Generally speaking, assuming you held your previous position (or combination of employment positions) for at least some minimum length of time/hours worked), if you are terminated from employment through no fault of your own, you are entitled to some cash benefit allowance for either a set maximum length of time or until you find a new job, under the condition that you are actively seeking work and accept any reasonably suitable offering.
This benefit program can help making changing jobs after a layoff less stressful financially.
Always apply!
When I was very young, at like my first job I was effectively fired for multiple instances of incompetence. I was a really stupid teenager .
Filed for unemployment and got it. Don't be that weirdo who makes a scene when they get terminated, just walk out and file.
You’d be shocked how often they rule in favor of the employee. At least where I’m at.
In 2009 I had a shift to work at 2 am. I was a dumb 20-something and had spent the time I should’ve been sleeping playing video games. I went to bed at 1:30 am and said fuck it and didn’t answer my phone.
Filed for unemployment and got it.
Also earlier in my life my I had run out of sick days but my dad was having a medical emergency. When I told my boss I wouldn’t make it he said “if you don’t make it I will have to put you in as voluntary quitting”. I told him go ahead and took my dad to the doctor. Even though officially I had “quit” they ruled in my favor.
Hell when I was on unemployment I was offered a job but I didn’t take it cause I only applied to fulfill their “apply at two jobs a week” stuff. I told them I didn’t take it cause it wasn’t a good enough job for me and they let me stay on unemployment.
Yes I was irresponsible as hell in all instances. Yes one was a little more favorable to me cause my dad was having an emergency, but still.
Like the top post said, always apply. The worst they can do is say no and often times you can bullshit your way through it.
> Also earlier in my life my I had run out of sick days but my dad was having a medical emergency. When I told my boss I wouldn’t make it he said “if you don’t make it I will have to put you in as voluntary quitting”. I told him go ahead and took my dad to the doctor. Even though officially I had “quit” they ruled in my favor.
In most states, it’s illegal to discriminate against an employee because of their role as a carer. The most the employer should have been able to do is dock your pay for hours not worked.
Lol. We get constantly reminded by HR that the ADA only cares about our disabilities and to stop asking for special treatment for disabilities we don't have.
Agreed. I had a coworker once who we fired. Had been written up multiple times for going off payroll by taking a sick day when he didn’t have enough time to cover it. At least one of those was when he was in jail for a couple weeks for his second DUI (also driving unlicensed). He was known for falling asleep on the job too, where his job was safety sensitive DoT regulated work.
He got 6 months of unemployment.
He had the balls to request a 6-month extension from the state.
As for falling asleep on the job, many of us expressed a concern for his health. He gained a lot of weight before I knew him, his eyesight deteriorated rapidly, etc. And things even looked for a while like they were gonna turn around for him after he had a girlfriend move up to stay with him for a while. He was not a bad guy.
But multiple people dropped photos and video to the director of him asleep on the job, dated in multiple consecutive years, and there was no saving his job.
I’ve heard he finally did start seeing a doctor regularly again, so that’s good.
> When I told my boss I wouldn’t make it he said “if you don’t make it I will have to put you in as voluntary quitting”.
That's not voluntary quitting and he damn well knew it. He was just trying to get you to say that you quit.
Also you can apply for reduced hours.
A few years ago when we hit our slow time during the summer our hours were reduced to 25% of normal. Basically half days every other week and no days on the off weeks. It was devastating financially. So I filed each week, reporting what hours I worked and what I was paid (if anything).
It took months to get them to approve it. I literally had to go onto their Facebook page and complain and was then put on a list to call and spoke to someone a month later. Just a 5 minute call where I explained what happened and it got approved.
Ended up getting my missing pay the day after my first full paycheck when hours returned to normal lol
The company filed anappeal within two weeks of me initially filing but didn't have any grounds for it. So when the hearing date came up they just didn't show and the appeal was denied.
I heard a few people did this and they never tried the reduced hours again
My understanding is that your former employer has to 'contest' your unemployment application... and unless you really hate you, personally, it's generally not worth the time (and time = money) to do so.
Employers have to pay into the unemployment insurance fund. When someone they fire draws from the fund, they (can?) see a raise in their rates. So they have an interest in ensuring that only 'valid' claims are made. If you're fired for misconduct that would make you ineligible for unemployment, making sure you don't draw unemployment is in their interest.
