Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with unemployment

California Unemployment Help

Anonymous — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 21:00:29 -0800

Should I get a lawyer to battle the California unemployment office? I was laid off in Oct '09. I filed for unemployment (California) same day, and waited until Nov '09 for my eligibility phone interview. I was then told in Nov '09 that my claim fell under the 'dates' (by one week - previous claim was never finalized because they could not verify my identity & by the time I received their requests I had another job and no longer needed it) of a previous claim from '08. I was told to submit a 'new' claim and EDD would backdate to Oct '09. I received a letter requesting another eligibility interview (which I just had) on 22 Dec '09. It turns out that the second claim I filed had not been backdated - and I still have not received any payments. EDD then offered to backdate this current claim but warned that I might not receive any money until Feb '10.

I'm at a loss as to what to do next - I don't think I can afford to wait until Feb '10 for any kind of payments, but feel that I am entitled to collect on all the weeks that I have been unemployed - especially if I'm able to find employment in Jan/Feb.

Friends suggest getting a lawyer but I'm not sure how that would help. Hive mind - what should I do?

Am I eligible for unemployment if my employer is officially in a different state?

Anonymous — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 11:48:31 -0800

I think that I may be getting laid off soon and need some clarification about unemployment benefits in New Jersey. I'm trying to call their question line, but it is busy every time. I am concerned about my eligibility because my employer is officially in NY. I have been working as a salaried employee for an outsourcing company that has been contracting me out to the same client the whole time.

For the first two years, my employer was headquartered in NJ, while the client's address was in NY and that is where I worked. I lived in a different, third, state at first, eventually moving to NJ after a year and a half.

After two years, my employer moved to NY, my place of work (office) moved to NJ, while the client's official address remained in NY. This is how it has remained for the past 2+ years; I continued to live in NJ.

From the point I moved to NJ, that is where I have been paying my state taxes. My driver's license has always been from the third state-- I never switched it over.

Given this complicated arrangement, am I likely to encounter problems applying for unemployment benefits? The part that I am concerned about is that the web site states:

You may file your new unemployment claim, or reopen an existing claim via the Internet if you meet all the following requirements:All of your work was in New Jersey in the past 18 months

Since my employer's official address is in NY, does this mean that I need to file by phone or in person, or that I am eligible at all? Or does the fact that my office was in NJ count for something?

Bonus question: In the past 6 months or so, my responsibilities and workload have changed significantly. My title and salary have remained unchanged. Can I resign based on this fact and still be eligible for benefits? Does my employer have enough incentive to fight this?

No Title

Brandon1600 — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 20:00:24 -0800

Well I quit my job Friday after I did something embarrassing and foolish. Now what? This is going to be long:

I had a job as an electronics technician for this little outfit that operated out of a warehouse. It was a temp job that was going to end in a month anyway but the pay was fifteen bucks an hour and it had medical benefits, too. I was usually the last person to leave, so it was my responsibility to lock up the office and such. I came in Friday and apparently I had forgotten to lock the warehouse/garage doors. They are not linked to the security system, so a person can set the alarm and walk out while the doors remain unlocked. I was in a hurry Thursday night to meet a friend, and I neglected to check to see if the doors were locked. The following morning I was greeted by a coworker who said "I came in this morning and the lights were on and the doors were unlocked. I don't have a problem with the lights. The doors I do." Then he walks off. I checked my company email and saw a six post thread concerning why the doors were unlocked and what my take on it was. As I was reading this, another coworker whom I thought I had good rapport with, came into the warehouse and rolled her eyes at me and walked away. That weirded me out tremendously. So I repacked my lunch I brought for the day, laid my company ID and cellphone on my desk, and walked out. I have blocked all calls and emails from all related parties. I feel that if I had stayed they probably would not have fired me, but I would have been the butt of numerous jokes and ridicule because I would be "that guy" and have to walk around with my tale between my legs. That's really what I feel like right now.The biggest thing I have lost here is a good reference on my resume. My supervisor was a cool guy, but I could never look him in the face now.

I am going back to school at the end of January. My GI bill has paid for it and what amounts to a little over half of what I was earning at my former job for living expenses so I think I can survive but I am also paying about $200 a month in debt on maxed out credit cards and $100 a month to the IRS since I goofed my taxes. I am nowhere near paying these off.

