I need "permission" to leave work now?

[WVneighbor]

I just finished a telephonic hearing with the unemployment investigator. My former employer declined to participate, instead they sent a written copy of their version. In a nutshell my former employer stated I quit by walking off the job without permission.

I explained that I did leave work that day, but I followed company policy by informing my supervisor that I was leaving and would be in the following day to explain things.

The interviewer asked if I obtained permission from my supervisor to leave. To which I explained that I did not as policy only required me to inform.

The jist of the conversation that followed:

Her "Well you have to ask permission before you leave."
Me: "And if they don't give permission? I'm just stuck there? Against my will?"
Her "... you just have to ask permission to leave, you can't just walk out without saying anything."
Me: "I informed my supervisor I was leaving, per company policy, and in their written copy they even stated I told my supervisor I was leaving."
Her: "You should have told them why you were leaving."

I went on to explain the policy to her and why I elected not to have a discussion on why I was leaving. She didn't seem too understanding.

I have worked in supervisory and management positions and while we did require management/supervision to be notified, obtaining permission to leave was never required.

I figure I'm going to be denied, but I sort of expected it. What I can't understand is the concept of obtaining permission. Perhaps its the nice thing to do, or the courteous thing to do, but as a requirement? To me the why of someone leaving is unimportant (unless its a work related injury). Why a person is leaving has no bearing what-so-ever on a supervisors responsibility to temporary fill the departing employees position.

The whole concept of "asking permission" rubs me the wrong way. I'm closing in on my 4th decade on this earth and I stopped asking permission to do things long ago.

Maybe I'm being a bit bitchy, even a touch petulant. And perhaps I should have had a brief discussion about why I was leaving, but I really did not want my reasons spread around the rest of my co-workers.

Ah, well, old dog, new tricks seem to apply here. Lesson learned I suppose.

[JoeWilliams]

I've always had to have permission to leave work... even when I had gall stones (didn't know what the problem was, just that I was experiencing the worst pain of my life) I asked permission. Kind of.. "I've really got to leave!!"

You don't HAVE to stay, but if the employer says "no," you may be walking off to a new job, as well.

[phillyd2]

I hate to say it but there are times to lie and this seemed like it was it.

Her "Well you have to ask permission before you leave."
Me: "I said I was leaving and she said ok which I understood as permission"
Her "she is claiming differently."
Me: "as am I"