Census work & unemployment?

[windycitymom]

I worked as an Enumerator for the 2010 Census in March-April 2009. At the time, we were told we would not be eligible for unemployment once our work here was over since this is considered a temporary job.

Flash forward to today...I just received a form in the mail "Unemployment Compensation For Federal Employees Program" form. It is stating that I MAY be eligible for unemployment.

It says to take this form and other pieces of information to the nearest unemployment office and file. Is anyone receiving unemployment after being a Census worker? Did something change since last year? I don't want to waste my time going to an unemployment office if I'm not eligible - but I don't want to miss out on potential benefits if I am entitled. We could certainly use the money (and I have been looking for a job w/o any luck).

 

[CowboyCO]

Who knows what congress passed in this last round of unemployment legislation last week? Why do you want to file for unemployment when you knew it would be a temp job?

Unemployment is called "Unemployment Insurance" it is an insurance program funded by the federal government and employers so that if people become unemployed not due to cause, there is a short-term net to help out with income while you are seeking new employment. I'm curious why you feel you would be entitled to unemployment benefits when you only employed for two months in a job that was clearly temporary?

 

[simpilotswife]

Wow judge much or is jumping to conclusions the only exercise you get? Did you even read the OP's post where it states that she received something in the mail?

If the OP is entitled to the benefits then why shouldn't she have them?

 

[CowboyCO]

Wow judge much or is jumping to conclusions the only exercise you get? Did you even read the OP's post where it states that she received something in the mail?

If the OP is entitled to the benefits then why shouldn't she have them?

Nope I don't jump to conclusions. OP posted she knew going in that it was temp and there would be no unemployment. I've been unemployed twice in my professional life. I didn't file for unemployment (even though I could have). I delivered pizzas, did yard work and shoveled snow, night-auditing work at a hotel until I found a new full-time position. My Dad raised me to go out do whatever was necessary to earn money. It rubs me the wrong way now in hiring when I have people compare the job I am offering them to their unemployment benefits and let me know they have to compare the benefits and pay they will get for having a job to the benefits and income they get from the government for doing NOTHING.

Sorry -- off the soapbox now...

 

[Arielle22]

I worked as an Enumerator for the 2010 Census in March-April 2009. At the time, we were told we would not be eligible for unemployment once our work here was over since this is considered a temporary job.

Flash forward to today...I just received a form in the mail "Unemployment Compensation For Federal Employees Program" form. It is stating that I MAY be eligible for unemployment.

It says to take this form and other pieces of information to the nearest unemployment office and file. Is anyone receiving unemployment after being a Census worker? Did something change since last year? I don't want to waste my time going to an unemployment office if I'm not eligible - but I don't want to miss out on potential benefits if I am entitled. We could certainly use the money (and I have been looking for a job w/o any luck).

At private companies. a worker with a temp job may still qualify for unemployment if they have enough wages to qualify. It doesn't matter if you knew the job was temporary or not.

If you have been uenmployed, do you have an open unemployment claim?

 

[leebee]

It rubs me the wrong way now in hiring when I have people compare the job I am offering them to their unemployment benefits and let me know they have to compare the benefits and pay they will get for having a job to the benefits and income they get from the government for doing NOTHING.

Sorry -- off the soapbox now...

Actually, perhaps these people are only being responsible. I have been unemployed twice, and it's very difficult to take a job that pays well below what your former position paid. For starters, my budget (including car payment, mortgage payment, insurance, taxes) is based on what I used to earn. We live pretty close to the bone, and it's hard to make due on 2/3 or what the budget was planned for. Bad enough to be living on unemployment temporarily, but to accept wages at or below this when there is still "time and money" available on the claim to find a job that pays what your budget is anticipating is a hard choice to make. Would you prefer that someone jump at the job you are offering, only to be absent ("sick") so they can go to interviews for a better paying job, and then leave you in the lurch when/if the better-paying job comes through? Additionally, unemployment's "rules" state that for the beginning period, you don't HAVE to accept any job that comes along; they want you to look for something that is comparable to what you've lost, pays comparably, and is within a reasonable commuting distance. It's so that you actually can KEEP the next job and not end up re-entering the unemployment system (which both employer and employee have been paying INTO all along).

