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Unemployment Benefits

Hello from Forks, Washington. It’s February, and this area is a rainforest. Usually, the weather in Forks at this time of year is sideways, with rain and snow, with rivers on the verge of flooding. In other words, it’s perfect winter steelhead fishing weather. Unfortunately for the anglers in town, it is 55 F and sunny, and there hasn’t been any rain in a long time. Consequently, the rivers are so low the fish are not coming into the system – “yet.”

So, I figured I would try to post on the bloggy blog. As I mentioned in my last post, I am seeking a new job and figuring out the next steps. I thought sharing my first-hand experience as I go through the process might be helpful to others. Like most laid-off folks, I have applied for unemployment benefits. I had a recent experience with the state unemployment office and thought my experience may help readers if you ever find yourself in a similar situation. Hopefully, you do not.

Why I am collecting unemployment benefits

I am collecting unemployment because I was “laid off” from my last job (the company was sold, and my position was eliminated due to redundancy).

Cliff Notes version of WHAT unemployment insurance is:

• Unemployment Insurance is a joint state and federal program that provides temporary financial assistance to employees who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own.
• If you were fired for stealing or quit your job, you would not be eligible for unemployment.
• At a high level, benefits are based on a percentage of your earnings over 52 weeks. Each state sets a maximum amount.
• Benefits are subject to taxes and must be reported on your income tax return.
• Your employer paid state and federal taxes to cover the unemployment benefits while you were employed, so really, if you were employed, you are entitled.

I live in Washington State and visited this site to sign up and report my job search activities.

Why I am sharing my experience with unemployment benefits

This post is because I see too many employees NOT sign up for unemployment benefits. Hear the following reasons. I believe you should sign up. I did.

Top 7 reasons I hear from employees for not signing up for unemployment benefits:

Don’t know what it is

• Employee says! “I don’t know what Unemployment insurance is.”
• Survey says! Read above

Hassle factor

• Employee says! “Signing up for Unemployment Insurance is a hassle.”
• Survey Says! H-O-L-Y mackerel. You gotta be kidding me. Readers will be surprised how often I hear this. If you saw a 20.00 bill on the ground, would you walk over it and not look back? If you can walk past a 20.00 bill, then you have First World problems. You probably didn’t need to work, much less care about getting laid off. Personally, I do not want to take the chance of a freak thing happening and running out of money. Yes, we think we can find a job, but what if we are not able to? For most people who are unemployed, this is a time of being conservative with finances, and there is nothing more conservative than collecting a check, even if it is smaller than what we are used to.

I gotta pay taxes on that shit!

• Employee says! “But HRNasty, I don’t want to pay taxes on the benefits.”
• Survey Says! The politically correct HR pro would explain that everyone pays taxes. This is considered income, and income is taxed. HRNasty would say: I didn’t want to pay taxes on my income when I was employed, but this is America, and paying taxes is a high-class problem. The check may be smaller, but I am happy to pay ANY taxes. This is no different from paying taxes WHEN I was employed. Paying taxes is a high-class problem. I wish I were paying $1M dollars in taxes a year because it means I am making a lot more. Feelin’ me?

No charity here

• Employee Says! “I don’t use food stamps, and I don’t take charity. I am not signing up for unemployment benefits.”
• Survey Says! This isn’t charity. I don’t know any executives who have been laid off who didn’t make sure they were signing up for unemployment insurance if they qualified.

Hassle factor, again

• Employee Says! “But I gotta call in, log in, and go to the unemployment office.  Is it worth my time?”
• Survey says! Now that you are unemployed, are you doing anything else? The time at the Unemployment Office was scheduled for 90 minutes, but it only took about 45 after my tour of the resources. Filling out the online form each week takes about 4 minutes.  The state wants a log of the three job inquiries I am making a week, and I am already keeping a log of the phone calls and interviews I am going to.

Yes, I am collecting unemployment. I am not embarrassed about it.  Shit happens, and thankfully, I live in a country that provides benefits. The company I worked for paid the taxes, and I would have been a fool if I had not signed up. Unemployment is not charity. The economy happens, and last I checked, the economy isn’t anyone’s individual fault. This is the United States. We have unemployment insurance, and we should feel fortunate it is available.

Sign up ASAP

I signed up online through the Washington state unemployment website on the day I was laid off. Yes, everything was done online. I needed to wait about 7 days before I could start collecting and another 7 days for my first check, but I think I receive a couple of hundred dollars a week. Even if I receive 50.00 a week, I am signing up.  This amount is based on my yearly salary when I was employed. It may not be much, but it will add up. Until I am wiping with Hundy’s, I will collect unemployment whenever I qualify.

This doesn’t happen to everyone, but I was called to the Unemployment office for an orientation seminar on unemployment. I didn’t know what to expect, but as a guy who is familiar with job hunting and is currently talking with a couple of companies, I wondered what the session would be about. I drove from Forks to Seattle, Washington (about 4 hours one way) for the session; frankly, I am glad I did. The folks working in the office ran the gamut. Some were VERY helpful and genuinely very nice. Others had attitudes that reflected the employee who had been working there for 25 years and just clocking in. The “Yes, can I help you?” without looking up from their work was experienced. Very inspiring. 

I didn’t mention anything about my background or this blog. I just tried to be as gracious as I possibly could. Here is what I got out of the session that I didn’t know about; some would consider me relatively knowledgeable in this area.

The agency is helpful

The lady behind the desk volunteered to give me a one-on-one tutorial on the Washington Unemployment website. She introduced me to several resources designed to help job hunters. I was thankful as these were new sites to me. (I knowwww! Can you believe it?) A link on the Washington Unemployment site tells you if the position in your industry is growing, shrinking, or staying level as it relates to demand for that skill set. That hyperlink is here; I think it is a bit of a gem. It says that the skill set for human resource managers is in demand, and it provides salary information, long-term and short-term growth, and other useful tidbits. The info may be a bit dated, but it is an excellent start for those who are not familiar with the specifications of their skill set.

Yes, the video I watched was a bit dated. It was recommended that I look at the newspaper’s classified ads for job postings and show an actor with an actual newspaper and yellow marker. But there is a wealth of other information available, from resume writing to career-building resources. And, of course, there is the resource you are currently reading.

A smile goes a long way

My theory walking into the office was that a smile and relaxed attitude at these unemployment agencies could go a long way for the office employees. They are working with frustrated, unemployed, laid-off folks who are probably not in the best of moods. In the same way being nice to the ticket agent at the airline counter can get you an upgrade to business class, a positive attitude and a smile can help at this office. On my way out of town I stopped by the unemployment office one more time to deliver a Starbucks gift certificate to the woman who graciously helped me out. I figured it was the very least I could do.

I also learned that showing up to these appointments on time is imperative. The state feels that since they provide unemployment benefits, they want to ensure you take the job search seriously. If you are even 1 minute late, you will not only be chastised but will be rescheduled. The thought is that if you are not able to show up to this on time, then you probably won’t show up to the interview on time.  Good to know.

If you were declined benefits, a reader sent this, which is a good resource.  Thanks, JE. 

Hopefully, this may help those eligible for unemployment but not collecting.

See you at the after party,
HRNasty

nasty: an unreal maneuver of incredible technique, something that is ridiculously good, tricky, and manipulative but with a result that can’t help but be admired, a phrase used to describe someone good at something. “He has a nasty forkball”.

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