Eligible for Unemployment?
November 11, 2011 11:58 AM Subscribe
I am teaching at a college in SF. I have SIX weeks off without pay between semesters. I am eligible to collect unemployment during this time?
This fall semester I started teaching a full schedule of 6 classes at a Large Art College in SF. It's 18 hours a week. I'm paid by the hour, and the hourly rate is rather high, so this works out to a paycheck equivalent to a full-time 40 hr/week job. They have asked me to teach again in the spring. Awesome! Not so awesome is the six week break between semesters during which I have no income.
Am I eligible to collect unemployment in CA during this time?
This fall semester I started teaching a full schedule of 6 classes at a Large Art College in SF. It's 18 hours a week. I'm paid by the hour, and the hourly rate is rather high, so this works out to a paycheck equivalent to a full-time 40 hr/week job. They have asked me to teach again in the spring. Awesome! Not so awesome is the six week break between semesters during which I have no income.
Am I eligible to collect unemployment in CA during this time?
Nope. Otherwise, you'd see every single teacher standing in an unemployment office line every June.
Some schools and universities will arrange payroll so that you continue to receive checks over the breaks (each check, all year, will simply be smaller). You could look into that.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 12:05 PM on November 11, 2011
Some schools and universities will arrange payroll so that you continue to receive checks over the breaks (each check, all year, will simply be smaller). You could look into that.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 12:05 PM on November 11, 2011
No unemployment is not for seasonal workers. The only people who can take advantage of this are movie and tv people in Hollywood I've heard, this makes me crazy if it's true. You are meant to be paid enough to live throughout the year on your salary but its rare now for teachers not to take a second job if they are the primary breadwinner because of low pay.
posted by boobjob at 12:14 PM on November 11, 2011
posted by boobjob at 12:14 PM on November 11, 2011
The only people who can take advantage of this are movie and tv people in Hollywood I've heard, this makes me crazy if it's true.
It's true, but it's not because it's seasonal (well, it kind of is, but stay with me here). Each production company is an independent entity (e.g. New Sitcom, Inc.) If the production is canceled or not picked up or otherwise shuttered, the employees are all unemployed, just as if they were all working in, say, a restaurant that closed down soon after a bad review after opening night.
What makes it "seasonal" is that there is this notion of a TV season. But this churn process can happen at any time.
Want to go meet a C- or D-level actor? Go stand in an unemployment line in Hollywood. ;-)
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 12:30 PM on November 11, 2011 [2 favorites]
It's true, but it's not because it's seasonal (well, it kind of is, but stay with me here). Each production company is an independent entity (e.g. New Sitcom, Inc.) If the production is canceled or not picked up or otherwise shuttered, the employees are all unemployed, just as if they were all working in, say, a restaurant that closed down soon after a bad review after opening night.
What makes it "seasonal" is that there is this notion of a TV season. But this churn process can happen at any time.
Want to go meet a C- or D-level actor? Go stand in an unemployment line in Hollywood. ;-)
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 12:30 PM on November 11, 2011 [2 favorites]
When my wife was adjunct, we had to budget her paychecks so that we could spread it out over her breaks; you should be doing the same. Your hourly rate may seem awesome, but are you spreading that out over the six weeks off? Not so awesome anymore?
If you become full-time faculty, then you should have an option to have your paycheck spread out over the year, summers and all.
posted by TinWhistle at 12:36 PM on November 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
If you become full-time faculty, then you should have an option to have your paycheck spread out over the year, summers and all.
posted by TinWhistle at 12:36 PM on November 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
Some teachers' credit unions will also set things up so you can receive a paycheck year round.
