Pathetic

Apparently I can't even be unemployed correctly.

My claim for unemployment benefits has been denied. Oh, frabjus day.

Comments

[gzombie]

What?!

What reason did they give?

[oliviacw]

There's got to be an appeals process. What a pain, though.

[Rana]

The problem is that I am too honest to look for full-time employment when I'm only going to be around for another two months. Since I'm only looking for "temporary work" I don't count.

I might be able to re-open my claim after I move, when presumably that would no longer be a problem.

Unemployment benefits, it seems, are only for those who are able to look for full-time work.

[wolfangel]

Well, you could honestly look for it, and honestly send them a really bad resume? But I doubt the unemployment people will be fooled by this, given you just said you're moving.

I'm sorry. That really sucks.

[profgrrrrl]

I've been in that situation before. I went ahead and applied for jobs that I didn't realistically have a chance of getting (too much of a stretch, etc.). A bit dishonest, perhaps, but when you spend your life paying for social services of various sorts it only seems fair to finally get to take advantage when you're actually needy.

[New Kid on the Hallway]

That sucks - I'm so sorry. I'm with the above, I'd fudge somehow about looking for full-time work (which, presumably, in a long-term, global sense, you will be someday soon, right?), but I understand if that doesn't work for you. Good luck working everything out.

[gzombie]

Why not start sending some resumes and making some calls to places of employment in your future location? Tell those places you'd like to start immediately, but you'll have to work from home for two months.

Apply for permanent work at places where you live now and tell them you'll need to start working from home at your new location in two months.

You may not get hired, but the unemployment office can no longer say you're only looking for temporary employment.

Immediately reapply for unemployment and tell them your new plan.

[Scrivener]

Please listen to GZombie and the others. You have every right to those services--you would be upset if someone else who had been laid off wasn't receiving them, so stand up for yourself here. I have totally been there before--I know it's easier said than done, and I know that it sucks to apply for that funding. But, again, you would be supportive if someone else told you that they felt ashamed or whatever at applying for that kind of assistance. You would point out to them that there is no dishonor in getting the fundamental benefits that our society has promised you. So please, tell it to yourself too.

And it doesn't make it better to somehow maintain an overly rigid honesty about the process either. You need to work the system a little bit. Don't let yourself be frozen in this place waiting to move and unwilling to take the active steps available to you right now. Believe me, I understand the siren call of that kind of stasis right now. But this is a step that you can take to gain a measure of control and to quell some of the financial fears.

We all care about you.

[Jimbo]

Oh that so sucks. I agree with David that GZombie seems to have a good strategy. It's an honest strategy too.

I really hope everything works out.

jwb

[russianviolets]

Oh, that does suck hard. Is there a way that you can apply again?

[butuki]

Hmmm... the ongoing saga... I second Scrivener in both emotionl support and in how to go about dealing with the problem. Rana, the benefits are not a priviledge, they are a right. Lost lost your job due to unscrupulous actions, perhaps even illegal, in that you were given no notice before being let go. You deserve compensation so as to survive until your next job. You have the evidence on your side, especially with the company asking you to come back as a freelancer. Is there no way to explain the circumstances? Surely they would understand, no? Or is the system that cynical? If that doesn't work, then I see no reason at all why you can't stretch the truth a bit in your favor. It's somewhat ridiculous, too... I mean, of course you're going to start working.

Another thing that you must learn how to do if you want to freelance, is to consider your endeavors full time in themselves. Starting up the business is no different from going out and looking for a new job. They both require time and hard work. Is there any way that you can paint your freelancing work as that full-time job you have to be looking for?

[Another Damned Medievalist]

what everybody said. You do not have to look for employment right now, where you are. You have to look for a comparable job. I have to go through this every year with teaching jobs -- there's virtually nothing to apply for in the summer, so I send out resumes to people who haven't advertised. It's valid.

[Rana]

Thanks for all the suggestions, but I am screwed and they come too late. I messed up in my telephone interview, and there's no way I can undo it.

As I said, I can't even be unemployed correctly.