I get tired of being bashed for having taken unemployment when I needed it. I have advanced degrees and have been unemployed twice, through no fault of my own. The first time, I held out until another professional position became available, although it involved a 2 hour commute on both ends of the day. The second time, after being unsuccessful in finding comparable employment for 5 months, I took my current position, even though it pays 1/3rd of what I was earning. I am glad I took it as there have been only 3 professional openings in the 2 years since I started this job but it was a difficult choice to make at the time. The severe cut in pay means we barely make ends meet every month (and have NO cell phones, NO premium cable, NO electronic game systems, NO flat screen TV, 10+ yr old cars, etc.). Taking this job means no longer contributing to my retirement plan and no longer having money to put into DD's college fund or our savings account. Hindsight makes me glad I took the job, but if the job market and economy had been stronger, I probably would have turned it down and waited til a better-paying position in my profession became available, because I knew unemployment INSURANCE was there as a safety net.

 

[GOOFY4DONALD]

The following is from the US Census Bureaus website...apparently if you received the letter your state is one of the states that allow you to collect.

Q: Now that my job has ended with the 2010 Census, how do I find out if I qualify for unemployment benefits?
A: Eligibility for unemployment benefits is determined on a case-by-case basis by your state unemployment office. Once your 2010 Census job has ended, the Census Bureau will provide you, by mail, with a Standard Form 8 (SF-8), Notice to Federal Employee About Unemployment Insurance, to assist you in filing for unemployment compensation. For more information about the process, please use the Department of Labor's Service Locator. On the Service Locator map, select the state in which you live, and follow the links to learn specific information regarding unemployment benefits in your area. For questions related to your 2010 Census employment, please call our toll-free personnel and payroll hotline at 1-877-233-4776. TTY callers can use FedRelay: 1-800-877-8339.

 

[leight]

I think OP only questioned this because she recieved correspondance indicating she may be eligible for unemployment. The criteria may include work you've held other than the temp position during a specified period of time- so a call to clarify might be worth the effort.

As for people comparing their unemployement benefits to a job offer- please keep in mind that some people have to look at more than a $ comparison- hours and how they fit their families' schedule as well as additional childcare/transportation costs can weigh heavily in favor of holding out for a more favorable match when the unemployment alleviates those burdens. I know when I was laid off after being promised a telecommuting position that would move with me- I was very selective when waiting for my next job. I collected unemployment and turned down several job offers because the commute was too long- hours didn't work with my husband's schedule or with our new community's school hours. I did have a back up offer from a company for their next hiring class so I could be selective-legally I could turn it down when they offered it originally since I was still living over 1,000 miles away- but the recruiter told me that she would put me in the next class 5months later- I've now been with this company for 6 yrs. I am neither embarrassed now ashamed that I took the assitance for 6 months-I was laid off thru no fault of my own and wasn't going to take a 2/3 cut when I had to pay out 2x as much in transport and child care. I waited for a company who could offer a alternative work schedule that worked for my family and spent some quality family time in a new town to help my girls adjust to their new environment with as little stress as possible.

 

[Dizneydaz]

I too worked for the Census last year. We were told it was temporary and we wouldn't be eligible for unemployment. We were told we would be working for 8 weeks. We finished in 3 1/2.

I was then told I could file for unemployment since the projection date of employment was less than quoted. I checked it out online and decided against it since the small amount I made with the Census only qualified me to make $50/week. Besides doing the Census I am self-employed and therefore don't pay into the unemployment system. To date I have never collected unemployment, no judgement, I just haven't been let go from any qualifying jobs.

I am currently working for the Census again. Started beginning of May. We were told our employment would go until June 25th. I am still working for them but last week only got 4.5 hours. This phase has winded down. I don't expect any more work from it.I will be training for the next phase Aug. 9 & 10. I haven't been released yet so I know I don't qualify for unemployment.

OP, file for it. You may or may not get any. Ignore PP comments.

 

[Pastamom]

OP - I say take it - you worked/put your time in and the government thinks you should get it. It will also help you and you're family while you are looking for a job - which could take a while...

DH is unemployed - and looking at contract to hire positions (6+ months) which we have found is how many companies do it. We know he's guarranteed a certain amount of employment, but who knows after that?? If he qualified after a position ended, I know he'd apply...

