Going on unemployment soon. Questions.

[Tinman357]

1st time in my 56 years I'm faced with unemployment, public assistance of any kind. Damn!

Anyone out there very familiar with the whole qualifications thing? My "layoff" notice is worded ambiguously.

It clearly states that the company is "restructuring" and that my position is being eliminated and I am "terminated"

It is clear this is due to reasons not based on my performance or other personal issues, but does not clearly state that the elimination of my position is due to the economic impact of COVID-19.

Any experts here willing to advise me?

Please PM.

Read More

 

[The Heretic]

For those currently unemployed - help thread

I am just going to put this here in the pub because it seems like the place to put it for a number of reasons. My goal? To provide a place for us to put helpful info on: 1) What benefits there are (besides standard state benefits) - specifically, the stimulus bill benefits. 2) Help in...

www.northwestfirearms.com

 

[Ruger Rich]

Heretic's pages of unemployment info helped me greatly. I had never
done it before and his writings were timely as hell. Helped a bunch.
I strongly suggest you read through it.

 

[The Heretic]

Do be aware that the programs have changed since the first post in that thread.

Now extended & expanded benefits will last until first week of September (ironically, Labor Day).enefit

The expanded federal benefits are an additional $300 per week before taxes (strongly recommend you opt to have the taxes taken out of each benefit so you don't get hit with a large tax bill next year).

I can't speak to WA state benefits - it has been 10 years since I was unemployed there, but they are at least 26 weeks worth and the max benefit is a decent amount. Since you would probably be on the regular UI benefit as you just now got laid off, you should get the benefits into December. Do not expect any new federal programs - after the first week of September is probably the last you will see any.

 

[Tinman357]

Thank you Gentlemen, I will definately look into that. Fortunately, I have no mortgage as my home is paid for.

Less to worry about, but the unknowns are piling up.

 

[bigbearbear]

I'm seeing on the news that employers are having a hard time finding employees, and that's not just the typical low wage type of jobs either. Tech companies are also finding it difficult to fill positions now because employees now have a taste of working from home and many are quitting their "go to office and enjoy the commute" type of desk job in favor of working from home.

You shouldn't have too much trouble finding a new job, good luck.

 

[Alexx1401]

1st time in my 56 years I'm faced with unemployment, public assistance of any kind. Damn!

Anyone out there very familiar with the whole qualifications thing? My "layoff" notice is worded ambiguously.

It clearly states that the company is "restructuring" and that my position is being eliminated and I am "terminated"

It is clear this is due to reasons not based on my performance or other personal issues, but does not clearly state that the elimination of my position is due to the economic impact of COVID-19.

Any experts here willing to advise me?

Please PM.

Others have given great info to start. One thing to help put you at ease. Unless the employer in WA is going to try to tell the state you were "fired for some cause", you will get an approval. Its very hard to get denied here if you are fired. So the initial set up is easy. For there to be any hold up the employer would have to be notifying the state they are going to fight your claim. Sounds like you have nothing to fear there. Now is an EXCELLENT time to be looking as so many will not take a job offered. So as long as the Co did not offer you a position with them making close to what you were being paid, and you did not give them cause to terminate you, your claim just goes through. Good luck on the search. When the extra money finally runs out the market will tighten a lot as those who have been getting paid to stay home have to start to look for real.

 

[Tinman357]

Breathing much easier now. I've never not had a job since I was 17. It's a weird feeling.

 

[The Heretic]

Breathing much easier now. I've never not had a job since I was 17. It's a weird feeling.

Everybody is different, and I have been unemployed many times, but not sure this time whether I will get used to it or not. I am retired now (unless I get offered a job I can't refuse - which is unlikely, but possible), but even though I am financially able to live without a job now, and I have SS income to pay the bills, I still have dreams (not good dreams) about having to answer to someone in a job situation.

They are getting fewer and not as stressful. Just as with the bad dreams I used to have about having to go back in the military, I will probably outgrow them, mostly. Maybe next year or maybe even later this year, I can do some traveling and start living outside of just surviving, and maybe then those dreams will go away to be replaced with better ones.

