Stopped by a friend's shop and got a little info from one of his guys. Turns out both he and his dad went through this, getting denied for unemployment after getting fired because they made the mistake of signing a piece of paper, a piece of paper you don't have to sign evidently. That's probably what's screwing me now, cause they got me to sign it by saying it was the only way to get my last check at that time. They didn't disclose to me that I may be making it look as if I agreed with the terms of my termination by signing it, which I obviously never would have done had I known better! He said the difference would have been I wouldn't have received my last check until I got approved for unemployment, or something like that.
I'll still appeal if it comes to it, but hopefully I can explain this all to the judge when I meet with him and he'll see the deception on their part.
Under the letter of the law in the state of CA, anything you sign for your employer while under their employ is considered "under duress" and not admissible in a court of law. As in- "if you don't sign this you're fired". The employer doesn't even have to say it, the court considers it implied.
The problem is you'll have to sue them for wrongful termination for this fact to matter, but it might be worth it for you to talk to a lawyer.
