I did the I.T. security/programming/network shuffle for about 18 years. When I had knee surgery for a bad accident the corporation I was with terminated my contract. I filed for unemployment, they fought. I won. Judge lectured their H.R. rep, and told me that "it's a civilly actionable offense to terminate an employee for a medical procedure. If you filed suit, you'd be eligible for damages, and lost wages to compensate for the difference between unemployment and your actual wages."
Now, I'm a seasonal worker. Our company pays in about 2x what FT year-round companies do. I collect through the winter -- if I have to go into work, I could probably get the company to either bank the hours (not pay me for them, holding them until the next season -- not legal, but companies do it) or talk to my boss about being off the books for a while. I just report the hours and lose income for 3 weeks. It sucks, but it's legal.
When people ask me why I don't work, I tell them it's because I'm too emotionally unstable to interact with others in a stressful or hostile environment. That shuts them right the hell up.