Finally, the questions:

1. Do any of you have any experience in dealing with the military VA? I was going through treatment for ADD/Depression a little while back and now is a good time to really commit to that and see it through. I had heard you cannot apply for help unless what you are applying for is related to your service, which this is not.

2. Should I stop paying my debts to save money? The payments are just enough to stop them from calling me and to pay the interest, so I am not really paying them off. None of the cards are over $2500, if that is relevant.

3. If I were to apply for another job, how do I list my former job on my resume? If I were to leave it off it would create a ten month gap in my work history. If I leave it on, how to I explain my departure? I really don't feel I have the right to list my supervisor as a reference after the way I left.

WHEW! I think I got it all out. Thanks for reading and just chip in where you can.

Does my husband qualify for unemployment?

otherwordlyglow — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 11:26:44 -0800

Will my husband qualify for unemployment in California after a long-term temp/contract position is over? My husband was hired for a three-month stint in an engineering position at a major electronics manufacturer to replace a guy out on sick leave. He is paid through an agency (payrolling.com) and receives a W-2. So I guess he's technically an employee of Payrolling, placed in the electronics manufacturer's office. Because the guy he was replacing ended up having complications, my husband has been there for 14 months and was recently told that the previously sick dude will be back as of the end of January so they'll no longer need my husband's services.

Can he receive unemployment compensation from the state of California? In total, he will have been there 15 months full time when he leaves.

He'd really love to stay there as a full-time employee (not through Payrolling.com) and they have suggested that a position may open up to hire him, so he certainly doesn't want to make any waves but if he's going to be out of work, the unemployment compensation would be welcome.

DC to DUX, can't be that hard, right?

parmanparman — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 16:06:35 -0800

I moved across the country for a dream job at my alma mater, my job's funding was cut and I am now unemployed. I have no benefits and am losing my place at the end of the month. I don't have a lot of money but I have decided to make a go of Eugene, Oregon. I have applied to some temp places, but what else should I be doing as a professional fundraiser and broadcast journalist to find work and get my life together? I am over the despair but I need major help. I'll try to stay active in the thread. This has been a major heartbreak for me. It feels like I have lost a child.

WV Unemployment Filter:

jmsta — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 08:38:07 -0800

Why would My wife's employer file an appeal after a hearing in front of an ALJ which granted my wife unemployment benefits? The employer was not accused of doing anything wrong. What incentive does the employer have to file an appeal? How do they benefit if she does not get unemployment? My wife has filed for unemployment. She left her job due to health conditions related to the type of work she did. It was not the fault of the employer it was related to health issues that no longer allowed her to work at that particular job. The only reason she was not initially granted unemployment was that she did not include the letter from her doctor in the original claim. Which upon her original filing she was told not to do and after she was denied she was told that she should have included it. We had a hearing in front of an administrative Law Judge in which he approved her benefits. Her employer was at the hearing and there was no blame assigned to her employer for her quitting and the statements from the employer only asserted my wife's claim. The employer has now appealed.

Quit now, or wait to be laid off?

Anonymous — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:44:01 -0800

My friend has been in a job in NY State for close to 2 years. From the start her salary was substantially lower than she felt she should be paid and she was verbally promised a bonus which never materialized. Nevertheless she stuck with job. Now, the company is going down the tubes. Many people have been laid off. She's been hoping for many months to be laid off herself so she can get unemployment benefits to aide in a transition. But, for a variety of reasons -- mainly that she's a very efficient employee -- she hasn't been let go. This stressful climate of layoffs and, with it, an increase in workload for her, has made it a very inhospitable workplace. She wants to quit ASAP. But she also doesn't want to miss out on unemployment benefits. What are her options? More inside... Specific questions: (1) Can she argue that the nature of her job has changed, so she can no longer work at the company, and therefor, despite quitting, is deserving of unemployment? (2) If, after quitting, she's able to find a short-term work (a week or so) paid through a payroll company with taxes taken out, would this then qualify her for full unemployment? (3) What if she quit her current job because she was offered another job, but that job fell through -- would she still qualify? (4) Should she suffer through additional weeks and months until she is laid off, knowing that the ship is likely going down? (One potentially complicating factor: The failing company where she's currently employed is switching to a different 3rd party HR company and has asked her to fill out some paperwork so her paychecks come through them, beginning Jan 1.)

Can I take 1099 work if I am receiving unemployment in NJ?

minsid — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 11:45:03 -0800

Can I take 1099 work if I am receiving unemployment in NJ? Can I take 1099 work if I am receiving unemployment in NJ?

