So I think I've been officially F'd by my employer...furloughed! I was thankful months ago when they laid off someone else and they kept me, but reduced my hours to 32 hrs...but now to "get past cash flow issues" I haven't brought home a paycheck for 2 weeks, worked one week, and have to take more days off, unpaid, & w/o being able to use my accrued vaca time- anyone have experience with how to handle this/ what my rights are for being able to claim unemployment benefits (in Massachusetts)? I have a feeling this will happen again in a few weeks, for an indefinite period of time...Even if you don't have any info let me know what you think!
rather than listen to any of us amateurs, you really should call the department of labor and ask them directly. what you're describing sounds both ethically wrong and potentially messy legally.
I actually called the Federal Labor Dept today...not much info from them other than that your boss is entitled to change your hours of work w/o prior notice. I'll try my state's tomorrow. I want to find out what happens when there's no work for a week or more, not just reduced hours. There's alot of articles on furloughs out there right now, but not alot on the implications (unemploymet benefits-wise). Pretty much I'm just wondering if anyone if anyone else has had situations like this.
On the benefits...if I was getting them from my company, I would still have them, but I was getting them from my husbands construction company...yup, he's laid off so we're getting Cobra now (yech, what a joke).
Answer- if hours are reduced during the week you can collect unemployment, you have to initiate it yourself. No clue yet on if this affects future layoff status (as in the 30 week limit) but we'll see!
I know of several companies doing this right now, not just Architecture firms. Believe the term is called work sharing, but in lieu of more layoffs the firms idle staff down to the current work load, be it week long furlough or part time, etc. You keep your benefits but are only paid for hours worked, etc. Have some friends working at major public companies that are looking at Detroit style summer furloughs right now. Yes, you can get a marginal amount of unemployment insurance. Unfortunately the options for taking a part time job are somewhat limited these days. Everyone I know on reduced pay/hours ~ myself included, is just sucking it up and dealing with it.
I believe you get unemployment benefits if your pay is reduced below a certain % per month. call mass dept of labor (fyi - call when they first open because it can take hours - even days - to get through).
If your husband was laid off and is collecting unemployment and paying for COBRA, you should be aware that the Federal economic stimulus plan includes a 65% credit for COBRA. It is being administered as a tax break to the (former) employer, but it has to be passed on to the those covered by COBRA. The program just got off its feet, but the discount applies to payments from March 1 on... the company I used to work for is being sluggish, but they are compelled to comply....
Also, with unemployment (and you are eligible to register as soon as you find out you are being furloughed), they pay 80% of your regular pay up to a max payment (in NYS, $405 - they only pay up to 80% if you are bringing home +/- $500/week). You can work x number of hours or x days per week (each state has different rules as to what constitutes a work week), but if you make more than $405 (in NYS, anyway), you aren't eligible to collect that week. In other words, if you work one 10-hour day and get paid $40/hour, you can only collect $5 that week. But, if you are paid $20 per hour and work 10 hours, you can collect $205.
Even if you think you may be returning to your job soon, it is worth applying for unemployment. In NY, they open your claim and it is good for a year, so once it is open, you can go back to work part time/temp/odd jobs here and there, and just not collect for the weeks that you get paid. I think you have to continue to certify your claim every week even if you get paid, just to keep your claim open... If things slow down again, you will be able to collect without re-opening a new claim.
My sister-in-law was furloughed for two weeks. she considers it an unpaid vacation. Yet recently, I was "furloughed" for an undisclosed time period perhaps up to 6 months.
There doesn't seem to be anyone wanting high-end residential projects at the time. But my boss really wants to have me back. They want me to take part-time work to fill the gap. I haven't found anything yet.
I've never had to do the unemployment thing. I keep getting rejected because techincally, I am finishing the two week notice next week. When can I apply for unemployment?
Fortunately I went back after 2 weeks so I never ended up signing up for benefits or collecting...but here's what I found out in Massachusetts- if you live in another state call your state's labor dept.
I called and they told me I could sign up for benefits right then. Then they get all your pay info & take about a week to call your boss to confirm everything. In about a week or so you get your first check, whatever the state gives you.
[They MAY have your boss pay all your vacation/sick time accrued to date, however this does not cut into your unemployment (at least this was the case when my husband 1st started collecting, but he was formally laid off, so I don't know if there is a difference or not).
Anyhow, every week you call in to tell them if you've worked or not, or how many hours, and go from there.]
My advice would be- the first day you don't work, sign up. My colleague didn't (as I didn't, which I do regret even though it worked out for me) and she was out of work for over a month, with no pay at all. Neither of us gets benefits from our employer so the furlough aspect of keeping your benefits was of no use to us. She decided to sign up after 4 weeks thinking she could collect on the past unpaid weeks, but no dice. I lost out on a week's worth of unemployment, and she 5 weeks. I was thinking more about it from my boss' side then my side, & that was my mistake which I won't make again.
[P.S. if you don't sign up and you don't get the $$, your boss also doesn't have to pay for the unemployment insurance. It's better for them if you choose to work somewhere else, not you.]
I'm not sure about COBRA or health insurance though-ask the Labor Dept for info. This may impact your decision. Good luck!
Who has been FURLOUGHED?
