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? about unemployment compensation

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sashaannm

Junior Member
What is the name of your state? Florida

Hi,

I was "laid-off" from my job on 8-16-05. That was the last day I worked. Our payroll went in the following day. My ex-boss gave me 2 weeks severence pay, meaning I got paid as though I worked thru 8-30-05. I already filed my initial claim for unemployment. I called the unemployemt agency and asked them when I could file my weeks (I have never done this before) and the guy said that since I was getteing severence pay, to not even claim my weeks yet cause they wldnt pay me. Im so confused. I have no idea what Im doing. I have been looking for work, and been on a cpl of interviews. I got a job offer thru a staffing agency, but as Im in the middle of buying a house (was already doing this before I lost my job) the finance company will not take a staffing agency as "verifiable employment". Also with the staffing agency, I would not be eligible for any type of benefits untile after 6 months. I need to have insurance within the next 4 months because of a medical condition I have to have taken care of. I dont know whether or not I should just take this job or keep looking for one that will give me what I need. The WC says you cant refuse a suitable job offer. How do they know if I have refused a job offer? If I dont put it down on my form as one of the places I have contacted?? PLEASE help, Im driving myself insane!!!
Thank you!
 


cbg

I'm a Northern Girl
Okay, first of all, take a deep breath and calm down. This is nowhere near as difficult as you're trying to make it. :)

First of all, in most if not all states, if you have been granted severance you do not become eligible for unemployment until the severance is exhausted. So if you were paid severance until August 30, you should be eligible for unemployment effective August 31.

Next, the unemployment office is there to help you. State regs vary, and there is no possible way we can tell you what constitutes a suitable offer, but the UI office can. Pick up the phone, give them a call, tell them you're confused and ask for help.

You may not be able to resolve the situation with the finance company. What the unemployment office requires and what the finance company requires may be incompatible. You will have to decide which is more important to you, because if may not be possible to meet both sets of requirements. I can't tell you what Florida regs will say, but my best guess is that if you turn down the agency position outright, you will probably not qualify for UI UNLESS the job is a significant decrease in both pay and responsibilty. I understand it's a tight situation but neither the finance company nor the UI office is required to make exceptions due to your admittedly tough circumstances.

I do not recommend lying to the UI office about the staffing agency job. If they find out about the lie (and I have no idea what reporting requirements an agency has to fulfill) you can not only be disqualifed for any further benefits but you almost certainly will have to repay what benefits you have received.

I understand that this is new to you, but your UI office will also understand that. They deal with people that are new to this problem every day. Give them a chance to help, okay? :)
 

sashaannm

Junior Member
Thanks CBG. I will call the Unemployment Agency tuesday and ask them what I should do. I think that if they say that if I refuse the job offer they wont pay benefits, Im gonna have to do that because I have to get this house bought soon. My uncle (whom Im buying the house from) says If it we dont have a closing date by the end of the month, he will put it on the public market. I have been trying since October of '04 to buy it and have had so many problems. So Im just gonna have to take the first "real" job I can find so I can buy my house. I have worked too hard and too long to wait another 3 months, at which point I may become an official employee at the job I was to be assigned to. Besides that, my appraisal is about to run out and I cant afford to pay for another one. Sorry, Im all off topic :eek: . Thanks again, and have a great holiday weekend!
 

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