Unemployment Benefits – Denied!
I’m Unemployed
For those that don’t know, I’ve been unemployed going on four weeks now. Like I tell everyone, the first week is pretty cool, but after that, being home gets boring, and unemployment turns into a personal and psychological whippin’.
I have been doing contract work for nearly two years now, so it’s the nature of my business to be laid off after a project is complete. There’s always the uncertainty of where future work will come from, but I’ve been fortunate to have reasonably steady work. I’m out of a job, but hey — the economy’s bad, life goes on, I’ll live to fight another day, blah blah blah. Besides, at least I’ll have some Unemployment Insurance Benefits to help tide me over in the meantime. Right?
Denied!
I received a letter in the mail yesterday proclaiming I was ineligible for Unemployment Insurance, because my employer had indicated I quit my job rather than being laid-off. Functionally, this isn’t true, but there were some mix-ups between me, my recruiter, and corporate about my “availability status” for future employment. Unfortunately to this point, this mix-up hasn’t worked in my favor.
Nothing Comes Easy
I thought I was up a creek, but spoke with my recruiter today. She told me corporate wishes to drop their protest of my Unemployment Insurance claim. Great! So I followed up with my state’s Unemployment Department, and found that since an initial determination had already been made, I would have to formally file an appeal. Great (no exclamation point this time). My employer now agrees with me that I didn’t quit my job, but was laid-off; unfortunately I still have to file an appeal and hope all sides (state, corporate) continue to cooperate. Such is the roller coaster we call life. Lucky for us, we’ve been both fortunate & proactive about setting aside some money for times of unemployment. Thanks to a hefty emergency fund, we’ll be okay. I’m not gonna lie though, $400/week in unemployment would sure ease our burdens – it’s nothing to slouch at and fills a huge hole in our monthly budget. I’m glad it’s there, but I’ll be happy if I never have to use it again.. that is, if I’m approved to use it at all.
What’s Your Story?
In this economic environment, there have been numerous unemployment horror stories. What’s yours? Were you denied coverage, or just been out of work for a while? What helped you work through the transitional period?
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I’ve been unemployed for 8 months, and was quite surprised to find that I was eligible for an extension on my claims benefits after the first six months without too much trouble. This was despite a rather shady split of my income between W-2 and 1099s, so I was relieved that it wasn’t the mess I was anticipating.
Good luck with the appeal, I hope it’s processed soon and you get a few checks to tide you over until the next round!
Wow that’s stinks! At least you where prepared. I was laid off a few years back…it lasted for three months. My unemployment was not denied, but dealing with the agency was um….challenging. Forget to call in…well, you’re not getting paid that week. I also didn’t appreciate the fact that I had to prove I was looking for work. I’ve been working since I was 14 and was doing everything I could…but the way the system was set up, you have to keep records on file proving you were actually looking for work. Ugh.
I hope you and Revanche find something soon!
Kita
That stinks! I hope you get your unemployment all sorted out. I’m facing the possibility of being unemployed come this summer with my teaching position (the states are broke so the kids must suffer) and am trying to figure out what I’m going to do to supplement my income. I hope that the economy begins to pick up soon.
Good luck to you!
Dang, tough about all that technicality stuff. $400/week would be HUGE in terms of benefits back (since u paid for them too). How long will that last?
Revanche – I know unemployment is rough even for a few weeks, but it has to get exponentially frustrating the longer it continues.
Good luck in your search & keep your chin up; I’ll say a few prayers for you.
Thanks Kita,
Yes, we have to request payment every two weeks, and keep a log of employment “contacts” – a minimum of 5 contacts/week I believe. It helps to use Gmail, because most of my contacts are stored there.
I appreciate the support!
Are you in CA? That’s the state I was raised in, and unfortunately they’re more broke than I am! Even public sector jobs aren’t safe these days.
I wish you luck for next school year.
I think it’s for a total of six months, but I had used up some of my eligibility last year. I’m sure something will come up before July though.. I hope! The longest I’ve gone between projects is 7 weeks, and it seems to be picking up.
I use to work construction many moons ago, hopefully they’ll do you right and get it fixed quickly!!!
Best of luck to you! Even better hopefully things will pick up and another consulting job will come down the pipe!
Man that’s annoying! Sounds like your appeal will work though, what other reason could the deny it on?
@Money Reasons Thanks, looks like a few things are popping up, so hopefully it will work out and I’ll get placed on a project.
@myfinancialobjectives I just got word from the State Investigator that my appeal will be approved. And it’s looking like some projects are popping up. Both good news! Now if one of these days I could find a permanent gig…
Have you thought about non-strictly attorney jobs? I know we talked about my position in the past, have you thought about the financial sector? or alternative jobs for law school grads?
Jason -
Best of Luck.
If I understand correctly, even quitting your job won’t necessarily preclude you from receiving benefits.
Of course things like harassment would change the picture. Along the same lines, I’ve heard the term “constructive discharge” used. I think it implies you weren’t harassed, but subtly “coached” to leave.
Yes, definitely. I may have to have another chat with you! I’m definitely keeping my options open.
Yeah, it’s true rules vary between states, and just because you “quit” doesn’t automatically disqualify you from unemployment benefits. If you find yourself out of a job, it’s always worth it to check out your unemployment options.
I know people who have been looking for work for almost 3 years. Here in Michigan jobs are as rare as hen’s teeth. When you get down go to Walmat and look around. I’m sure you will see a lot of people you would not want to trade places with.
@Daddy Paul Wow, 3 years is a LONG time. It is rough in Michigan right now; I couldn’t imagine being out of work for 3 years.