 

[CowboyCO]

Actually, perhaps these people are only being responsible. I have been unemployed twice, and it's very difficult to take a job that pays well below what your former position paid. For starters, my budget (including car payment, mortgage payment, insurance, taxes) is based on what I used to earn. We live pretty close to the bone, and it's hard to make due on 2/3 or what the budget was planned for. Bad enough to be living on unemployment temporarily, but to accept wages at or below this when there is still "time and money" available on the claim to find a job that pays what your budget is anticipating is a hard choice to make. Would you prefer that someone jump at the job you are offering, only to be absent ("sick") so they can go to interviews for a better paying job, and then leave you in the lurch when/if the better-paying job comes through? Additionally, unemployment's "rules" state that for the beginning period, you don't HAVE to accept any job that comes along; they want you to look for something that is comparable to what you've lost, pays comparably, and is within a reasonable commuting distance. It's so that you actually can KEEP the next job and not end up re-entering the unemployment system (which both employer and employee have been paying INTO all along).

I get tired of being bashed for having taken unemployment when I needed it. I have advanced degrees and have been unemployed twice, through no fault of my own. The first time, I held out until another professional position became available, although it involved a 2 hour commute on both ends of the day. The second time, after being unsuccessful in finding comparable employment for 5 months, I took my current position, even though it pays 1/3rd of what I was earning. I am glad I took it as there have been only 3 professional openings in the 2 years since I started this job but it was a difficult choice to make at the time. The severe cut in pay means we barely make ends meet every month (and have NO cell phones, NO premium cable, NO electronic game systems, NO flat screen TV, 10+ yr old cars, etc.). Taking this job means no longer contributing to my retirement plan and no longer having money to put into DD's college fund or our savings account. Hindsight makes me glad I took the job, but if the job market and economy had been stronger, I probably would have turned it down and waited til a better-paying position in my profession became available, because I knew unemployment INSURANCE was there as a safety net.

But the wage we made before the crash isn't the economy that we are in NOW. I don't make what I made in 2006. I'm working harder to make less. I made 25% less in 2008 and 2009 than in 2005 & 2006. I'm just now starting to come back up in income, but not back to 2006 levels. It's time to suck it up and get productive as a country. Get off the dole, take the lower paying job. Maybe take a part-time job to pick up the slack. My Dad told me that when he was a young man in Oklahoma in the late 1930's, that everybody in the family did something to contribute to the household budget - extra jobs, sold eggs or jam, harvested somebody else crop - whatever it took because there was no unemployment insurance. Hunger is a good motivator.

Right now, we are are competing with unemployment for employees. Don't you see something wrong with that???

 

[mistysue]

Sorry, I have to agree that it's pretty crappy to refuse a job to sit at home instead. If your last employer let you go it was because they either didn't have the money or didn't need the position filled. They did not let you go so that they could pay you to sit at home and not work for them instead of taking another job. They have to pay for you to decide not to work. People should be denied benefits for that.

 

[GOOFY4DONALD]

Sorry, I have to agree that it's pretty crappy to refuse a job to sit at home instead. If your last employer let you go it was because they either didn't have the money or didn't need the position filled. They did not let you go so that they could pay you to sit at home and not work for them instead of taking another job. They have to pay for you to decide not to work. People should be denied benefits for that.

I am not the OP. I wasn't going to give an opinion on this subject but I sure hope you are not talking about the OP. If I am reading this correctly she DID NOT go and seek out information on UI. This was a letter that was sent to her and she has a question about it.

 

[Acklander]

Right now, we are are competing with unemployment for employees. Don't you see something wrong with that???

Maybe you need to pay a bit higher wages.

 

[Planogirl]

I was laid off once and gladly filed for unemployment. I used it only so long as it took me to find another job. The company that laid me off paid for it so I don't really care if others disapprove.

 

[dkr7166]

OP, I'd go and send it in. You never know. Think of it as a day off from the job search and a change in scenery.

Nope I don't jump to conclusions. OP posted she knew going in that it was temp and there would be no unemployment. I've been unemployed twice in my professional life. I didn't file for unemployment (even though I could have). I delivered pizzas, did yard work and shoveled snow, night-auditing work at a hotel until I found a new full-time position. My Dad raised me to go out do whatever was necessary to earn money. It rubs me the wrong way now in hiring when I have people compare the job I am offering them to their unemployment benefits and let me know they have to compare the benefits and pay they will get for having a job to the benefits and income they get from the government for doing NOTHING.

Sorry -- off the soapbox now...

All right, unemployed person here....I believe Ohio states you cannot turn down a job offer and remain on unemployment unless you have a VERY good reason (like you're not qualified.) My interpretation of that would mean that money cannot be a factor, since you also have to take whatever work hours are offered.

Honest to God, I just want a reason to get out of bed and my apartment in the morning. If someone wants to pay me for it, even better. Being on indefinite extended vacation sucks and I'm very, very quickly running out of ways to amuse myself around my apartment. I've worked from age 15 until a month before my 28th birthday and have NEVER had two months off in a row before now.

