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• (January 12, 2023, 01:18:11 AM)

[Chris]

Though this might not be political, I thought it would be best to put this topic in the P/O forum because, well, it is an opinion on something that could cause controversy.

My thoughts on the unemployment system in the United States:
Generally speaking, it promotes laziness and a means for some to sit on their asses and do nothing because they got FIRED from their previous job instead of being "laid off" like they would like everyone to believe. To make things a little more clear, I define "fired" as "being terminated because your employer didn't approve of your performance" and "laid off" as meaning your employer could no longer afford your salary and had to down-size.

I understand some employers will always claim that they fired an employee rather than saying they were laid off in order to incur less fees from the government, but recently where I work there have been several cases where we have FIRED people for performance issues and they still go and try to collect unemployment!

WHAT?

They were FIRED because they were not producing results, and they were warned several times prior to them being terminated that they were not producing proper results and would be terminated in time if they did not begin to produce results. Simply put, they were fired because they were lazy.

The fired individuals aren't people that have a plethora of cash sitting around to live off of either. Yet somehow, someway they are still able to stay out of a job long enough while they go back and forth between us and the unemployment office trying to figure out whether it was a performance issue or an issue with us down-sizing. The economy isn't that bad where a Burger King or a Wendy's won't take you after working at McDonald's.

In the past we have also hired people that were still collecting unemployment but couldn't work anything over X hours a week or they would lose unemployment, yet we, as their new employer had the capacity to give them 40 hours of work a week at the time. There are two things that are wrong with this situation:

1. Their unemployment check plus their wages for X hours working at my store are no where near what they used to earn.
2. Their unemployment check plus their wages for X hours working at my store are no where near what they would get if they worked a full 40 hours with me rather than just X. (X is usually around 12 hours per week)

My obvious question: WHY NOT JUST WORK 40 HOURS INSTEAD OF WORKING AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE AND STILL COLLECT UNEMPLOYMENT?

My obvious answer: Because they're lazy and want something for nothing because they believe their previous employer and society in general has wronged them and now they should be compensated accordingly.

With that being said, does anyone else share some of the same thoughts / opinions on the unemployment system?

[12AX7]

I agree. I've always thought if Im out of work; I need to find - a JOB!  Not a handout. And sorry - if it's not the job you wanted; tough shit. STFU and get to work; THEN use your OWN spare - UNPAID time to find one you DO like. When I started working, minimum wage was $3.35 / hour. I've clawed my way up from making that at a convienience store during my high school years to a whopping $5/hour job as an electrician's helper, to 6 and 7 dollars an hour doing construction, to $9 / hour as an electrician, then $11.75 as a phone tech for a hospital, then a dollar more at a newspaper as electrician/building maintenance/phone tech/printpress maintenance, and finally; at 40 fucking years old - never having had regular vacations, etc - I'm making in the $55k-60k / year range. And I've N E V E R  even slowed down going BY the unemployment office. In most places Ive lived; I couldnt tell you where it is. I CAN point out all the buildings I wired though.
   At any rate; I'm with you. For the MOST PART; it's a bigass sham. There are some cases where it's  a.) Legitimate and  b.) reasonable ; but those are the exceptions, not the rule.
 

[pbsaurus]

If I were to become unemployed.  My payment wouldn't come close to what I was making because of the caps.  I wouldn't consider it a disincintive to work but a thimble full of water to try to keep back the raging fire that is surrounding me.

I've been on the other end where the employer contests unemployment because it's SOP for them to do so.  Not everyone on unemployment is a dead beat.  Many need the money to be able to try to pay the rent and try to make minimum payments and if there is anything left over maybe buy some top ramen for sustenance.

If you want to complain, try the European model.

[12AX7]

I wouldn't consider it a disincintive to work but a thimble full of water to try to keep back the raging fire that is surrounding me.

  That's probably because you're not a lazy, unscrupulous deadbeat willing to endure more for a handout than for a paycheck.

Not everyone on unemployment is a dead beat.  Many need the money to be able to try to pay the rent and try to make minimum payments and if there is anything left over maybe buy some top ramen for sustenance.

  Of course. That's what it's there for; and I (and I would guess Chris as well) have no problem with the idea, or it's implementation  -  only the people who either mistake it for a viable source of income or are just too lazy to work. The problem is; there are SO MANY of those they seem to far overshadow the legitimate claims. I can't tell you how many times I've seen someone come in the shop or on a job site to get their card signed and literally turn around and leave when offered a job or an application; a couple of times even joking about "their unemployment hasn't run out yet" so they didn't want the job; just the signature on the card saying they asked for one. IMHO, if you are out of a job and are offered a legitimate one, you take it. If it's washing dishes, walking dogs or burning shit; it's a job. You can always continue your search for something better or more desirable. In fact, I can't recall ever seeing ANYONE actually take an offered job or an application (construction labor or electrician helper- not easy peasy, but no 'skill' or experience required). Ever. Why? Because the type people who would take it are probably already working again. 

 

[PixelGeek]

Hmmm well I was just on unemployment for about 7 months, busting my backside to find a job the entire time. I finally found one that pays not even 1/4 of what I was making last year. But hey it is a job!

Anyway, you all do know that you each pay into Unemployment right? It comes out of your checks every week... unless you are a contractor or something. So if you think about it, the money is your money, the government is holding it and drawing interest on it. I worked for 25 years and never used it, I figure 7 months having to use it to make my house payment and bills and such wasn't a drop in the bucket for what I have paid into the system.

I think you are all right about the people that abuse the system, but there are honest people that have to draw unemployment too, especially in this economy.

Just my opinion.