Conference 7.286::digital

    >     Sounds crazy doesn't it!!!  Well, maybe not for this state...
    
    What state and country is "this state?"
    
    			Alfred

    In Massachusetts, the unemployment people have been referring questions
    like the basenoter's back to Digital.  The state says the employer has
    a responsibility to explain these things to departing employees.  My
    advice would be to ask at your exit interview, and don't take "I don't
    know" for an answer.
    
    Wes Plouff

    Some insights from my (non-DEC) unemployment experience:
    
>> I tried calling them last week but quickly discovered they were not very
>> helpful or pleasent.  Well, I quess it's up to each of us to help each
>> other!
    
    
    My girlfriend (TFSOed 8/92) and I have both been unemployed within the
    past year. She was fortunate to find a job (after 8 months) in the health 
    field which she really enjoys and I have been contracting for 6 months
    after almost a year of being out of work.
    
    We both found the people at the Marlboro office of DET to be very
    helpful and friendly. This whole experience is a little dehumanizing
    (being out of a job, no spare cash - if *any*, and filling out forms
    that would try the Pope's patience), but, if you go see these people
    without a chip on your shoulder or an attitude in your head, we found
    that things were bearable - at least at the DET office.
    
    
    The following answers are from my girlfriend's TFSO experience:
    
>>     Questions I have:
>>
>>      1) When can we begin to collect?
>>         - right away
>>         - after 7 weeks
>>         - after 23 weeks (my total severance pay for 16 years of service)
    
    When she left DEC she had been told that she would not be able to get
    any money until *after* her package payments had expired. But this is
    no longer true, so I am unsure when you can start to collect. However,
    I am quite sure that you cannot collect until your 7 weeks have
    expired. The 7 weeks is called "salary in lieu of notice" or some such
    legalese and you are somehow prohibited from collecting unemployment
    benefits.
    
>> 2) When should we file for unemployment
>>    
>>       * I'm concerned that if I file a claim right away I will lose
>>         possible unemployment benefits (52 weeks - severance weeks paid).
>>
>>       * If I wait til after my # of weeks of severance before filing
>>         then I may be given a lower benefit rate or even become
>>        disqualified for unemployment.
    
    Go to DET ASAP!! She thought that she wouldn't be able to collect until
    after her package expired but she went and filed immediately anyway. I 
    believe they told her she would not be eligible for benefits until
    after 9 weeks had passed. (Her package was 9 weeks plus 2 weeks for
    every year of service). The 9 weeks was her "salary in lieu of notice"
    mentioned above. *BUT*, they also told her that in order to cover her
    butt, she should fill out the bi-monthly "Have you worked this week?"
    questionaire the DET sends out. This is to prove that you have indeed
    not been working and are eligible for unemployment benefits.
    
    Then in February she found out that she could get benefits retroactive
    to after her 9 weeks had expired. She went in to DET on a Monday and
    by that Friday, she had received 8 unemployment checks each covering at
    least a two week period and some cover three weeks.
    
    
    So, this is what she went through and I think it worked out okay. If
    you can, I'd recommend making a personal appearance at the local DET
    office and speaking with them face-to-face...
    
    Good Luck - I hope you don't need it :^)
    
    
    
    

    Re; Noter.
    
    	What #.3 says is true and correct.   The DET is not there for the
    fun of it the employer (in this case Digital) is paying unemployment
    benefits every week (is in your payroll check).   Therefore, they are
    not doing you a special favor.   By the way the employer can only give
    you estimates that may not be right, the only one that can provide
    actual figures is the DET.   If they are unfriendly, tell them you will
    come with a govement lawyer to their supervisor, or tell them to let
    you talk to the supervisor, see how fast they change !!!!!
    	Also, due to the high unemployment rates these days there are, in
    some areas (considered 'disaster zones - over xx% unemployment) special
    incentives.  For example: Study Program - the DET will pay X% of your
    BA, MBA or other degree (you have to ask which ones they pay and which
    ones they don't).   The purpose of this program is to provide better 
    tools for the unemployed to find a new job (they are better off if you
    find a job, real soon.)
    
    Best of Luck !!!

    
    The last time I was unemployed (85/86) I went to college while
    collecting unemployment - tuition free. I had to pay for my own
    books and registration fees, lab fees and more fees.
    
    This program was NOT well publicized. In fact, I happened to see a tiny
    ad in a paper while visiting a friend from Middlesex Comm Coll. However, 
    other state schools were participating. I expect to get TFSO next
    month, so I may be calling  myself.
    
    Oh, after Middlesex, I went to Northeastern (still unemployed) and I applied
    for some MA state grants. I was denied most of them, but I did get enough
    to pay for one of two courses.
    
    During this time, I was still looking for a job and would have left
    school had I been offered one.
    
    Guy
    

    ref: .3
    
    I TFSOed in July '91 and I have been contracting since then. But I'm 
    curious as to how your girlfriend got her job in the health field.  
    Did she answer an ad, take extra courses to align herself for a career
    change, have a contact in that field, etc?  I'm leaning more and  more
    in that direction (health field) and I'm just curious as to how
    individuals who have been employed for so long in one environment (12
    yrs) go about breaking into other fields completely unrelated to their
    own.
    