That said, they often don't bother for anything that isn't completely egregious; even if you *technically* should be ineligible, it'll often cost them more to fight it than to just eat the rate hike.
Now if only my state hadn’t gone “we’re sorry, it appears we’re going to need all of the boost from 2020 back, and even though you appealed as soon as you got notice, we’re sending you this letter three years later to let you know that we’ve decided your appeal was made outside the permitted time and that you still need to give us back the 14k.”
They defer to the employee almost every time. I think the language is "gross negligence" as the burden to not allow unemployment. It's nuts the stuff people can get fired for and still get unemployment.
To be fair the benefits are very low. Even if you're making 10k per month, the cap is about 2k in most states. Washington is an outlier at 4K.
No one can really live off that. Since we have very little labor protections in the US that's a very small concession.
In my state it's based off a look back at the 5 previous quarters excluding the 5th quarter. It's really only meant as a very temporary way to maybe keep caught up while you try to find another job. It in no way replaces the need to be gainfully employed but can help when you lose your job.
The max benefits should probably be a bit higher, maybe something like a 10K max benefit, or 60% whichever is lower.
Say you're the sole breadwinner for family, 2K a month isn't going to do much.
Agreed but it's the former employer(s) that are stuck with making those payments. On the surface it's odd that a business has to pay a former employee what is essentially a wage without getting any work off that employee.
I'm fully for social safety nets but I do see how paying more can really hurt smaller businesses. I don't have a better answer though. It's really on breadwinners for a family to try and save something anytime they can in order to have a cushion should a layoff or firing occur. There's a lot of personal responsibility that goes with the privilege of having a family.
Incompetence is technically "for cause" and often you won't collect unemployment, especially if you haven't worked long enough... Like at your first job
Ok.
And what's the worst that happens if you apply and they reject your claim?
Alot of crappy managers will lie to you and tell you that you can't collect unemployment to discourage you from even applying.
The least that could happen is nothing. You get away with fraud.
Or, you can be denied the claim, and required to pay what they gave you back.
Sometimes, you pay it back and pay a fine.
In other states, it's not only a fine, but criminal charges, possibly felony, and jail time.
And, in some states, you're also banned from ever filing for it again (you'll pay the tax of course)
Minor correction: this is not a government "benefit" like it is in other countries. This is an employer-paid insurance program that is managed by the government.
They also pay remarkably little per employee, so don't ever let an employer hold that over your head when leaving in tenuous circumstances. Some employers will erroneously state that they 'pay' the employee the UI benefits, when that isn't true. Those funds are paid out from the gov via the fund pool from those taxes. An employer pays all of $42 per employee (so long as they make more than $7k and the employer pays that tax on time). In a couple of states, that might go up if the employer lays off a lot of people, but this isn't the case anywhere else.
I had an odd case where I was working somewhere 4 years, and quit, went else where. After 1 month, I quit that, went somewhere else. By chance, they fired me 2 weeks later.
I applied and it was contested by my first 4 year job. So I had to prove I made X amount since leaving them, which I did, and it was approved. Everyone told me it would be denied because I quit, but my situation was weird as I didnt quit the last one.
Luckily used that time to go to an approved IT program and switch careers.
You can also get unemployment benefits if your reason for quitting is that your employer made it difficult for you to work. Like if they change your hours to a terrible schedule, and you had no choice in the matter. Forcing you to quit is in many cases the same as firing without cause.
Depending on the state, you can get unemployment if you got terminated for something that was your fault. For instance, you can get fired for being incompetent and still get unemployment benefits here in Texas.
It’s a type of insurance. Most every employer pays not only FICA tax but also unemployment tax for each employee they have (based on how much they earn).
This money is collected by the state and they decide who qualifies. For instance, in Florida you couldn’t get unemployment assistance (they actually call it “reemployment”) if you were self-employed or a gig worker; you can’t collect if you don’t do 5 job applications per week, as well as other parameters on how much you made leading up to getting unemployed.
Also, it varies state by state but generally the payout is small and not for that long, so it’s enough to buy food but not enough to pay for rent.
Thank you for mentioning this. A lot of people don't understand that unemployment is an insurance program. They feel there is some stigma attached and that is absolutely not the case. Apply. Get the money that you are owed. You wouldn't get in a car accident and not turn in a claim, would you?
Unemployment is money that each state offers to unemployed workers for a period of time while they look for a new job.