I am getting umemployment in NJ. I am in the IT field. I come across projects ranging from week to couple of months. My concern is can I take these projects? I know cash is ok but these pay 1099. I am a bit scared to move forward on these projects because after for example a week project I do not want to be left out of unemployment insurance. Do I have to tell unemployment? If i tell them do they stop and resume?

Please advise...

Ideas for a different job

daveyt — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 03:50:41 -0800

How can I direct my IT skills to somewhere other than yet another boring IT job? I've been unemployed for 3 months or so, not yet serious but enough to start getting disillusioned with my 'career'.

I've worked in IT for 15 years, never been out of work and I know I am not alone... however, the doubt that IT is what I want to do any more is now creeping in.

I have worked mainly from tech support up to infrastructure management and managed small teams. I'm a good techie, I'm a good team leader, I have a good CV that reflects this and I've found about 100+ positions to apply for, had a few interviews, come close, not quite got there. The feedback each time has been positive and I've not got positions as they've gone to internal candidates each time. I even interviewed at my 'dream IT job' (at Barclays) and came so close.

I am motivated (most of the time) and I relish the unexpected time at home with my 6 month old, I'm spending 50% of my time job hunting and some other ways to make money (ebay, PC support, some event planning but nothing that can get me a full time income) and 50% childcare.

However, I cant help thinking that maybe IT isnt for me anymore. Most of the jobs that come up for medium sized institutions with small-medium infrastructures that just bore me, I can do that blindfold, and usually in companies that dont give a monkeys about IT and see it as a burden and therefore treat it somewhere around the level they treat the cleaners.

I'm trying to come up with some other type of work where my skills - not just technical - would be valuable, and struggling to do so. I dont really want to start again salary wise either. I guess thats an impossible equation. (Oh and teaching I'm trying to avoid - my parents are teachers and its disrespectful for people to suggest this as if its some sort of last resort job that anyone can get).

Failing that, any good resources where us doleys can get together and whinge a bit? (I'm in the UK if you didnt get that from the slang!)

(oh and since I've been off work, all I now see is adverts for courses for getting people in to IT. I'll do you a swap!)

Freelancing and Unemployment insurance: Yipe!

mountainfrog — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:59:10 -0800

After being laid off, do I lose unemployment benefits if I try to support myself and my family by freelancing first? First off, I am a software developer. I just received word from my boss that I was being laid off. Evidently there is just not enough work to keep me paid. So once I found out I was being laid off I looked into ways to pay the bills (I have a wife and children). In addition to looking for other full time jobs I also looked for part time “freelance” work. I found a few freelance jobs that can help pay the bills (food and rent) but only for a few months. From then on after I have no idea how much work there will be if any.

So here are my questions …

If I don’t apply for unemployment benefits from my employer right away do I lose them? On one hand I don’t want to apply for unemployment benefits when I can bring in enough money from “freelance jobs” but I have no idea if these “jobs” will last. It would be nice if I could “defer” the unemployment insurance to when the “freelance” jobs ran out and I had nothing.

If I support my family by freelancing after this layoff, do I then end up being deemed “self-employed” and ineligible for unemployment insurance altogether?

Thanks for any advice! This is my first time being laid off so I am not really sure how it all works.

Volunteer editing

Caduceus — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:41:58 -0800

Where can I get volunteer editing experience in the Portland, OR area, or via the internet? I have been looking for an editorial publishing job since I graduated with a Master's in June, and have had no luck. I'm living in the Portland, OR, area, where there are virtually no positions, so have mostly been applying for positions in other cites. My working theory is that there are so many qualified applicants around right now that no one has had any need to dip into the non-local applicant pool. I've also applied, at a lower rate, to local non-editorial but vaguely related positions, and similarly had no luck.

At this point it doesn't seem likely that I'm going to find a position in the near future, so to keep my skills from atrophying and to possibly make some new contacts, I want to start looking for opportunities to do volunteer editing or proofing work, but I don't have the first clue as to where to start. I'm looking for suggestions or ideas as to what organizations I could volunteer at and actually get to do editing work, rather than general office busywork or anything else that's not related to what I want to do. It doesn't necessarily have to be for an organization that does publishing, though that would be preferable.

What Does The Word SLACKER Mean To You?

