Short term disability termination

What is the name of your state? Minnesota USA I have a question that I need answered. I work for a rather large corporation that manufactures Ag equipment. I was recently told that the company is outsourcing my dept . I might have to have surgery before my release date. My question is,while on short term disability can I be layed off(permanant). or do they have to wait until I am able to return to work.They are saying that if I am on medical that when my release date comes up that my disability payments will stop. They say I will be able to collect unemployment but I don't think that is possible for in order to do that I have to be able to work. Am I just out of luck here or are there laws protecting me.

Yes, you can legally be laid off while on STD. If your job would be one of the jobs selected for layoff regardless, being on STD does not protect you. Whether your disability payments will stop or continue till the end of your recovery will depend on how the plan is written, but it would be VERY unusual for the plan to be written in such a way that you are only able to collect benefits while still an employee. I've been working with employer sponsored group benefits for over 25 years and I have NEVER seen and only once heard of a plan where benefits did not continue until you were recovered, regardless of your employment status. This is, however, a contract issue and not a legal one; the law does not REQUIRE that your plan be written that way.

You need to talk to someone in your HR department about this.

Thanks

Thanks, YOu told me what I needed to know. I did talk to HR as that is who told me this. Maybe I didn't talk to the right one. Will try again.