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Hey guys, I could use a little bit more help. So just to preface this question, I got laid off a few weeks ago and have been collecting UI ever since.
Within the last few days I was called in for a job interview which I had today. The job is at a big box store and all the jobs they had open were not the ones I applied for, and this was never mentioned to me before the interview. Additionally, the pay is very low, at $8.75 per hour. However I continued with the interview anyway, since I was there, and it went very well. After the interview, the person interviewing me said she wanted to offer me the position, at which point I asked her if she could make the pay closer to what I asked for on my application, which was $11.00 per hour. She said the best she could do was $9.00 per hour since I would be considered a new hire.
TBH, she was really interested in hiring me and we got along really well, and she even brought in the store manager to meet me. However she could tell I was hesitant to accept the offer, so she said I could think about it and call her on Monday, but that the position was mine if I wanted it.
So my question boils down to this: If I don't accept this job and continue looking for something that pays more, can I lose my UI or be forced to pay it back if the unemployment department decides to audit me and finds out that I did not accept legitimate work? Or am I forced to take this job since I was offered what the unemployment department considers to be "reasonable employment?"
Thanks again for any and all replies. They are appreciated!
Oh, and one other thing I neglected to mention... This job is also only a part-time position, with hours anywhere from 20-29 hours per week, not the 35-40 I was looking for.
I was laid off on July 1st, and have been on UI for less than 2 weeks since I didn't apply for it until July 15th. My previous job was a full-time position, and I was paid $10.39 per hour.
They don't go by "reasonable" employment. It's "suitable" employment. Suitable is a fluid thing. A part-time $9/hr job is not suitable for a nearly full-time employment making $10.39/hr after only two weeks on unemployment.
Turn it down if you want, and report the refusal of work and go through the process. It's an easy win. If you fail to report, and get caught, you get penalized for not following the rules. There is no reason to be sneaky in this situation because it's not even a close call.
I've been through two refusal of work determinations. They are nothing like a "quit." While this was back in the 80s, I turned down a job over 75 cent per hour, and because I'd only been on UI for three weeks, I got a pass. Refusals of work in the early weeks of UI are easy when the job pays less than you were making before.
I was laid off on July 1st, and have been on UI for less than 2 weeks since I didn't apply for it until July 15th. My previous job was a full-time position, and I was paid $10.39 per hour.
Carefully consider the local economy where you live before you make a decision - if there are 200 applications for every open $10 job, then this offer might not be that bad. A 20-29 hr job at $9 can turn into a 40 hr job at $10 pretty fast if there are promotion opportunities...
That said, I don't think this job would be considered comparable to your previous job under the "reasonable employment" standard. The hourly paycut would hurt even if the hours were comparable, but you've only been offered about 25-ish hours a week.
I can't imagine unemployment punishing you for turning down that job when you've only drawn checks for a few weeks. If unemployment asks you why you turned down the job, focus more on the part-time hours than the pay (pay just in case).
If you were living in Michigan, had been unemployed for 1.5 yrs and were offered 35+ hours with full benefits at $9, that would be different. The longer someone is unable to find work, the lower the pay they are usually offered unfortunately.
Take whatever advice Adriandne22 and Chyvan give you, though - they are the resident experts!
Last edited by LOL_Whut; 08-02-2013 at 06:16 PM..
Reason: typo
Absolutely do NOT focus on the hours. The UI system recognizes greedy, and you focus on the MONEY. If you do the hours and are not 100% certain of your state's view on hours, you could be disqualified. There are states that will disqualify for refusing part-time work because they treat it as an "availibility" issue. Under the theory that if you can't work a part-time job, how can you work a full-time job. The other theory is that part-time employment may very be the prevailing condition for a retail job in your locality.
Quote:
Originally Posted by LOL_Whut
If unemployment asks you why you turned down the job, focus more on the part-time hours than the pay (pay just in case).
Carefully consider the local economy where you live before you make a decision - if there are 200 applications for every open $10 job, then this offer might not be that bad. A 20-29 hr job at $9 can turn into a 40 hr job at $10 pretty fast if there are promotion opportunities...
Ever since I had my interview, I've just felt like I could find something better. I'm a hard worker and know I can find something closer to $11 if I look a little longer.
And when I was in the interview I asked when I would be eligible for any sort of raise, and she said they were yearly, and based on performance. So, I'd have to wait a year, and even then, a raise wouldn't even be 100% guaranteed. Of course I'm merely hypothesizing, but I feel this to be an accurate conjecture.
1. You are bound to the job and the area. If some friends/relatives/new love interest make you an offer you can't refuse to come to an area where you can no longer commute, the quit of the part-time job will cause you to lose the pay check and any differential that your UI check was providing.
2. With a job with that many hours/wk, it'll pretty much only provide you with a small UI check and little extra money. As in, you can run into a situation with transportation expenses, FICA, and maybe childcare, where you may be grossing more than your UI check, but you're netting less, and you're giving up hours of your life. You're practically working for free.
3. If your heart's not in it, you may get fired for misconduct. Again, no pay check, and no more UI check.
Part-time work carries risks for very little incremental gain to your weekly income. You need to think long and hard about it, and you better know the UI system inside out, or you're going to be very mad at yourself.
Turn it down if you want, and report the refusal of work and go through the process. It's an easy win. If you fail to report, and get caught, you get penalized for not following the rules. There is no reason to be sneaky in this situation because it's not even a close call.
One of the questions on my weekly online claim is "During the week claimed, did you refuse work or a referral to work?" So if I select 'Yes' when I file next week's claim, what happens next?
I'm assuming they will request more information, to which I will provide from the advice given ITT. But will this process put any sort of a hold on my UI while they investigate? I know these agencies are notoriously slow, so I'm hoping they don't put a hold on my claim while they take 3 weeks to look into things.
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