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Refusing work while on unemployment (?)

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HARRASME AGAIN

Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Wisconsin.

I am receiving unemployment after corporate restructuring eliminated my position of 10 years. I was re employed temporarily for three months over the summer, which came to an end July 31st. An employment agency that I have registered with and have worked for called, left only a message to return the call, which I did. The conversation was oddly very brief, where I was told a position was available in a location that is 40 miles away. I said that "This city is 40 miles away and I really need something closer", to which the response was "okay." and I thanked her for looking for positions for me.

Now I have received a copy of a letter from the agency sent to the Unemployment Division saying that I refused the assignment for the following reason: Location too far. The agency wants an adjudication on this matter.

The information (which I was not given during the conversation) regarding the job is as follows:

Hours: M -Th 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm Pay rate : $8.00 per hour.
Start date 11/9/09 end date 2/9/2010
along with the actual address of the job location, which mapquests out to being even farther.

I was not aware I refused any offer. After looking at the information contained in this letter, it would cost me at least $10 a day in gas, driving the minimum of 60 minutes one way on two lane highways (and being in Wisconsin the snow season is about to overtake us which will increase the drive time) to take a job paying $32 a night before tax deductions for 4 nights a week, for a job I do not have experience doing. The rate of pay is far below what I have earned in the past.

This is not a matter of not wanting to work. I know the reality out there for pay rates. Unemployment is just keeping my head above water and it will be ending shortly. Not trying to whine, but I feel like I was blind sided. Did I just refuse an offer?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you.What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?
 


Mass_Shyster

Senior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Wisconsin.

I am receiving unemployment after corporate restructuring eliminated my position of 10 years. I was re employed temporarily for three months over the summer, which came to an end July 31st. An employment agency that I have registered with and have worked for called, left only a message to return the call, which I did. The conversation was oddly very brief, where I was told a position was available in a location that is 40 miles away. I said that "This city is 40 miles away and I really need something closer", to which the response was "okay." and I thanked her for looking for positions for me.

Now I have received a copy of a letter from the agency sent to the Unemployment Division saying that I refused the assignment for the following reason: Location too far. The agency wants an adjudication on this matter.

The information (which I was not given during the conversation) regarding the job is as follows:

Hours: M -Th 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm Pay rate : $8.00 per hour.
Start date 11/9/09 end date 2/9/2010
along with the actual address of the job location, which mapquests out to being even farther.

I was not aware I refused any offer. After looking at the information contained in this letter, it would cost me at least $10 a day in gas, driving the minimum of 60 minutes one way on two lane highways (and being in Wisconsin the snow season is about to overtake us which will increase the drive time) to take a job paying $32 a night before tax deductions for 4 nights a week, for a job I do not have experience doing. The rate of pay is far below what I have earned in the past.

This is not a matter of not wanting to work. I know the reality out there for pay rates. Unemployment is just keeping my head above water and it will be ending shortly. Not trying to whine, but I feel like I was blind sided. Did I just refuse an offer?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you.What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?
Hopefully, a senior who knows about unemployment will answer.

It seems unreasonable to me to spend $44 per day commuting to a job that only pays $32 per day.

Since the IRS allows $0.55 as a mileage deduction, I would think that your cost to commute is $0.55 * 80 miles (40 miles each way) a day is $44 per day.
 
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pattytx

Senior Member
I don't think so, no. In any case, it's refusing a "reasonable" offer that would disqualify you, and even if this was an offer, I don't see it being reasonable.
 

commentator

Senior Member
That's very right, it does have to be a reasonable offer. Forty mile commute doesn't seem very reasonable. However, once you have worked for a temporary agency, they consider you their property. In other words, you'll be called about every jerky job they get in, regardless of type. I hope when you worked for them before you were doing a professional job similar to what you are doing. If you accepted something that was just pick up work, say a factory assembly job for $9 an hour, then you can't go back and say, but I'm a professional, I was laid off from a job paying so and so.. in other words, the last place you worked, even if it was a temporary assignment, is the highest wage you can now legitimately demand. But in this case, driving distance is the key. Hopefully you weren't commuting a great distance to the last temp assignment you worked.

It is the policy of many temp services to send in paper reporting job refusal on any person they call and don't get to go on an assignment, even if they don't get hold of them because their phone was busy or out of service.

Just tell the ajudicator what you told us here, that you only heard that it was a job 40 miles away and you told them it was too far to drive, and that was it. That you are very much still available for jobs in your legitimate commuting area.

Keep filing for your weekly benefits. Stress that you did not refuse any sort of legitimate job offer or work assignment, (since you were never told anything about the job except the driving distance) so you did not answer the question on your certification about quitting being fired from or refusing a job that week falsely.
 

HARRASME AGAIN

Junior Member
Thank you all for your help. I worked a very short office assignment (3 days) for this agency last December for a greater per hour pay and it was within 8 miles. I did not think after finding out the details of this latest position that it was anywhere near a reasonable offer.

I hope everyone out there who have been let go due to the economy find employment soon. Keep trying everyone things will get better.
 
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HARRASME AGAIN

Junior Member
One other thing. As of this morning my claim payment is being held while they investigate "why I refused and offer of work" and will take up to 21 days before an unemployment agent contacts me. Lovely, just lovely.
 

commentator

Senior Member
Very sorry. As I said, the temps play mean hardball once you become "their property" and will get you cut off if they can. Once the unemployment office receives notice that any claimant has refused a job, it must, by law, be investigated. But remember to keep filing for each week while you are not receiving benefits, and once this is cleared up, you will be backpaid if it's found in your favor. You aren't really losing these weeks, just having them banked in another place. Eventually if you win this, you will be getting them, and will eventually receive the same amount of money from your claim. Just keep telling your side of this as you did here, reasonably and concisely.
 

Hot Topic

Senior Member
The agency probably won't call you again. If they call you at noon to get to a job that pays minimum wage, lasts until 5 p.m., and you have to pay parking, they expect you to go. If the client pays you minimum wage to do a job that the agency worksheets indicate should pay $20 an hour, you do it. They'll tell you that they'll talk to the client about the rate, but they won't. The client is everything because they pay the bills.

They don't like to deal with "troublemakers."
 

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