Lipstick Thespian — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 13:18:39 -0800

Do-Gooder Needs Help With Amusing Slackronym! I am thinking of starting a website that would feature local people in Northern New England who have valuable job skills or passions that are lying dormant because of the economic downturn.

I want to entitle it SLACKER.com or something similar, but am having trouble aligning a SLACKER acronym (slackronym?) with it.

Ideally the Slackronym should embody the following:
- underused, valuable local resources.
- a commitment to making the world a better place through your passions.
- the idea that enormous possibilities are going unnoticed in our communities because no one is hearing about what people can offer.

Any creative, witty or sarcastic help with fitting words into a SLACKER acronym would be great. Bonus points for turning the whole "GET A JOB, ASSHOLE!" rhetoric on its ear that the far-right wingnut Tea Party folks use.

Was I let-go legally?

Anonymous — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:49:10 -0800

I was 'let go' from my job last week, but I'm not sure it was entirely legal. YANML, but please lend me your ear... (warning, long) I work at a medium sized non-profit. I started temping there last winter, and was made perm in April.

Things had been going alright; I can’t say that I loved the job or the people outside of my small regional office, or even the cause we were fighting for. But a job’s a job, especially right now. Decent pay and benefits.

There are two reasons I could have been let go. One was pretty much confirmed for me by my main boss – that a higher-up, in a different department, who has senior management’s ear, had decided that my manager and I needed to go. Now this person isn't in our department, much less works with our department. I’m still scratching my head over this one. He is a pretty nasty person, with a bad reputation, but I’ve never had to work with him. He comes into the office every once in awhile, but I’ve always been polite and professional with him.

The smaller reason is thus: a lot of the people I immediately work with, my counterparts in other regional offices are not the most ‘competent’ at their jobs. I’m trying to put this as nicely as possible – these people should not be given any professional responsibilities. My manager and I, we are constantly being the ‘odd men out’ of the department. Thrown ‘under the bus’ quite often, and chided for having proof that we didn’t “forget to send in requests” or “late reports”. But again, I’ve always been polite and professional with all of them, never a nasty email and lots of friendly overtones, for as much as I’ve questioned their employment, there is nothing I could have done that would stop the ‘blame game’.

So I was ‘let go’. Manger is has a ‘stay of execution’ to finish a large project but is soon to be gone. Keep in mind, I’ve never been written up, never given a warning – nothing. I knew the other department head didn’t like me, but didn’t believe I fell under his jurisdiction.

I was never given any paperwork, never signed a termination form, and wasn’t even provided with unemployment paperwork. In California, the UI Code, Section 1089 requires employers to provide the booklet. I emailed when I got home, asking for this, and was told:
”The state determines the unemployment and you can access online to file. Put 'termination' and on my end I will report that you 'worked to best of abilities' but not a good fit. That should qualify you. “

Ok so fine, I file unemployment. All the while wondering what is really going on. Next day, get an email from my main boss:
”COMPANY is willing to put a letter of voluntary resignation from you in your personnel file at HQ. For unemployment purposes, we will list “termination – worked to best of abilities, but not a good fit with position” but on your file we will list it as a voluntary resignation, that way if anyone calls HQ for a recommendation, they will be able to read directly from your file that you resigned and are eligible as a rehire.”

Obviously this seems a little strange to me – flimsy reasons for being fired, but hey, I’m in CA and we’re an ‘at will’ state. But asking me to pretend that I quit – am I putting my hand in the bear trap disguised as a cookie jar?

The question: is this legit? Is it worth fighting? Should I report the employer for not providing the unemployment booklet? Do I pretend that I quit? I already have a handful of people who will give me recommendations, so if I burn a bridge here, it wouldn't really harm me.

Thanks in advance. Questions can be mailed to anonisanona at gmail dot com

Mindhack me into a smooth interviewer (in four hours).

anthropomorphic — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:10:24 -0800

I'm an unemployed third-year law student, have my last interview in four hours. Any tricks on appearing intelligent, charismatic, and, most importantly, not desperate? Have had four interviews with different employers so far, have not heard anything back. This is my last shot at employment before I go back to desperately combing job listings. Interview is with a judge in a district I've never lived in, who is of the opposite political persuasion as I am. This will be my first of this type of interview so give me your all-purpose i'm-the-right-person-for-this-job tricks.

The is nanny to the mother and the son.

