NJ Partial Unemployment question

[zfrost27]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? New Jersey

The majority of people at my job including myself were hit with a 25% cut in pay this past month. Ok were getting by. Now there saying it will be another 25% next month. thats a 50% to 40% hit. I would make more on unemployment after that. I cant seem to find an answer to weather or not a huge hit like that would be grounds for partial unemployment. my hours are staying the same. And if I can file for partial how do I go about it since I cant seem to figure it on online through NJ unemployment claim filings. Please help I have been searching for a month about this.

[pattytx]

All states are different, you'll have to call and ask. In my state (which hasn't been Texas in years, but I can't get my user name changed ) of Pennsylvania, partial benefits are ONLY payable if your hours are cut, not your wages.

[zfrost27]

Yeah I have tried quiet a few times but can never get through. And even if I can't get partial. Would a 40 to 50% pay cut be good reason to be allowed to quit and collect unemployment and look for a new job.

[pattytx]

Originally Posted by zfrost27

Yeah I have tried quiet a few times but can never get through. And even if I can't get partial. Would a 40 to 50% pay cut be good reason to be allowed to quit and collect unemployment and look for a new job.

Again, it might be in some states, but in most states, no. Generally speaking, the state would rather you have some job than no job. Even if you get through on the phone, the responders there will only give general information. They will not say "yes you can" or "no you can't", just "file and we'll make a determination". Of course, by that time, you HAVE no job.

[commentator]

You're going to have to file an unemployment claim, though you are still working, to determine how much your weekly benefit amount will be. At least you are going to have to determine what the max is in your state, and if you qualify for that max. Yes, you can get hold them, either by internet or phone if you persist. But they do not give pre-estimates, usually do not answer any but very general questions, so filing the claim might be your only recourse.

You must find that out because no matter how many hours you are working, you have to be making less, in gross wages than your weekly amount on unemployment would be in order to draw any partial unemployment. And usually, even in states like New Jersey, which are fairly generous, that's very low.

Even though it is a so much percent paycut, there is a top amount that you can draw per week in unemployment, and it's not usually as much as you can make even working for minimum wage. So you need this data, how much could I draw a week. It doesn't matter how your current salary is paid, weekly, monthly, bi weekly, it's still based on how much you make a week. It's hard to work full time and make less than the weekly amount of unemployment. Very hard.

Sad as it may seem to get your pay cut, you would probably not be approved for unemployment, and it would not be a good idea to quit your job before you find that better one you think is out there. Because it very well may not be. Why not keep working at your old job until you get that new one? It's very likely more than you would make in unemployment weekly benefits anyhow, even if it's not as much as it used to be.

If the pay cut is across the board in your company, it is an effort to keep people working, and the unemployment system appreciates that. It is not a singling out of you in particular to get a pay cut, which might be interpreted as an effort to get rid of you and might be considered a good cause to quit your job.

[zfrost27]

Yeah I keep heading the company lime from people a out keeping the job and so on. However if they cut me 50% I would make more on unemployment. Also if I was cut 50% I would pretty much be almost breaking even die to travel distAnce and insurance. Plus looking for work would be easier. And it's not company wide

[pattytx]

Originally Posted by zfrost27

However if they cut me 50% I would make more on unemployment. Also if I was cut 50% I would pretty much be almost breaking even die to travel distAnce and insurance. Plus looking for work would be easier.

All of that may be true. Honestly, however, the state probably doesn't care. The state's stance is why should we pay you to sit home when you can be working?

[commentator]

Though it's not company wide, it is not directed at you personally. And when they figure your salary, for purposes of "I had good reason to quit" they take only the cash into consideration, not your commute time or how much time you'd have to look for another job. So they're not going to be very sympathetic to "about the same as I could make drawing." As someone said, they're not going to let you quit your job for this reason and pay you benefits to do it.

It is certainly prudent to figure you've also now got benefits which you will no longer have, or will have to pay more for through COBRA. I really doubt if you will win this one, even if they do, which they haven't actually done yet, lower your pay by 50 or 60%. Sounds like big talk to me. I'm giving you an answer. You could get PARTIAL unemployment, and still work all the hours they have for you, at the wage they're paying you, which would be a little more than just working or just drawing. But if you quit the job, you're very likely not going to have either one.