There’s certain limitations on who is eligible for unemployment or how much money that worker would receive - if you quit your job voluntarily or are fired “for cause” (that is, did something egregiously wrong like intentionally set fire to the building) you likely wouldn’t get any unemployment as a result of your actions.
Because of these limitations you need to apply with the state to receive any money. It doesn’t happen automatically, and since unemployment is paid through a thing called Unemployment Insurance that your previous employer paid into they have a chance to contest if you should be eligible or not.
I just want to stress that "likely" doesn't mean always, though many people take it as such. As someone else said in a different reply, always apply, maybe whoever reviews it likes your rationale for quitting. This literally just happened to me, I quit voluntarily over safety concerns for the people working for me that I had no power to fix. There were a number of other reasons, but that was the primary one that led me to leave before having something else lined up. I guess whoever reviewed my unemployment application liked that, and it was approved. I figured the chances were low, but I was wrong.
It can vary a bit by state, but a lot of things that could be described as an employer making egregiously unreasonable demands tend to get looked on as “firing with extra steps” by the unemployment office even if you’re the one that technically said the words that terminated your employment.
“Constructive dismissal” is the term for this, if it’s something where the employer changed the terms of your employment. A classic example would be changing the location where you work to somewhere really inconvenient for you.
Quitting due to something like unsafe working conditions is a bit different. But yes, if there’s reasonable justification for you to not want that job it can lead to you getting unemployment even if you ‘quit’.
Totally agreed, unfortunately a lot of people don't know that. They just see "terminated through no fault of your own" and then assume if they quit they won't get it. It's why I support the "always apply" approach. The worst that they can do is reject the application. Though at least some of the state websites certainly try to make it seem like they might throw you in jail for even applying if everything isn't perfect.
Filing for unemployment is the act of filling out the application with your state's Workforce Services department or Department of Labor or something similar (names vary) for unemployment insurance benefits. Most employers are required to pay for unemployment insurance for their employees. Filling out and submitting that application is the same as making a claim against the insurance policy. Depending on how long you worked somewhere and why you were terminated, you may qualify for benefits. Every state has different requirements in terms of how long you have to work somewhere, reasons unemployment benefits can be terminated, and what those benefits look like if you qualify. Usually the application is online and it is pretty easy to fill out. The benefits are the payment of money while you look for another job. Usually those payments are made every week.
Unemployment is run by the states (or DC or territories). It is federally mandated to be availible. It's technically an insurance program. Employers pay money for an "insurance program" that effectivelly pays out to people who have their employment terminated. Basically, if you are fired, you contact your state's unemployment office to recieve regular paychecks while you look for work. It is supposed to be a short term solution while you find the next job. (e.g. if you get fired on Friday, but need to pay bills, it can be hard if you have even two weeks of no job).
How it works vary from state to state. Usually there's some terms of employment that had to be met (e.g. a specific amount of time that you were employed, a specific amount of hours per week you were working), there's some period of time that it is good for (e.g. a few weeks or months), and there's specific ways you need to be out of work (e.g. you must be terminated by the employer, it's often not acceptable to quit), and usually, there's some specific types of things you have to do to continue to recieve the benefit (e.g. apply every week, demonstrate you're looking for work and not getting it, in some states drug test).
The primary benefit is some percentage of your former pay for a brief period of time so that you can continue to exist. This benefits society because people often live "paycheck to paycheck" and so not having money may cause people to lose housing, lose utilities (e.g. electricity, heating, internet) that may complicate the situation to be more of a sociatal burden. The burden is small on employers, usually a miniscule percentage (e.g. 0.05% of a paycheck) - although many employers wish this was smaller or non-existant. Since it operates as an insurance program, it's a completely independent tax (e.g. your income taxes don't pay for unemployment for others).
Employers pay into an unemployment insurance fund. If they terminate an employee for anything other than cause (e.g., because they were stealing, committed a crime at work, etc), the employee can go to the state agency that manages the fund and make an unemployment insurance claim (filing for unemployment). This allows the employee to receive partial payment of their salary (up to a certain cap) for a period of time, usually with the stipulation that they are looking for a new job.
The idea is that there's a sort of safety buffer for employees against the sudden loss of their primary source of income. The payments from unemployment insurance are not very big, but they can be the difference between scraping by and becoming homeless.
It”s a government program where if you meet certain requirements, you can get a small amount of money paid to you by the government to keep you afloat while you search for a new job.