But yeah, no unemployment benefits.
posted by corey flood at 12:46 PM on November 11, 2011
But yeah, no unemployment benefits.
posted by corey flood at 12:46 PM on November 11, 2011
I have a friend who teaches community college in CA who has told me she gets unemployment every summer. I think she's said that she usually gets denied the first time and then appeals. I'm not sure how this works--it doesn't make sense to me, either.
posted by needs more cowbell at 12:55 PM on November 11, 2011
posted by needs more cowbell at 12:55 PM on November 11, 2011
Are you an adjunct professor? If so, you ARE eligible for unemployment during winter and summer breaks because there is NO REAL GUARANTEE that you will be rehired. (People are routinely promised a class and then don't get one due to budget problems. In the meantime, you don't have any money.)
http://ca.aft.org/aft1388/index.cfm?action=article&articleID=1e5c6d63-1b34-410d-a1a4-958497ad3867
http://www.cta.org/Professional-Development/Publications/Advocate-July-Aug-10/How-to-apply.aspx
There is a lot more information out there.
posted by wintersweet at 1:00 PM on November 11, 2011 [2 favorites]
http://ca.aft.org/aft1388/index.cfm?action=article&articleID=1e5c6d63-1b34-410d-a1a4-958497ad3867
http://www.cta.org/Professional-Development/Publications/Advocate-July-Aug-10/How-to-apply.aspx
There is a lot more information out there.
posted by wintersweet at 1:00 PM on November 11, 2011 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Not an adjunct professor. I am considered Part-Time Faculty by the school.
Seems like there is some grey area here. I certainly expect to be teaching again in the spring - we have a verbal agreement and a class schedule worked out. But OTOH there is no guaranteed contract or anything similar. I have had some ugly experiences with unemployment in the past so I don't wanna take money that I'm not entitled to.
posted by gnutron at 1:27 PM on November 11, 2011
Seems like there is some grey area here. I certainly expect to be teaching again in the spring - we have a verbal agreement and a class schedule worked out. But OTOH there is no guaranteed contract or anything similar. I have had some ugly experiences with unemployment in the past so I don't wanna take money that I'm not entitled to.
posted by gnutron at 1:27 PM on November 11, 2011
Given your comment that you "certainly expect to be teaching again in the spring - we have a verbal agreement and a class schedule worked out. But OTOH there is no guaranteed contract or anything similar," I think you should double-check with the unemployment benefits office--they'll be the ones who can give you the definitive answer. From the document linked to above by kindall:
I don't wanna take money that I'm not entitled to.
Well, just inquiring won't mean that you'll be offered the money--they'll check to make sure you're entitled to it.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 1:57 PM on November 11, 2011
California Unemployment Insurance Program: Depending upon your circumstances, you may or may not be eligible for Unemployment Insurance benefits. You can get details and apply for benefits at your local office of the California State Employment Development Department (EDD). If you work outside California, contact the comparable state agency for your location.From your description, you're not a permanent employee and you don't have a written guarantee of continuing work in the spring. They've tentatively offered you work and arranged a schedule for you now because they want to have someone available to teach those classes IF all goes according to plan, but this is not the same as guaranteed continuation of employment.
I don't wanna take money that I'm not entitled to.
Well, just inquiring won't mean that you'll be offered the money--they'll check to make sure you're entitled to it.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 1:57 PM on November 11, 2011
Unless your school has adjunct professors as well, you're probably an adjunct professor being called part-time to be polite. (The terms are interchangeable at most places.) Read the previously-linked documents as well as these to see if they apply to you.
http://www.cca4me.org/issues_action/part_time/unemployment.html
http://chronicle.com/forums/index.php/topic,51018.0.html (probably a better place to ask than here, TBH)
If it's a "large art college" and thus a private school that's not accountable to the state, though, I'm thinking you might have a harder time. I would say to consult your union rep, but maybe you don't have one.
posted by wintersweet at 2:32 PM on November 11, 2011
http://www.cca4me.org/issues_action/part_time/unemployment.html
http://chronicle.com/forums/index.php/topic,51018.0.html (probably a better place to ask than here, TBH)
If it's a "large art college" and thus a private school that's not accountable to the state, though, I'm thinking you might have a harder time. I would say to consult your union rep, but maybe you don't have one.
posted by wintersweet at 2:32 PM on November 11, 2011
You probably count as an independent contractor, which means you don't get unemployment benefits. On the other hand, it also means unemployment insurance taxes (which pay for unemployment benefits) are not taken out of your paycheck.
posted by miyabo at 2:45 PM on November 11, 2011
posted by miyabo at 2:45 PM on November 11, 2011
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posted by kindall at 12:03 PM on November 11, 2011