Anonymous — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:52:40 -0800

I'm a nanny for a woman who's been unemployed for 2.5 months and is now depressed. The means she is a) home ALL THE TIME, and b) driving me absolutely crazy. What, if anything, can I say? I am a nanny to a lovely three year old, and have been his nanny since he was born. I get along excellently with the parents, too. Except that for the past two and a half months, the mother has fallen behind on freelancing gigs and has consequently parked herself in the studio loft and hasn't moved since. As anyone who has taken care of someone else's child knows, having the mother in plain sight for the whole day is REALLY awkward: I feel like I'm being watched, and that every minor scrape is attributed to my incompetence rather than his toddler playing. The loft is open and no walls separate the living room from the kitchen from the computer room from the bedroom, so she can't shut herself away. The mother used to do work at cafes to get out of the house, but since she got depressed she now she spends most of her time on Facebook and BBC.com at home. I think she's discouraged by the job market, as she keeps saying she's never had to wait this long to get more work, but I also can't help noticing that she spent an awful lot of time making a Mad Men avatar and IMing friends (she keeps the volume on high). These are things she could at least do at a cafe outside the home.

Because the kid is totally obsessed with whatever is happening on computers, I can't keep him from scrambling into the mother's lap every 5 minutes while she Googles her old ex-boyfriends. We've literally spent 90% of our days walking for hours around outdoors (he no longer takes naps), but the weather is getting cooler and the forecasts predict snow next week. I am also exhausted from toting this kid outside for 8 hours just so we're not under his mother's feet. She says, "Oh I don't mind if you're here, and don't mind me," but again, that's easier said than done, especially for her.

Recently the mother asked me if we could pare down my week to 4 days since they're "hemorrhaging money," which I begrudgingly agreed to do because I love the kid too much to just leave when the going gets tough, but I'm not happy about a decrease in my paycheck. This is doubly annoying now that the mother keeps turning down job offers because they don't pay enough or she thinks she can find something better.

I know I can leave this job, and I'm considering it, but I'm looking for more of a compromise. I'm a pretty damn hireable nanny and she knows I get job offers on the playground, so I feel like I have a bit more power in this dynamic than most people have with their bosses. Though I can't ask her to magically get another acceptable gig, can I gently request that she leave the house for a bit every day so her son and I aren't exiled to the bookstore for four hours? The cashiers are starting to think we're homeless. My feet are sore, the kid is sick of his stroller, we've run out of places to see, and soon the weather won't be very nice. Can I say something yet?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

I hated my job, but now that I got let go, I feel even worse.

greatalleycat — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 21:42:04 -0800

How to deal with unemployment + feeling like crap? Just got let go last week from crap job I hated, but now feeling more miserable than ever. I am the girl in this question that got a DUI a few weeks back and said my life is over. Due to this and me not being able to give definite answer about getting occupational privileges (in OH, where draconian laws just got worse) I was fired on Friday at 4 after busting my ass all day. They can go to hell, I was still doing my job. They were just looking for people to drop I guess, was convenient excuse for them.
How do people who were abruptly laid off/fired structure their days? I can't spend all day job-searching, how do you fill time?

My firing came after a several-months long bout of depression related to seeing everything fall apart at work. I should have dealt with it earlier, perhaps my life would not suck now.
However, I thought I would be happy to be gone from work, but I feel even worse. Before, I was just angry, now I am just miserable and have problems going to sleep because I am thinking my life is ruined forever and I am a total failure who should be really successful because I came from good family and went to good schools.

I would like to get this addressed medically since I don't know how else to feel better. I used to think job was what made me miserable, but I guess it wasn't all of it because I am just sad now instead of angry constantly like before.
I am delaying help because I don't know how to seek out a therapist (who would be best for me and not really $$) and a doc to give me meds. I'm also waiting to see if I can afford COBRA. I also have to rely on getting rides from family as I probably won't be able to get driving privileges since I don't work. I am in the Cleveland area in a place where I cannot walk or bike to work easily, especially as winter comes on.

I believe I was not let go with "just cause" so I believe I can get unemployment benefits in OH.
I know I sound like a whiny brat, but I would like to feel for one day I haven't completely ruined my life.

Should I call my CC company to work something out if I recently became unemployed?

Anonymous — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:28:13 -0800

I recently (the 12th) was laid off, is it worthwhile calling credit card companies to suspend payments or work out a lower interest rates until I'm employed again? I have a large amount of debt from an ill-fated freelance photography "gig" and general overspending. I never signed up for those credit monitoring/in-case-of-emergency programs for $10 a month (wish I had). Do CC companies work with people, or will this simply cause the companies I call and the companies they work with to slash my available credit?