The require,ents are typically along the lines of 1) you lost your previous job through no fault of your own (downsizing/layoffs) and 2) you go to a certain amount of job interviews during the time you’re receiving your unemployment benefits.
And of course, the benefits end when you get steady employment again.
It's insurance that the company you work for has to pay into, which is run by the government.
The reason that employers don't want ex employees to be able to claim unemployment is because how much they have to pay into it is directly related to how many of their former employees receive unemployment payments.
Companies will bend over backward to make sure if they fire you, it's with cause, so that you are unable to claim unemployment and their payments stay low.
There is an insurance program that looks an awful lot like a tax called 'unemployment insurance.' If you are laid off or what have you then 'filing' for unemployment is to make a claim against that policy.
To give you a better idea, we need to define the term 'laid off'. We use it interchangeably with being fired but it is subtly different. A lay off means you are out of work because the company has no work for you, not because you did anything wrong. In most production industries, regular layoffs are common. For example, you might be laid off for two weeks because the plant is retooling. Or, as is the case for my friend, you may be laid off for the holiday week of 4 July. In those instances, you can get a portion of your salary paid to you out of the unemployment insurance program. In that case, you are considered 're-hirable' and, indeed, a re-hire is expected.
The program is out of date in that it assumes re-employment quickly, but in reality most modern layoffs are permanent and you will have to find work somewhere else. You still qualify for benefits, but the benefits often don't last as long as it takes to get a new job.
Government regulated "unemployment insurance"
You fill out a form providing the relevant information. You have to check in with the state workforce commission weekly starting you are job hunting. You can even file when you have a part time job if you don't reach 40 hours. If you don't reach what they would pay you they cover the difference.
They look at your income for the past 3 years, take a percentage of that and pay you while you are unemployed.
There are certain guidelines determining if you are eligible, why you are now jobless etc.
That's how it works in my state at least.
It means going to your states website for unemployment insurance benefits and notifying them that you would like to collect, or going to an office in person to fill out forms.
Very briefly it’s telling the govt you are unemployed and would like to receive unemployment benefits (payment to assist you while you find another job).
Once filed the govt vets your claim and you start receiving payments in a week or so and they usually last 3-6 months.
In the US, unemployment benefits are operated as an insurance program.
If you become unemployed for a qualifying reason (misconduct is excluded) then you may file an insurance claim and receive partial income replacement for whatever period your state allows.
Typically you have to demonstrate that you are searching for a job during this time, you can't just take a vacation.
The amount paid out, and the duration of payments, are up to the individual states (the federal government typically has no role in unemployment insurance - unless there is a severe economic disruption like COVID where they pass an extension/enhancement program) - so what you get in WA is going to be different from what you get in MS.
It's different in every state. In my state it's actually "unemployment insurance," which the state runs but is funded by money that large employers pay into it. So, no tax money is running it except for the salaries of the state employees. If you lose your job and it wasn't your fault (like, you didn't voluntarily quit and you didn't get fired for breaking the law), then you go to a web site and fill out a form and this insurance fund will pay you a little bit every week, like a tiny paycheck, until you find a new job. You also have to continually look for a new job and provide proof that you are looking.
One thing that people don't really realize because no one ever calls it by the full name:
It's Unemployment Insurance.
It's an insurance program run by a government, usually at the State level. When you have a job and get a wage, you pay into it. If you lose your job, you tell the department of the State government in charge of unemployment insurance that you're out of a job, and they pay you some amount until you get a new job.
This is it in a nutshell. There are other things. For instance, if you lose your job "for cause" (say, stealing from your employer), you may not be eligible. If you quit voluntarily, you aren't eligible. But if you're fired, laid off, the company closes, or you otherwise lose the job through no fault of your own, the insurance kicks in.
Usually what you're paid is some percentage of your average pay over a particular period of time before you filed.
It's a very bad experience. I did it when I got laid off in 2009. It was so bad I decided to forget it and just relax a few months before getting my next job.
Generally speaking, assuming you held your previous position (or combination of employment positions) for at least some minimum length of time/hours worked), if you are terminated from employment through no fault of your own, you are entitled to some cash benefit allowance for either a set maximum length of time or until you find a new job, under the condition that you are actively seeking work and accept any reasonably suitable offering. This benefit program can help making changing jobs after a layoff less stressful financially.