Yes, it can feel weird, even stressful, but you get used to it.

 

[The Heretic]

Others have given great info to start. One thing to help put you at ease. Unless the employer in WA is going to try to tell the state you were "fired for some cause", you will get an approval. Its very hard to get denied here if you are fired. So the initial set up is easy. For there to be any hold up the employer would have to be notifying the state they are going to fight your claim. Sounds like you have nothing to fear there.

Most employers don't play games, but they can. It is useful to document everything that is said and everything that you recall as soon as possible, so that if you have to dispute their side, you have a much better chance at it if you have written down who said/wrote what, when they said it, and what they said, as verbatim as possible.

I only ever had one employer try to say I was fired for cause, but their manager was playing it "soft" in the exit interview and told me something quite different, so I just used his own words against him, and WA state ESD took my side. Even if there is a performance problem - saying I could not do the job for example, that is not considered to be the employees fault; only if the employee willingly does not do the job, or there is fraud, or negligence, is the employee considered at fault.

 

[Alexx1401]

Most employers don't play games, but they can. It is useful to document everything that is said and everything that you recall as soon as possible, so that if you have to dispute their side, you have a much better chance at it if you have written down who said/wrote what, when they said it, and what they said, as verbatim as possible.

I only ever had one employer try to say I was fired for cause, but their manager was playing it "soft" in the exit interview and told me something quite different, so I just used his own words against him, and WA state ESD took my side. Even if there is a performance problem - saying I could not do the job for example, that is not considered to be the employees fault; only if the employee willingly does not do the job, or there is fraud, or negligence, is the employee considered at fault.

I had one employer fight mine long ago but they dropped it like a hot rock. The first step here is a "hearing" over the phone. Now days they probably do it on Zoom. All parties are sworn in by some "officer of the court". So you are under oath. Lie and you are committing perjury. As soon as that was explained the one elected to fight suddenly had nothing damning to say strangely enough and my claim was approved. I said I wanted to go to school again and the employer fought that. That one was simple as a letter. Some top person wrote I could certainly go to school if I did my job search. So that was of course super easy. It was one of the times they were offering extensions for UE. So I had time to get my AA Degree on their dime. Employer was real A$$hat but it was worth the time I put if for them to pay for that for me For some employer to really fight, assuming the employee is telling the truth, they have to be willing to risk committing a felony.
WA state as a whole is over the top protective of the worker to the point there is a LOT of abuse. Its really hard to get a claim denied and have it stay denied. Unless of course you have some employer ready to risk going to jail they hate you so much.
The one who was behind fighting me ended up in prison and is still there. I have to admit that does cause me more enjoyment than it should when I now and then check and see they are still serving time here.

 

[The Heretic]

The only real problem right now is OED (Oregon). OED is so screwed up they have people getting paid for a year, then they check the employer, the employer disputes the claim and then OED says "pay it back". WA state is better from what I hear and my experience with them when I lived up there.

 

[Alexx1401]

The only real problem right now is OED (Oregon). OED is so screwed up they have people getting paid for a year, then they check the employer, the employer disputes the claim and then OED says "pay it back". WA state is better from what I hear and my experience with them when I lived up there.

Now that could be a damn nightmare. Some poor slob who has little suddenly with the damn state demanding that kind of money? I can just see the people in charge of reclaiming the money caring less how they get it back. Again bureaucrats who can screw up everything they touch and they feel no pain.

 

[Certaindeaf]

1st time in my 56 years I'm faced with unemployment, public assistance of any kind. Damn!

Anyone out there very familiar with the whole qualifications thing? My "layoff" notice is worded ambiguously.

It clearly states that the company is "restructuring" and that my position is being eliminated and I am "terminated"

It is clear this is due to reasons not based on my performance or other personal issues, but does not clearly state that the elimination of my position is due to the economic impact of COVID-19.

Any experts here willing to advise me?

Please PM.