Thanks guys.....

I can't do this job anymore!

PFL — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:54:14 -0800

I don't like my job and I'm tired of trying to like it. I just want to quit but I'm afraid of what will happen if/when I do. Requisite long backstory: I've been employed for about 5.5 years at my current company. First 4.5 years were great, then a year ago, amidst some layoffs, I got transferred from a financial analysis role to an accounting role (basically managing the accounting of our business units). I was misled about what exactly I would be doing, but I think that was more due to poor planning than dishonesty. I took on more responsibility, started managing people, etc. but didn't get a raise/promotion or even a title change. I think I was supposed to be happy to keep my job.

I am bored senseless doing this, I'm not very interested in learning what I do, and I don't think I'm very good at it. I've basically been doing the minimum I can do to not get fired. I had the worst performance review of my life during the summer, and my bosses know I'm mentally checked out. I had a very good reputation in my old role, but I'm sure it's taken a good hit amongst my superiors because I obviously don't care. So I wonder how repairable this situation really is even if I start kicking ass.

But I look at what it takes to get ahead in this department, or even do my job at the best of my ability, and I have no desire to do it. I've already talked to my bosses about my unhappiness with the role, and it really went nowhere. There's not much flexibility budget-wise to create a new position (or even my old one), so there's nowhere for me to go.

I have a mortgage, but I have roommates to offset that cost by about 50%. Not counting their income, I have enough in savings to get by for maybe 7-8 months if I live frugally. If times got really desperate I have another $15k in a 401(k) that I could draw from (before penalties). I'm in my mid-late 20s, no kids.

I just need to get out of this situation but I don't know the best way. I don't want to look for another job in this field because I hate it, and I have no idea what else to do. I feel like quitting is the only way to force myself to make a change. I know it's not, but I haven't been helping myself get out of this situation. I feel like a weight will be lifted off my shoulders when I do it. But I'm terrified of being unemployed.

I've read other AskMe's about this. I don't feel like I'm being underpaid that badly, or mistreated, I'm just tired of underperforming at something I hate.

Am I an idiot for quitting? What do I need to think about that I might have overlooked? Should I quit? What have you guys done in this situation?

Am I going to jail for mistating income for unemployment?!

Anonymous — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 21:30:00 -0800

IL-UnemploymentFilter: Am I going to jail for misreporting earnings from an affiliate site of mine that sits there and makes money while I've been job hunting?! I was laid off in June from a job in Chicago. Before that occurred I had developed an affiliate website that has been earning me about $300/mo consistently, and I have the funds deposited into a bank account with an EIN that is setup under a sole proprietorship.

Since I was laid off I also applied for unemployment benefits and had told them when I certified each period that I had performed no work for wages.

It has since come to my attention that this may be a bad way to do it, and possibly considered fraud since apparently any earnings under a sole proprietorship are considered as part of the "gross income", and thus I should have reported the commissions I earned each month.

So there's that piece...I also have an LLC setup as I've been trying to launch my own business. I have done a small bit of consulting work with the funds going into the LLC, and I've also just today redirected my affiliate site revenue into the LLC. My understanding is that as long as I don't draw a wage from the account into my personal account, its not considered personal income for unemployment purposes as it is a separate entity and thus I don't need to claim anything and can collect benefits--but I'm not sure of this.

My questions (sorry, there's a few) are as follows:

1. Once the taxes for this year get processed and IDES finds out I had earnings from my affiliate website, are they going to try to collect the overpayment?

2. Realistically, will I be going to jail for this? My gf and I are completely freaked out that I'm going to get put away for earning a little from an affiliate site because I didn't realize I should have reported it.

3. Am I correct that as long as funds are going into my LLC and I'm not drawing a wage from it, then I'm not considered to have earned anything for that period, and thus don't need to report anything for unemployment and can continue collecting as normal?

4. What should I do now? I'm terrified about calling IDES for clarification because I feel like they'll log my phone number, hunt me down and toss me in jail potentially. I considered contacting a lawyer but have no idea what type would specialize in this area and not sure if it makes sense to spend the money until IDES starts asking about things. I'm the type who tries to be honest above all else, but in this situation I'm terrified that if I just call IDES and explain the situation they're going to open an investigation and jail me.