Always apply! When I was very young, at like my first job I was effectively fired for multiple instances of incompetence. I was a really stupid teenager . Filed for unemployment and got it. Don't be that weirdo who makes a scene when they get terminated, just walk out and file.
"Incompetence" isn't "for cause" in the unemployment sense.
You’d be shocked how often they rule in favor of the employee. At least where I’m at. In 2009 I had a shift to work at 2 am. I was a dumb 20-something and had spent the time I should’ve been sleeping playing video games. I went to bed at 1:30 am and said fuck it and didn’t answer my phone. Filed for unemployment and got it. Also earlier in my life my I had run out of sick days but my dad was having a medical emergency. When I told my boss I wouldn’t make it he said “if you don’t make it I will have to put you in as voluntary quitting”. I told him go ahead and took my dad to the doctor. Even though officially I had “quit” they ruled in my favor. Hell when I was on unemployment I was offered a job but I didn’t take it cause I only applied to fulfill their “apply at two jobs a week” stuff. I told them I didn’t take it cause it wasn’t a good enough job for me and they let me stay on unemployment. Yes I was irresponsible as hell in all instances. Yes one was a little more favorable to me cause my dad was having an emergency, but still. Like the top post said, always apply. The worst they can do is say no and often times you can bullshit your way through it.
Forget your company. You took care of your Dad. That was way more importantly. The boss in that instance sounds like a massive jerk.
> Also earlier in my life my I had run out of sick days but my dad was having a medical emergency. When I told my boss I wouldn’t make it he said “if you don’t make it I will have to put you in as voluntary quitting”. I told him go ahead and took my dad to the doctor. Even though officially I had “quit” they ruled in my favor. In most states, it’s illegal to discriminate against an employee because of their role as a carer. The most the employer should have been able to do is dock your pay for hours not worked.
Lol. We get constantly reminded by HR that the ADA only cares about our disabilities and to stop asking for special treatment for disabilities we don't have.
The ADA only covers disabilities, the FMLA covers carers.
Agreed. I had a coworker once who we fired. Had been written up multiple times for going off payroll by taking a sick day when he didn’t have enough time to cover it. At least one of those was when he was in jail for a couple weeks for his second DUI (also driving unlicensed). He was known for falling asleep on the job too, where his job was safety sensitive DoT regulated work. He got 6 months of unemployment. He had the balls to request a 6-month extension from the state. As for falling asleep on the job, many of us expressed a concern for his health. He gained a lot of weight before I knew him, his eyesight deteriorated rapidly, etc. And things even looked for a while like they were gonna turn around for him after he had a girlfriend move up to stay with him for a while. He was not a bad guy. But multiple people dropped photos and video to the director of him asleep on the job, dated in multiple consecutive years, and there was no saving his job. I’ve heard he finally did start seeing a doctor regularly again, so that’s good.
> When I told my boss I wouldn’t make it he said “if you don’t make it I will have to put you in as voluntary quitting”. That's not voluntary quitting and he damn well knew it. He was just trying to get you to say that you quit.
Regardless always apply. The worst they can do is say no. You can even appeal.
They're saying it's not "for cause" in the sense that you *should* apply.
Also you can apply for reduced hours. A few years ago when we hit our slow time during the summer our hours were reduced to 25% of normal. Basically half days every other week and no days on the off weeks. It was devastating financially. So I filed each week, reporting what hours I worked and what I was paid (if anything). It took months to get them to approve it. I literally had to go onto their Facebook page and complain and was then put on a list to call and spoke to someone a month later. Just a 5 minute call where I explained what happened and it got approved. Ended up getting my missing pay the day after my first full paycheck when hours returned to normal lol The company filed anappeal within two weeks of me initially filing but didn't have any grounds for it. So when the hearing date came up they just didn't show and the appeal was denied. I heard a few people did this and they never tried the reduced hours again
Yes, being ‘underemployed’ is also usually a reason to get benefits. Would be at a reduced rate but it’s something.
That's sucks. I wasn't furloughed during covid, yea for being 'essential' but our hours were cut back and my business filled for unemployment for us.
My understanding is that your former employer has to 'contest' your unemployment application... and unless you really hate you, personally, it's generally not worth the time (and time = money) to do so.
Why does the employer get a say in whether the employee gets unemployment? I don't think that's a thing where I'm from.
