NEED ADVISE PLEASE. The company I worked for was small, family owned company - 10 employees total. When they hired me they knew my husband was disabled. They pay 100% of family health insurance and they knew I took the job based on need for health insurance. Now - 2 years later, due to personality conflicts and job description miscommunication and just GENERAL no communication - they gave me a horrible job review based on a job description I never had full responsibility for. I typed up my responses to the review - explaining that I felt it was all due to miscommunication and if they would just clarify what they wanted from me I would do my best to comply. Seven working days later (10 min before scheduled vacation) boss came in & said they feel it will be best to reduce my job to 3 days a week. This makes me inelligible for benefits. They have less that 20 employees so are not required to offer COBRA. I told her I would have to talk with my husband and that she knew I was dependent on insurance. She would not reply to my emails as to when this was to go into effect (I was out of town for the birth of my grandbaby) and in fact did not pay 1/2 day vacation pay - so she had to have made it immediate but would not communicate even that. I emailed that I would be willing to give 2 weeks notice if it was with full time and benefits but as per our verbal hiring agreement - I couldn't work part time. Asked about the 1/2 short pay, did that make the reassignment immediate? She would not reply, so I resigned. SOOO - any advise about what to say on job applications? I have 25 years of good job experience and now my latest job I have to say "don't contact"? Or what??

I would say you left because the hours and benefits were cut back and you need full time employment with benefits. If you gave adequate notice there should be no problem.

If you simply walked off, I can see a problem.

I would leave the details off any job application and my discussion (if asked) would be exactly as I have stated. You need full time.

The notice I gave was that I would give a 2 week notice if it was 2 weeks full time with benefits. - But that if she had made the status change as immediate then I had no choice but to resign immediately because as per our verbal hiring agreement I had to have full time. In that email I said that if she didn't reply I would assume she had made it immediate and therefore accepted my immediate resignation. She did not reply.
But now (of course - hindsight) I can't figure out whether to tell employers OK to contact her or to say "would prefer to explain situation" before they contact her. I have NO idea what she will say - but believe she will be vindictive.

And she may very well be vindictive. She will probably say that you gave her no notice, simply walked out.

I still think you are the better person - you needed full time work with benefits, it was not available. I would add (based on this info) that it was economically unfeasible for you to work part time and, therefore, you resigned effective immediately.

I hired a lot of people - something like this (a change in work circumstances) never caused me NOT to hire anyone. I always figured if someone changed the conditions on me, I would leave, too.

Thank you JudyKayTee. I can't explain how miserable I feel right now. But your understanding and advise was appreciated.