"constructive dismissal" is an action an employer takes which the employee can treat as equivalent to being laid off. Being laid off comes with various benefits

"constructive dismissal" is an action an employer takes which the employee can treat as equivalent to being laid off. Being laid off comes with various benefits, like eligibility for unemployment, and is included in specific laws, like IIRC in California there has to be a notice period before laying off X people in the same month. "Constructive dismissal" just means cutting everybody's salary in half, reducing hours, etc counts as you being laid off if you choose to leave at that time, rather than you resigning. Resigning does not come with unemployment or those other protections.