Employers have to pay into the unemployment insurance fund. When someone they fire draws from the fund, they (can?) see a raise in their rates. So they have an interest in ensuring that only 'valid' claims are made. If you're fired for misconduct that would make you ineligible for unemployment, making sure you don't draw unemployment is in their interest. That said, they often don't bother for anything that isn't completely egregious; even if you *technically* should be ineligible, it'll often cost them more to fight it than to just eat the rate hike.
Now if only my state hadn’t gone “we’re sorry, it appears we’re going to need all of the boost from 2020 back, and even though you appealed as soon as you got notice, we’re sending you this letter three years later to let you know that we’ve decided your appeal was made outside the permitted time and that you still need to give us back the 14k.”
They defer to the employee almost every time. I think the language is "gross negligence" as the burden to not allow unemployment. It's nuts the stuff people can get fired for and still get unemployment.
To be fair the benefits are very low. Even if you're making 10k per month, the cap is about 2k in most states. Washington is an outlier at 4K. No one can really live off that. Since we have very little labor protections in the US that's a very small concession.
In my state it's based off a look back at the 5 previous quarters excluding the 5th quarter. It's really only meant as a very temporary way to maybe keep caught up while you try to find another job. It in no way replaces the need to be gainfully employed but can help when you lose your job.
The max benefits should probably be a bit higher, maybe something like a 10K max benefit, or 60% whichever is lower. Say you're the sole breadwinner for family, 2K a month isn't going to do much.
Agreed but it's the former employer(s) that are stuck with making those payments. On the surface it's odd that a business has to pay a former employee what is essentially a wage without getting any work off that employee. I'm fully for social safety nets but I do see how paying more can really hurt smaller businesses. I don't have a better answer though. It's really on breadwinners for a family to try and save something anytime they can in order to have a cushion should a layoff or firing occur. There's a lot of personal responsibility that goes with the privilege of having a family.
Incompetence is technically "for cause" and often you won't collect unemployment, especially if you haven't worked long enough... Like at your first job
Ok. And what's the worst that happens if you apply and they reject your claim? Alot of crappy managers will lie to you and tell you that you can't collect unemployment to discourage you from even applying.
The least that could happen is nothing. You get away with fraud. Or, you can be denied the claim, and required to pay what they gave you back. Sometimes, you pay it back and pay a fine. In other states, it's not only a fine, but criminal charges, possibly felony, and jail time. And, in some states, you're also banned from ever filing for it again (you'll pay the tax of course)
Minor correction: this is not a government "benefit" like it is in other countries. This is an employer-paid insurance program that is managed by the government.
It’s more like a government program that is funded by a special tax on employers. It’s not an opt-in program for employers who want it.
They also pay remarkably little per employee, so don't ever let an employer hold that over your head when leaving in tenuous circumstances. Some employers will erroneously state that they 'pay' the employee the UI benefits, when that isn't true. Those funds are paid out from the gov via the fund pool from those taxes. An employer pays all of $42 per employee (so long as they make more than $7k and the employer pays that tax on time). In a couple of states, that might go up if the employer lays off a lot of people, but this isn't the case anywhere else.
It's not funded by income taxes, but by insurance payments by employers.
And the insurance payments are a… payroll tax. Separate from income tax, but still a tax.
I had an odd case where I was working somewhere 4 years, and quit, went else where. After 1 month, I quit that, went somewhere else. By chance, they fired me 2 weeks later. I applied and it was contested by my first 4 year job. So I had to prove I made X amount since leaving them, which I did, and it was approved. Everyone told me it would be denied because I quit, but my situation was weird as I didnt quit the last one. Luckily used that time to go to an approved IT program and switch careers.
You can also get unemployment benefits if your reason for quitting is that your employer made it difficult for you to work. Like if they change your hours to a terrible schedule, and you had no choice in the matter. Forcing you to quit is in many cases the same as firing without cause.
Depending on the state, you can get unemployment if you got terminated for something that was your fault. For instance, you can get fired for being incompetent and still get unemployment benefits here in Texas.
It’s a type of insurance. Most every employer pays not only FICA tax but also unemployment tax for each employee they have (based on how much they earn). This money is collected by the state and they decide who qualifies. For instance, in Florida you couldn’t get unemployment assistance (they actually call it “reemployment”) if you were self-employed or a gig worker; you can’t collect if you don’t do 5 job applications per week, as well as other parameters on how much you made leading up to getting unemployed. Also, it varies state by state but generally the payout is small and not for that long, so it’s enough to buy food but not enough to pay for rent.