5. Should I tell IDES I've gone back to work and stop claiming benefits for now? Or is it ok to continue collecting them now that I've moved all income to my LLC and am not drawing a wage?

The 21 day CA unemployment benefit -- am I screwed?

Anonymous — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 22:03:11 -0800

CA Unemployment 21 Days Deadline: How to become eligible again? Back in July, I filed with California to get unemployment benefits. Around the 20th, I got a reply from CA EDD, and I didn't open it for months. I figured that I didn't need the money right then, and the state of California was giving out warrants in lieu of checks (due to the state government's insolvency).

When I finally opened it (on October 9th), it said that I had to register within 21 days of the notice date (July 20th).

My question is: am I screwed? Will I be able to obtain unemployment benefits at all? Do I have to reapply? Should I go in person to the local office to clear things up, or is it better to call in (I haven't had much luck reaching a person when I've done this) or do this online? Any help or insight you can provide would be great. Thanks.

Question about unemployment benefits

josher71 — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 07:07:34 -0800

I started a new job this week after over a year collecting unemployment. I got my last unemployment check the wednesday of my first week of work. Then on Friday, I got paid. I didn't know the pay schedule when I started this job so it was a surprise to me that I got a paycheck. My question is this: how will this be handled by the State of NY? Will I be charged criminally? I assume this won't be an issue until tax time when they see my 1099 from unemployment and my tax forms from my job and that they overlap.

I was collecting unemployment from NY and now live in MD.

Experience/job Catch-22

Anonymous — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 19:50:16 -0800

How does a recent college grad gain job experience when everyone requires it? This past June, I graduated with a B.A. in English from a small prestigious liberal arts college that you've most likely heard of and may be single-sex. I then moved back home (NJ, near NYC). Since then, my life has taken a familiar turn: applied for tons of jobs, and have been on 8 interviews--not counting those with temp agencies. I look on tons of job sites--including Monster and CareerBuilders--and apply every day. My search is really limited to NYC, since I can't drive and NJTransit has many shortcomings, but recently I've been applying to places in towns nearby as well.

In my life, I've only had two real jobs, both of them work-study. Both were admin assistant type jobs, and I've been applying for those, as well as publishing/media positions (despite the fact that I was unable to get an internship in those fields in college, and I can't get one now for financial reasons). I've also been applying for entry-level paralegal jobs since I've kind of been considering going to law school or some kind of grad school (probably for film/cinema studies) after working for a couple of years. The thing is, I've never made it to the second round of interviews, let alone gotten a job offer, and I think it may be obvious why. This past week, I interviewed for a paralegal position at a law firm, and after I wrote the interviewer a thank-you e-mail, she then responded by saying that she had looked over my qualifications and wanted someone with more secretarial experience. This confused me because it's not like I told them anything--in terms of experience, anyway--that wasn't on my resume, so she therefore knew going in that I didn't have enough secretarial experience, in which case why the hell did she even call me in for an interview? And it's not like that has been the only job--I have gotten responses from HR people after applying saying that I didn't have sufficient experience.

(A word about temp agencies, since I know that will come up: I haven't had much luck there either. The ones I've been to--and I'm on the books at close to 20--have said that they aren't getting many positions, and the ones that they do get are either super-specific or call for lots of experience or I am suitable for them, but they pass on my resume or they fill the position internally.)

Partly because of financial family troubles and partly to keep from going insane, over a month ago I did get a part-time job calling people for this sales recruiting company. So in a way, I am getting experience now, but it's not like I can show it--I was advised against putting it on my resume by a recruiter. However, they recently cut my hours, so today I applied for a job at Starbucks in the hopes of getting a better part-time job while I look. But how does one get experience when they are inexperienced? Starbucks is nice, but it's a far cry from an office job--and how can I get that when I haven't had any office experience?

How do I get over this hump and start getting some experience? I feel like my life is at a standstill--I can't get ahead. Is it just me, or is that the way things are now--especially now--and no one talks about them? How is it that other people I went to school with who have just as much or less experience than I do have jobs and I don't? Aside from reading job search books, what can I do to make this more successful?

Does unemployment affect future SS benefits?

NeoLeo — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 12:49:46 -0800

Does receiving unemployment affect future Social Security benefits? I have a relative who was let go in the past week by his company because they decided to close his division. I told him that he should get unemployment payments until he finds a new job, but he told me he didn't want to receive them because he thought it would be "taken out of his future Social Security".

