Unemployment After Returning from Middle-East (American Defense Company)
My question involves unemployment benefits for the state of: Not Sure..either Florida or Virginia.
I am employed by an American Defense Company whom, like most defense companies, are based in the U.S. (Virginia) and have international opportunities overseas, particularly the Middle-East who assist with military operations. I have been employeed by my company for 2 and 1/2 years, however this environment is causing much hardship and is dangerous to say the least. I foresee a mental and physical breakdown very soon, however I am trying to maintain my sanity everyday.
My questions begin with this:
1. If I decide to leave the Middle-East and return to the U.S. before my contract is over, can I claim unemployment? I understand that I will be resigning and under normal circumstances in the U.S., this would not allow me to collect benefits, however I cannot readily look for work and attend interviews in the U.S. if I am here.
2. If I could leave here and claim unemployment, which state would I file from? The company is located in Virginia, however I am a Florida resident whom never performed work in my state. My pay statements show Florida as the "primary tax state" and then Virginia as my "secondary tax state". I don't pay taxes in Virginia, however I believe the company must pay the unemployment tax from that state. I am not taxed at all due to this location being cited as a "danger zone".
3. I reviewed the state and federal statutes regarding my dilemma, but could not find anything pertaining to my situation. The UI office I contacted in Florida told me to come in after I explained my situation...I tried to emphasize the words "Middle-East," however the rep must not understand how geographically separated I really am.
I thank anyone who reads my post and the same with anyone who has a thought provoking response.
Re: Unemployment After Returning from Middle-East (American Defense Company)
1. Hard to say. There is nothing to lose by filing. The employer's defense (and very possibly, the state's) is that you knew what you were getting into when you took the job. Might work, might not.
2. Probably Virginia. The proper state for unemployment reporting for a U.S. resident who performs all services outside the U.S. is the state from which he receives his direction.
3. The state (any state) is not going to give you an opinion as to whether you would qualify for unemployment benefits or not; they will say "file, and we'll make a decision".
As an aside, I used to manage the payroll operations for a U.S. company that had operations in many countries, so I know whereof I speak.