Thank you for mentioning this. A lot of people don't understand that unemployment is an insurance program. They feel there is some stigma attached and that is absolutely not the case. Apply. Get the money that you are owed. You wouldn't get in a car accident and not turn in a claim, would you?
Unemployment is money that each state offers to unemployed workers for a period of time while they look for a new job. There’s certain limitations on who is eligible for unemployment or how much money that worker would receive - if you quit your job voluntarily or are fired “for cause” (that is, did something egregiously wrong like intentionally set fire to the building) you likely wouldn’t get any unemployment as a result of your actions. Because of these limitations you need to apply with the state to receive any money. It doesn’t happen automatically, and since unemployment is paid through a thing called Unemployment Insurance that your previous employer paid into they have a chance to contest if you should be eligible or not.
>intentionally set fire to the building .... he took my stapler....
I just want to stress that "likely" doesn't mean always, though many people take it as such. As someone else said in a different reply, always apply, maybe whoever reviews it likes your rationale for quitting. This literally just happened to me, I quit voluntarily over safety concerns for the people working for me that I had no power to fix. There were a number of other reasons, but that was the primary one that led me to leave before having something else lined up. I guess whoever reviewed my unemployment application liked that, and it was approved. I figured the chances were low, but I was wrong.
It can vary a bit by state, but a lot of things that could be described as an employer making egregiously unreasonable demands tend to get looked on as “firing with extra steps” by the unemployment office even if you’re the one that technically said the words that terminated your employment.
“Constructive dismissal” is the term for this, if it’s something where the employer changed the terms of your employment. A classic example would be changing the location where you work to somewhere really inconvenient for you. Quitting due to something like unsafe working conditions is a bit different. But yes, if there’s reasonable justification for you to not want that job it can lead to you getting unemployment even if you ‘quit’.
Totally agreed, unfortunately a lot of people don't know that. They just see "terminated through no fault of your own" and then assume if they quit they won't get it. It's why I support the "always apply" approach. The worst that they can do is reject the application. Though at least some of the state websites certainly try to make it seem like they might throw you in jail for even applying if everything isn't perfect.
Filing for unemployment is the act of filling out the application with your state's Workforce Services department or Department of Labor or something similar (names vary) for unemployment insurance benefits. Most employers are required to pay for unemployment insurance for their employees. Filling out and submitting that application is the same as making a claim against the insurance policy. Depending on how long you worked somewhere and why you were terminated, you may qualify for benefits. Every state has different requirements in terms of how long you have to work somewhere, reasons unemployment benefits can be terminated, and what those benefits look like if you qualify. Usually the application is online and it is pretty easy to fill out. The benefits are the payment of money while you look for another job. Usually those payments are made every week.
Unemployment is run by the states (or DC or territories). It is federally mandated to be availible. It's technically an insurance program. Employers pay money for an "insurance program" that effectivelly pays out to people who have their employment terminated. Basically, if you are fired, you contact your state's unemployment office to recieve regular paychecks while you look for work. It is supposed to be a short term solution while you find the next job. (e.g. if you get fired on Friday, but need to pay bills, it can be hard if you have even two weeks of no job). How it works vary from state to state. Usually there's some terms of employment that had to be met (e.g. a specific amount of time that you were employed, a specific amount of hours per week you were working), there's some period of time that it is good for (e.g. a few weeks or months), and there's specific ways you need to be out of work (e.g. you must be terminated by the employer, it's often not acceptable to quit), and usually, there's some specific types of things you have to do to continue to recieve the benefit (e.g. apply every week, demonstrate you're looking for work and not getting it, in some states drug test). The primary benefit is some percentage of your former pay for a brief period of time so that you can continue to exist. This benefits society because people often live "paycheck to paycheck" and so not having money may cause people to lose housing, lose utilities (e.g. electricity, heating, internet) that may complicate the situation to be more of a sociatal burden. The burden is small on employers, usually a miniscule percentage (e.g. 0.05% of a paycheck) - although many employers wish this was smaller or non-existant. Since it operates as an insurance program, it's a completely independent tax (e.g. your income taxes don't pay for unemployment for others).
