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Hi. Please bear with me. I have just started discovering the whole unemployment thing and I am not sure what is important and what is not. Here is my story.I live in CA. I am a single mom. I went to work in June of last year as soon as I got my Bachelor's degree. Because I had to cover my kiddo's pre - K expenses, I got a second job, which I work from home at night and weekends, and which is a contract job, which will expire in 4 months. So, for the past 9 1/2 months I've been working two full time jobs.
My "weekend" job has been consistent. However, I have a hard time keeping my "day time" jobs. This is my third job since last July and this job will end on April, 15th ( it is seasonal, I am doing taxes). So, I am starting to think about my future again.
While working two jobs I also managed to pass two parts of Enrolled Agent Exam. I have to pass one more part and I will become an Enrolled Agent. I don't want to jump jobs anymore. My child is going to his dad for the summer and there will be no more childcare expenses. I want to finish my license and take some time to find a job in the field of my interest. So, I want to apply for unemployment once my "day" time job is terminated.
Here are my questions:
1) I have worked only 4 quarters, and not five. However, I believe that I meet the income requirements. Will I be given less unemployment because I don't have 18 months of work?
2) Can I claim unemployment, if I quit my "weekend" job instead of being laid off from it? In other words, in order to qualify for unemployment, do I have to be laid off from two jobs, or to be laid off from one job is enough?
3) Is there any way I can calculate the approximate amount of benefits?
4) As far as I understand, as long as I work my "weekend" job, the amount of my unemployment will be minimal, correct?
5) how long will my benefits last, since I worked only 4 quarters?
1) I have worked only 4 quarters, and not five. However, I believe that I meet the income requirements. Will I be given less unemployment because I don't have 18 months of work?
No. In order to receive a maximum benefit in CA of $450/wk for 26 weeks, total W-2 earnings in your base-period spanning one or more quarters must be $23,400. CA's maximum monetary award would be $11,700, payable at $450/wk for 26 weeks. You need one quarter of at least $11,674 to qualify for a $450/wk benefit. More info in the CA handbook, here:
2) Can I claim unemployment, if I quit my "weekend" job instead of being laid off from it? In other words, in order to qualify for unemployment, do I have to be laid off from two jobs, or to be laid off from one job is enough?
Quits are always problematic. Much better you should be laid off or fired from the weekend job. More info on Voluntary Quits in CA, here:
If you feel you need to quit the weekend job, do this well before your day job ends, like now. Otherwise, if you do not have a good cause quit, CA will suspend benefits on your claim from the full-time job, and will impose a work requirement before it will resume payments on that claim.
Quote:
Originally Posted by darena02
3) Is there any way I can calculate the approximate amount of benefits?
See above, and the handbook.
Quote:
Originally Posted by darena02
4) As far as I understand, as long as I work my "weekend" job, the amount of my unemployment will be minimal, correct?
If you keep your weekend job when the full-time job ends, your benefit will be reduced by 75% of your gross earnings. Quitting that part-time job without good cause will jeopardize your claim.
Quote:
Originally Posted by darena02
5) how long will my benefits last, since I worked only 4 quarters?
See above formula. It isn't a matter of four quarters, but, rather, your total base-period earnings. In CA, you only need total base period wages of $23,400 to qualify for the maximum 26 weeks at the maximum WBA.
Again, see the handbook, which has a schedule of WBA by high quarter. The formula is simple:
Weekly benefit is determined by your high quarter.
Total monetary award is 50% of total base-period earnings.
Number of weeks is determined by dividing monetary award by weekly benefit amount.
In CA, even one high quarter of $23,400 will qualify you for 26 weeks' benefits at the maximum of $450/wk.
Also, you will want to strategically examine when to file for benefits. Because you've been working steadily, CA's alternate base period won't apply to you.
Which means, if you file before July 6th, your base period earnings will be January 2013-December 2013.
Whereas, if you file on or after July 6th, your base period earnings will be April 2013-March 2014.
