laid off after 4 weeks

[kmal]

My jurisdiction is: Washington

My jurisdiction is: Washington

I left a job in California to start a new job in Washington last November, 2008 We left San Diego on 11/1 and began employment in Seattle on 11/4. I was laid off on 12/4. I was later told that the day we left San Diego to drive to Washington they realized they would have to lay me off but didn't bother to tell me since we were already on our way. I do not feel they had that right. We could have stayed in San Diego at the same job, returned even to the same home and stopped the moving truck. As it was it took 5 months to find employment again and, after thoroughly searching for work in Washington, ended up having to move back to San Diego with work at the same company. It would seem they did not have the right to withhold that information from us and allow us to make the decision. It ended up costng us 5 months of loss of income, moving expenses, etc. Is there a lawsuit here? or was this just unethical and extremely poor business insight? I am not interested in anything other than compensation for what was lost, or at least partial compensation.

 

[de_novo]

The best thing I can think of that is the least bit of a hassle is to contact the unemployment office and see if you can file a claim for backdating to the time you quit your job with a bona fide offer from the firm in Washington, to the time you were laid off and up to the time you were able to become employed again. In my state, this is something that can be considered, but I would check with your state's unemployment office.