 

[DISdreamin']

I get tired of being bashed for having taken unemployment when I needed it. I have advanced degrees and have been unemployed twice, through no fault of my own.

One of the worst parts about having an advanced degree is that, if you find yourself out of work, people/companies often won't hire you (even if you are perfectly qualified) if you are honest and disclose the degree. Obviously they often worry that you won't stay, so they don't want to invest time and money in training.

When DH and I suddenly lost our (what were intended to be long-term) full-time contracting jobs at the same time, we ended up cleaning toilets, literally. We cleaned offices to make ends meet while doing very part-time contracting work, bringing in a pitance (approximately 6% of our original pay). Lets just say the companies we cleaned for never asked about degrees, and we never disclosed them for that reason. Thankfully, I found additional PT work in my field within a year and we were able to give up the cleaning work, but I have to say I hated every minute of that job. I'd do it again if I had to, but it certainly isn't my first choice. Sometimes you do what you have to do to make ends meet - it's not fun, but hopefully you find a way.

 

[Malibustyle23]

If the OP doesnt mind Id like to also ask a question. I am also still currently working for the census. I have been with them since April supposedly I will be done on Saturday. I say supposedly because it changes every hour around here. My question is I have been making usually 30-40 hours every week since then at $13 an hour since I was originally a CLA. I just took on another part time job where I am making $8.75 an hour and only work 8hours per week. Would I not be eligible (if originally eligible) for the unemployment due to the new added job even though it's only for 8 hours a week and for much less per hour. I've never done unemployment before and was considering it because we are have money problems currently and it's very hard to find any other job able to work around my DH's 50 hour work week with two young kids.

Thanks for any help and sorry OP for the extra question.

 

[SalandJeff]

OP - If you are entitled to the unemployment, you should take it. That's what it is for - to help you until you are able to find a job (which you are seeking.)

...Why do you want to file for unemployment when you knew it would be a temp job?...Unemployment is called "Unemployment Insurance" it is an insurance program funded by the federal government and employers so that if people become unemployed not due to cause, there is a short-term net to help out with income while you are seeking new employment. I'm curious why you feel you would be entitled to unemployment benefits when you only employed for two months in a job that was clearly temporary?

Sorry, but as someone else stated, you are coming across as very judgemental. Unfortunately, many people are not able to find a job in the "short term" given the economy. The unemployment rate for June was 9.5% with 14.6 MILLION out of work. If OP, or anyone else for that matter, is entitled to unemployment while they are looking for a job, why shouldn't they collect it. They are trying to keep their families afloat.

...It rubs me the wrong way now in hiring when I have people compare the job I am offering them to their unemployment benefits and let me know they have to compare the benefits and pay they will get for having a job to the benefits and income they get from the government for doing NOTHING...

Those people may have a mortgage to pay, kids to feed, and bills to pay that they can barely meet with what they are getting from unemployment...how can you expect them to take a job that pays less (and in many cases a LOT less) if it is going to drive them to foreclosure or reliance on other government services????

Yes, there are always going to be people who take advantage of the system. But there are way too many people in serious financial hardship right now. Attitudes like this do not help anyone.

 

[CowboyCO]

OP - If you are entitled to the unemployment, you should take it. That's what it is for - to help you until you are able to find a job (which you are seeking.)


Sorry, but as someone else stated, you are coming across as very judgemental. Unfortunately, many people are not able to find a job in the "short term" given the economy. The unemployment rate for June was 9.5% with 14.6 MILLION out of work. If OP, or anyone else for that matter, is entitled to unemployment while they are looking for a job, why shouldn't they collect it. They are trying to keep their families afloat.


Those people may have a mortgage to pay, kids to feed, and bills to pay that they can barely meet with what they are getting from unemployment...how can you expect them to take a job that pays less (and in many cases a LOT less) if it is going to drive them to foreclosure or reliance on other government services????

Yes, there are always going to be people who take advantage of the system. But there are way too many people in serious financial hardship right now. Attitudes like this do not help anyone.

I'm offering a job, with pay and benefits, but you don't want to take it because you're pulling unemployment and paying 65% of your Cobra and my co. only pays 50%. Private industry shouldn't have to compete with unemployment for employees. You can't make justification for unemployment by stating how high the rate is and then support not taking a good job because it isn't perfect.

Do you realize that if we cut long-term unemployment, that the unemployment rate would go DOWN because they would finally start taking jobs.