So I think I've been officially F'd by my employer...furloughed! I was thankful months ago when they laid off someone else and they kept me, but reduced my hours to 32 hrs...but now to "get past cash flow issues" I haven't brought home a paycheck for 2 weeks, worked one week, and have to take more days off, unpaid, & w/o being able to use my accrued vaca time- anyone have experience with how to handle this/ what my rights are for being able to claim unemployment benefits (in Massachusetts)? I have a feeling this will happen again in a few weeks, for an indefinite period of time...Even if you don't have any info let me know what you think!
rather than listen to any of us amateurs, you really should call the department of labor and ask them directly. what you're describing sounds both ethically wrong and potentially messy legally.
are you still getting benefits paid?
I actually called the Federal Labor Dept today...not much info from them other than that your boss is entitled to change your hours of work w/o prior notice. I'll try my state's tomorrow. I want to find out what happens when there's no work for a week or more, not just reduced hours. There's alot of articles on furloughs out there right now, but not alot on the implications (unemploymet benefits-wise). Pretty much I'm just wondering if anyone if anyone else has had situations like this.
On the benefits...if I was getting them from my company, I would still have them, but I was getting them from my husbands construction company...yup, he's laid off so we're getting Cobra now (yech, what a joke).
Blah, I feel screwed right now
i know an arch. firm that went to 4 days a week ....and for the other day the employees claimed employment.. check into it
sorry thats unemployment ..haha
under-employment
Answer- if hours are reduced during the week you can collect unemployment, you have to initiate it yourself. No clue yet on if this affects future layoff status (as in the 30 week limit) but we'll see!
I know of several companies doing this right now, not just Architecture firms. Believe the term is called work sharing, but in lieu of more layoffs the firms idle staff down to the current work load, be it week long furlough or part time, etc. You keep your benefits but are only paid for hours worked, etc. Have some friends working at major public companies that are looking at Detroit style summer furloughs right now. Yes, you can get a marginal amount of unemployment insurance. Unfortunately the options for taking a part time job are somewhat limited these days. Everyone I know on reduced pay/hours ~ myself included, is just sucking it up and dealing with it.
I believe you get unemployment benefits if your pay is reduced below a certain % per month. call mass dept of labor (fyi - call when they first open because it can take hours - even days - to get through).
If your husband was laid off and is collecting unemployment and paying for COBRA, you should be aware that the Federal economic stimulus plan includes a 65% credit for COBRA. It is being administered as a tax break to the (former) employer, but it has to be passed on to the those covered by COBRA. The program just got off its feet, but the discount applies to payments from March 1 on... the company I used to work for is being sluggish, but they are compelled to comply....
Also, with unemployment (and you are eligible to register as soon as you find out you are being furloughed), they pay 80% of your regular pay up to a max payment (in NYS, $405 - they only pay up to 80% if you are bringing home +/- $500/week). You can work x number of hours or x days per week (each state has different rules as to what constitutes a work week), but if you make more than $405 (in NYS, anyway), you aren't eligible to collect that week. In other words, if you work one 10-hour day and get paid $40/hour, you can only collect $5 that week. But, if you are paid $20 per hour and work 10 hours, you can collect $205.
Even if you think you may be returning to your job soon, it is worth applying for unemployment. In NY, they open your claim and it is good for a year, so once it is open, you can go back to work part time/temp/odd jobs here and there, and just not collect for the weeks that you get paid. I think you have to continue to certify your claim every week even if you get paid, just to keep your claim open... If things slow down again, you will be able to collect without re-opening a new claim.
My sister-in-law was furloughed for two weeks. she considers it an unpaid vacation. Yet recently, I was "furloughed" for an undisclosed time period perhaps up to 6 months.
There doesn't seem to be anyone wanting high-end residential projects at the time. But my boss really wants to have me back. They want me to take part-time work to fill the gap. I haven't found anything yet.
I've never had to do the unemployment thing. I keep getting rejected because techincally, I am finishing the two week notice next week. When can I apply for unemployment?
I thought that I had to pay for Cobra...
I think my furlough is more like a jettison.
Fortunately I went back after 2 weeks so I never ended up signing up for benefits or collecting...but here's what I found out in Massachusetts- if you live in another state call your state's labor dept.
I called and they told me I could sign up for benefits right then. Then they get all your pay info & take about a week to call your boss to confirm everything. In about a week or so you get your first check, whatever the state gives you.
[They MAY have your boss pay all your vacation/sick time accrued to date, however this does not cut into your unemployment (at least this was the case when my husband 1st started collecting, but he was formally laid off, so I don't know if there is a difference or not).
Anyhow, every week you call in to tell them if you've worked or not, or how many hours, and go from there.]
My advice would be- the first day you don't work, sign up. My colleague didn't (as I didn't, which I do regret even though it worked out for me) and she was out of work for over a month, with no pay at all. Neither of us gets benefits from our employer so the furlough aspect of keeping your benefits was of no use to us. She decided to sign up after 4 weeks thinking she could collect on the past unpaid weeks, but no dice. I lost out on a week's worth of unemployment, and she 5 weeks. I was thinking more about it from my boss' side then my side, & that was my mistake which I won't make again.
[P.S. if you don't sign up and you don't get the $$, your boss also doesn't have to pay for the unemployment insurance. It's better for them if you choose to work somewhere else, not you.]
I'm not sure about COBRA or health insurance though-ask the Labor Dept for info. This may impact your decision. Good luck!
Furlough is just the purgatory between full unemployment and full employment.
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