So... does receiving unemployment affect receiving Social Security benefits in the future? Is there any downside to receiving unemployment?

By the way, this is in California, and he is in his early thirties, if that is relevant.

Staying sane while unemployed.

rosethorn — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 15:20:33 -0800

Unemployment. Am I doing something wrong, and how do I stay sane while it continues? Back story: I am a certified (in some states) elementary school teacher who graduated last May with a masters in special education. Despite applying to any and every teaching job I can find in three state (MA, CT, NY), I am still unemployed. I've been applying to every teaching and teaching assistant/paraprofessional position within a two hour radius of myself, but have had zero success. I have not even once been called in for an interview.

I have three questions. Apologies for the length - I originally meant this to be quite short, but it just kept growing!

1. Without knowing anything about me, does anyone have any idea about what I could be doing wrong?

Is it the current economy, or is it more likely I'm making some glaring mistake I haven't noticed? I have never had any trouble getting jobs in the past, but I have no direct teaching experience outside of student teaching done before I did my graduate program. I do have plenty of experience in the education field in various positions (teaching assistant, learning specialist, tutor, etc...). I've had others look over my resume and cover letters, but I can't help but feel like there must be something I'm missing to have gotten no interest at all after nearly three months of applying for jobs.

2. What other jobs should I be looking in to?

I really want to be a teacher, but I also really want to be able to pay my bills. I like kids, books, and politics. I'm not above applying to work in retail when it comes down to it, but is there some interesting position somewhere outside of teaching that I'm missing? I've started looking in local libraries, but haven't found any open positions. Substitute teaching is an option, but frankly, even thinking about having to find my way to a new school each day and deal with new teachers, buildings, and students is so anxiety producing that I'm staying away from it, for now. Where else can I look?

3. How do you keep your spirits up in the face of what might be long term unemployment?

I'm living in my boyfriend's house, which he owns, so I'm not facing eviction or starvation, but it is really hard to stay upbeat in the face of all of this. I'm afraid I won't be able to continue to take my antidepressants, which are costing me $116 a bottle due to my lack of health insurance, and even while on them I recognize the symptoms of depression slipping in to my life again. Not having a job makes me feel useless and worthless, especially when my boyfriend gets up and goes to work every day. I don't want to be a burden, but that's exactly what I feel like. The idea of being dependent on him, of not being able to afford to pay my share of things, is pretty scary for me. I should be in therapy, but without health insurance and a job, it simply isn't an option. Do you have any words of wisdom?

Any and all thoughts are appreciated. Miscellaneous information that probably doesn't matter: I'm a 24 year old woman living in Dutchess County, NY.

you're fired! sort of…

violetk — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 19:43:23 -0800

Was i fired? my boss scheduled an appointment between her, me and the head of HR today at 5p. my first thought was a meeting with HR at 5p can only mean that i'll be fired. this was not entirely out of the question due to many factors including, but not limited to, the fact that half the time i go into the office, i think i am going to be fired (and i am not the only one at the company who feels this), our company sales were down 30% in sales last quarter (and in fact, has never turned a profit), the sudden firings that have occurred within the company, etc.

when i walked into the meeting, the head of HR gave a monologue about how they liked me, thought i was a good person, am very talented at what i do but that there have been ongoing issues that they didn't see improving. there were some accusations made about my performance as of late (some true, some not true—but i was not interested in defending myself against them, for reasons made more obvious below). he went on to tell me how he and my boss have been in meetings about how to make things work with me and the company, that i didn't seem to be thriving within the corporate environment there and then told me they would like to switch me to contract status (though not full-time). he asked me what i thought of the idea. i said that sounded great—pretty much solely because i had been so miserable at this company since january that it was beginning to affect my health. and believe, me i am relieved and feel as though i have been given approval for release from the asylum. my last day won't be for another few weeks as i wrap up projects and after i work out with my boss the logistics and fee structure for my new status.

i view this as being essentially fired or let go from a full-time position and therefore will be eligible to claim unemployment benefts (the head of HR also let me know that i would be eligible to receive COBRA benefits as well). whether i am hired in a contract capacity later or not (though i believe i will be getting contract work from them) but i have never trusted this company and wouldn't put it past them to try to deny me unemployment benefits in the end.

so my question is, essentially, i was fired, was i not? and thus, i will be eligible to collect unemployment, am i not?