They classified people killed in motorcycle crashes as covid deaths so it stands to reason yours was also.

 

[kmk1012]

With so many job openings EVERYWHERE, and I mean everywhere, why would you go on unemployment? Businesses are literally scrambling for people to even apply. My pride has never let me collect unemployment, my work ethic has made me never need it. I'm the kind of person who would take a job, any job, until I found the right one. If only more workers would act similarly, this whole working class tax (only workers pay taxes) could be reduced. Rant over but needed to be said.

 

[The Heretic]

With so many job openings EVERYWHERE, and I mean everywhere, why would you go on unemployment? Businesses are literally scrambling for people to even apply. My pride has never let me collect unemployment, my work ethic has made me never need it. I'm the kind of person who would take a job, any job, until I found the right one. If only more workers would act similarly, this whole working class tax (only workers pay taxes) could be reduced. Rant over but needed to be said.

Unemployment benefits come from insurance that your employer pays.

Would you collect a payout from car insurance if an accident wrecked your car.

I've worked since I was about 6 years old (without pay, on the farm). I've worked for pay since I was about 10 years old - every summer - on various farms, then as an adult since I was 17. I've worked any job I could do, including shoveling s*** - literally shoveling s*** in a mushroom factory in 150*F temps in buildings that grow the mushrooms. I was one of maybe two non-hispanic people who do the job because I had to feed my family and keep a roof over their heads.

I am not too proud to take UI benefits because I earned them.

I cannot do just any job - I am 67 now. I have a bad back such that now I sometimes cannot sit, much less stand - forget lifting or walking. I have a heart and lung condition - I can't do manual labor either. Not many employers want to hire someone my age even in my profession where I have 30 years experience, because they know I won't be around for long.

So don't look down your nose at someone who is unemployed and accepting UI benefits while they look for work. UI benefits are there to keep them housed and fed until they can get their next job in their profession, because they know that it is better for everybody for the unemployed to find a job in their profession than it is for them to accept a job flipping burgers.

 

[kmk1012]

Unemployment benefits come from insurance that your employer pays.

Would you collect a payout from car insurance if an accident wrecked your car.

I've worked since I was about 6 years old (without pay, on the farm). I've worked for pay since I was about 10 years old - every summer - on various farms, then as an adult since I was 17. I've worked any job I could do, including shoveling s*** - literally shoveling s*** in a mushroom factory in 150*F temps in buildings that grow the mushrooms. I was one of maybe two non-hispanic people who do the job because I had to feed my family and keep a roof over their heads.

I am not too proud to take UI benefits because I earned them.

I cannot do just any job - I am 67 now. I have a bad back such that now I sometimes cannot sit, much less stand - forget lifting or walking. I have a heart and lung condition - I can't do manual labor either. Not many employers want to hire someone my age even in my profession where I have 30 years experience, because they know I won't be around for long.

So don't look down your nose at someone who is unemployed and accepting UI benefits while they look for work. UI benefits are there to keep them housed and fed until they can get their next job in their profession, because they know that it is better for everybody for the unemployed to find a job in their profession than it is for them to accept a job flipping burgers.

My point here is that if someone WANTS to work there's a real surplus of work out there. If they'd prefer to collect UI then there's nothing I can say to sway that, it's how they're wired.

 

[The Heretic]

My point here is that if someone WANTS to work there's a real surplus of work out there. If they'd prefer to collect UI then there's nothing I can say to sway that, it's how they're wired.

And my point was that not every job is a job that any given individual can do. Nor does receiving UI benefits necessarily have anything to do with one's "work ethic".

 

[kmk1012]

And my point was that not every job is a job that any given individual can do. Nor does receiving UI benefits necessarily have anything to do with one's "work ethic".

Sigh, and my point was that there is work of ALL kinds readily available out there right now. It's a choice that an individual must make whether to collect UI or go to work for similar money. The individual must decide.
We both have good points and I appreciate your responses. I don't want this to turn into an argument so I'm stepping away here. Please have a great day.

 

[The Heretic]