Last edited by Ariadne22; 03-06-2014 at 01:00 AM..
Is the weekend contract job paid on 1099? If so, those earnings won't help your base period earnings to qualify for the highest and longest benefit possible unless you get them reclassified, but since you work from your home, there's a really good chance you do meet the definition of a true 1099 employee.
Depending on your WBA, you'll need to earn some amount of money expressed as something X your weekly benefit amount to purge the disqualification from quitting a job so that determines how soon before your layoff that you need to quit this weekend job. You need to be sure that you allow enough time to earn that amount of money before your layoff. Quit too late and don't earn enough, you have problems.
Thank you so much for your replies. this explains everything.
My weekend job is W-2 job, and I have a contract with them until July, 28th. After that, my job will be terminated and I won't be eligible for rehire ( I was told this prior to hiring). I am going to make over 12k in this quarter ( from both jobs), so it makes sense for me to wait until July, 28th. In July I will be unvoluntarily terminated from both jobs.
One more question: I applied for unemployment in November after I was laid off from my first "day" job. The payment was $54 and it was only for one week, since I found another job pretty quickly. I still have the bank card. Will I have to reopen the same claim or it will be a new claim? Will they be contacting me for an interview, since I have a recent unemployment claim?
My weekend job is W-2 job, and I have a contract with them until July, 28th. After that, my job will be terminated and I won't be eligible for rehire ( I was told this prior to hiring). I am going to make over 12k in this quarter ( from both jobs), so it makes sense for me to wait until July, 28th. In July I will be unvoluntarily terminated from both jobs.
One more question: I applied for unemployment in November after I was laid off from my first "day" job. The payment was $54 and it was only for one week, since I found another job pretty quickly. I still have the bank card. Will I have to reopen the same claim or it will be the new claim? Will they be contacting me for an interview, since I have a recent unemployment claim?
Seems there's an epidemic of this lately in CA, people working and wanting new claims on the basis of their recent earnings - when, in fact, they are still within the benefit year of their first claim. This is the third post, citing an existing unexpired claim, to which I've responded in less than a week. The other two had imminent benefit year-ends. Yours, however, is not until November.
Know that you are allowed only one claim in any 52-week period. California, by law, cannot open another new claim for you in July, but must wait until November 2014 - the benefit year-end of your current claim. The base-period earnings and benefit of $54 are fixed for the life of the current claim.
You will reopen the November 2013 claim and be paid those benefits at $54/week until November 2014, at which time you will be eligible for a new claim which will take into consideration any earnings during this past benefit year together with any LAG earnings (earnings between your base period and date of filing) from the 2013 claim.
Yes, CA will want to interview you again as to the circumstances of your separation(s) when you reopen the November 2013 claim.
Sorry to say, it will be impossible for CA to use any of your more recent earnings until November 2014.
Good news is that the new claim in November should provide the maximum WBA, length of which will be determined by your base-period wages.
Last edited by Ariadne22; 03-06-2014 at 08:48 PM..
Oh... So that one week of $54 disqualified me from receiving higher benefits? I will be working again in November... I just wanted a little break..I guess not=)) I will be wiser in the future. Thank you for your help
Oh... So that one week of $54 disqualified me for higher benefits?
Sorry to say - until November, 2014 - yes, it does.
CA is very clear - claims can be cancelled only if:
(1) the request is made within 30 days of the date of Notice of UI Award - and
(2) no benefits have been paid.
You, of course, can call CA now and try your darndest to get them to void the claim, but I would be extremely surprised if they would cancel it at this late date.
If you have any success at all in this area, let us know.
Is it possible the benefit award of $54 was after the dollar for dollar subtraction from the second job or were you unemployed completely when you filed in November? I only ask because if you were able to collect due to being unemployed from your primary job and then earn X dollars, but under the cut off limit, that were subtracted then maybe you will in fact get more dollars on the old claim based upon being completely unemployed this go round.
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