True fact stated: Millennials didn’t invent workplace “ghosting”

Employee “ghosting”, or employees quitting without notice, has been a hot topic among HR “influencers”. This trend seems to be blamed on the usual suspects of millennials and the internet.

But more thoughtful commentators have argued employers bear some of the blame for employee behavior through harsh application of employment at-will. One particularly nasty example of employer “ghosting” is the indefinite suspension.

This form of employer ghosting is well-established enough that the Nebraska Department of Labor presumes that an indefinite, involuntary suspension is a termination for the purpose of an unemployment appeal. As I’ve stated in previous posts, an employee who is terminated should have an easier time in getting unemployment benefits because they employer has to prove the employee was fired for misconduct in connection with work.

Unfortunately, there isn’t a hard and fast rule about how long of a suspension constitutes a termination. I believe it would be prudent to ask how long the suspension is supposed to last. I also think that an employee should check in with their employer about the status of investigation during a suspension. By taking these steps the employee shows that they didn’t intend to end the employment relationship, but that the employers lack of communication forced their hand.

Once an employee has filed for unemployment, the employer is forced to provide a reason and some evidence about if and how the employment relationship came to an end. If the employer doesn’t do this and the employee can show they were let go not to due to misconduct, they employee generally gets unemployment benefits. Unemployment appeal hearings also give employees some opportunity to investigate and question their employer about the reason for their termination. This information can sometimes be helpful in other employment-related cases like workers’ compensation or discrimination claims.