI, although I could probably live comfortably on $720 a month. I kind of don't spend money except on groceries, utilities, and rent, and I live in a fairly cheap area.
I'm currently living on my own, paying my own way. I'm also pretty clearly failing at it.
No support system. Outside of immediate family, I have one online-only friend that I have spoken to in the last month.
Data entry probably isn't for me. I did mention ADD earlier, and I'm pretty sure that would mix horribly with a job like data entry. It's something I'll keep in mind, though.

Thanks, though. I think that does sort of point me in the right direction.



I've got some plans of the sort, yeah.
Are you saying I shouldn't mention my former company name on this forum, or in the unemployment application process? If it's the former, yeah, that makes sense, but I'm a little hesitant on the latter.
Again, thank you.

Alas, I guess there's always Walmart.

If there's a 24-hour Walmart, or 7-11, or something of that nature, one could work the night shift, and not have to socialize too much. If you work 40 hours a week at $8 an hour, you would pull in about $1000 net.

Laws may vary based on the state, but just go to the employment office and apply for benefits.

It's fairly straightforward. You either have enough "credits" built up (income earned in the prior X reported months) to qualify or not. If you do, then if you were terminated, was it for "workplace misconduct" (e.g., willfully defying the rules or endangering others). If not, you qualify. Being unable to do the job is not misconduct.

I think if you have any work history you can apply. I don't know what the laws are in New York, though.

Anyway, good luck

I mean, if the NY unemployment app is outrageous and you want to splash a blank application on the Internet, both to potentially get it off your chest and to make a political statement. Yeah, this part, if you choose to go this route, I would not mention the company's name to maintain privacy.