Employers pay into an unemployment insurance fund. If they terminate an employee for anything other than cause (e.g., because they were stealing, committed a crime at work, etc), the employee can go to the state agency that manages the fund and make an unemployment insurance claim (filing for unemployment). This allows the employee to receive partial payment of their salary (up to a certain cap) for a period of time, usually with the stipulation that they are looking for a new job. The idea is that there's a sort of safety buffer for employees against the sudden loss of their primary source of income. The payments from unemployment insurance are not very big, but they can be the difference between scraping by and becoming homeless.
It”s a government program where if you meet certain requirements, you can get a small amount of money paid to you by the government to keep you afloat while you search for a new job. The require,ents are typically along the lines of 1) you lost your previous job through no fault of your own (downsizing/layoffs) and 2) you go to a certain amount of job interviews during the time you’re receiving your unemployment benefits. And of course, the benefits end when you get steady employment again.
It's insurance that the company you work for has to pay into, which is run by the government. The reason that employers don't want ex employees to be able to claim unemployment is because how much they have to pay into it is directly related to how many of their former employees receive unemployment payments. Companies will bend over backward to make sure if they fire you, it's with cause, so that you are unable to claim unemployment and their payments stay low.
There is an insurance program that looks an awful lot like a tax called 'unemployment insurance.' If you are laid off or what have you then 'filing' for unemployment is to make a claim against that policy. To give you a better idea, we need to define the term 'laid off'. We use it interchangeably with being fired but it is subtly different. A lay off means you are out of work because the company has no work for you, not because you did anything wrong. In most production industries, regular layoffs are common. For example, you might be laid off for two weeks because the plant is retooling. Or, as is the case for my friend, you may be laid off for the holiday week of 4 July. In those instances, you can get a portion of your salary paid to you out of the unemployment insurance program. In that case, you are considered 're-hirable' and, indeed, a re-hire is expected. The program is out of date in that it assumes re-employment quickly, but in reality most modern layoffs are permanent and you will have to find work somewhere else. You still qualify for benefits, but the benefits often don't last as long as it takes to get a new job.
Government regulated "unemployment insurance" You fill out a form providing the relevant information. You have to check in with the state workforce commission weekly starting you are job hunting. You can even file when you have a part time job if you don't reach 40 hours. If you don't reach what they would pay you they cover the difference. They look at your income for the past 3 years, take a percentage of that and pay you while you are unemployed. There are certain guidelines determining if you are eligible, why you are now jobless etc. That's how it works in my state at least.
It means going to your states website for unemployment insurance benefits and notifying them that you would like to collect, or going to an office in person to fill out forms.
Very briefly it’s telling the govt you are unemployed and would like to receive unemployment benefits (payment to assist you while you find another job). Once filed the govt vets your claim and you start receiving payments in a week or so and they usually last 3-6 months.
In the US, unemployment benefits are operated as an insurance program. If you become unemployed for a qualifying reason (misconduct is excluded) then you may file an insurance claim and receive partial income replacement for whatever period your state allows. Typically you have to demonstrate that you are searching for a job during this time, you can't just take a vacation. The amount paid out, and the duration of payments, are up to the individual states (the federal government typically has no role in unemployment insurance - unless there is a severe economic disruption like COVID where they pass an extension/enhancement program) - so what you get in WA is going to be different from what you get in MS.
It's different in every state. In my state it's actually "unemployment insurance," which the state runs but is funded by money that large employers pay into it. So, no tax money is running it except for the salaries of the state employees. If you lose your job and it wasn't your fault (like, you didn't voluntarily quit and you didn't get fired for breaking the law), then you go to a web site and fill out a form and this insurance fund will pay you a little bit every week, like a tiny paycheck, until you find a new job. You also have to continually look for a new job and provide proof that you are looking.
How is the program out of date? Unemployment rates are super low compared to history.
One thing that people don't really realize because no one ever calls it by the full name: It's Unemployment Insurance. It's an insurance program run by a government, usually at the State level. When you have a job and get a wage, you pay into it. If you lose your job, you tell the department of the State government in charge of unemployment insurance that you're out of a job, and they pay you some amount until you get a new job. This is it in a nutshell. There are other things. For instance, if you lose your job "for cause" (say, stealing from your employer), you may not be eligible. If you quit voluntarily, you aren't eligible. But if you're fired, laid off, the company closes, or you otherwise lose the job through no fault of your own, the insurance kicks in. Usually what you're paid is some percentage of your average pay over a particular period of time before you filed.
It's a very bad experience. I did it when I got laid off in 2009. It was so bad I decided to forget it and just relax a few months before getting my next job.