    Any input would be appreciated.
    

    I got TFSO'D Monday.  It is really a relief.  I do not half to drive to
    Andover.  I have the best time of the year off and I have a positive
    attitude about the whole thing. Success to all of you that are in the
    same boat as me.
    
    Sally
      

    re: .6
    
    Perhaps, I lead you down the proverbial path... She is in the health
    field, but not a *traditional* health professional - doctor, nurse,
    dietician, etc. She helps to determine what financial benefits
    patients are eligible for, given their income, employment status etc.
    
    She started working for the hospital part-time in 1988 while she was 
    still a DECcie to earn some extra money. She quit after about a year
    (two jobs wore her out) and then applied again after she was TFSOed.
    She started part-time again, but a full-time position opened up and
    she grabbed it.
    
    

    you can take a 2 year course and become a medical
    asisstant..associate's degree.   that's what i did when i was laid off
    from my previous employer (semiconductor mfg)   i am now qualified to
    work as a medical asissatant if dec gets rid of me.  if you look in the
    us jobs outlook guide, you will see that medical asissting jobs are the
    fastest growing in this decade and will continue to be in demand till
    2000
    if laid off, you can apply for a Pell Grant thru the college of your
    choice and usually you will be awarded $2000-2600 towards tuition per
    year....no PAYBACK
     good luck!!
    been there..................

    re:.0
    
    Not helpful and not very pleasant? You obviously misdialed and got the
    REGISTRY!
    
    Ken

    
    
    	Does anyone know, for sure, when a person is eligible to collect
    	unemployment after they are TFSOed. My fatherinlaw was let go a
    	couple weeks back, and he claims he was told he could not collect
    	until is WHOLE package runs up. (20something weeks)
    
    	I know this question was asked before, but I real can't see a
        clear answer. 
    
    	

    
    
    re -.1
    
       A very good friend of mine and ex-Deccie did have to wait the entire
    length of her package before she was entitled to unemployment benefits.
    I am also 99% sure another TFSO I knew had the same thing.  Whatever
    the length of your package depends on when you can start receiving
    unenployment

    
    Re: .12
    
    > Whatever the length of your package depends on when you can
    > start receiving unenployment
    
    Not necessarily.  It also depends on what state you will be
    collecting benefits from.  NH and MA, for example, handle it
    differently.
    
    Steve
    

    
    
    Both cases I mentioned were in Mass. I guess I should have specified.
    I have no idea about NH.  I have only been working in NH for a 
    short time.  Most of my time has been in Mass.

    I have a question that relates to NH unemployment.
    
    12 years ago I was on unemployment for one summer.  I was a full time
    night student (4 nights a week).  I was told then that if I went to
    school at anytime, I was not eligible for unemployment benefits because
    I was not available for work at anytime.  So, I was supposed to quit
    school (which got me my job at Digital) in order to collect
    unemployment.  
    
    Does anyone know if that has changed?  I've heard rumors that they no
    longer require that you quit school in order to collect unemployment.
    
    

>    12 years ago I was on unemployment for one summer.  I was a full time
>    night student (4 nights a week).  I was told then that if I went to
>    school at anytime, I was not eligible for unemployment benefits because

  I collected unemployment in NH for several months in 1974-75 while attending
night school. They never asked that I be available for second- and third-
shift work (I would not have accepted third-shift work), and it was understood
that if I got work, I would either finish the semester at night school or if
that was not doable, withdraw from the courses.
  Does anyone have some recent examples?

    Can you collect mass unemployment benifits while recieving tfso
    benifits??

    Not if you don't know how to do a DIR/TITLE in notes. ;-) ;-) ;-)
    
    Harry
    

    
    no!!
    

    Yes you can after you have used the number of weeks that you received
    money for.  If you receive 4 weeks pay plus 1 week for each year of
    service then after that is used up you are allowed to collect.
    
    PF

    
    ref .3      read  .0
    
    no
    

    
    no you can't.
    
    \bye
    \nasser

    I just completed reading all "Unemployment notes".  It is still not
    clear as to Employment benefits of TFSO employees.  Has anyone dealt
    with the unemployment office in the Worcester recently.  Should
    I run down thier tomorrow and sign up (my last day at Digital) or
    should I wait my 4 weeks or through my entire severance.  It seems to
    vary in each office.
    
    Any help would be greatly appreciated as my last minutes are
    approaching.
    
    Thank You.
    
    Regards,
    
    Pam Green @MRO
    

    Yes, it varies from state to state. Not a 'one size fits all'
    situation.
    
    Lee

    When in doubt... Go down and file....
    
    They'll let you know when you'll start collecting..
    
    Toodles.....JP
    

>   Should
>     I run down thier tomorrow and sign up (my last day at Digital) or
>     should I wait my 4 weeks or through my entire severance.

    You don't need to rush down tomorrw, next week would be ok.  You won't
    get benefits for weeks which are covered by your severance/lump-sum,
    but you will be welcomed (even encouraged) to get signed up and entered
    into the system.  Then, when you reach the point when you can collect
    benefits, they should start with no delay.


    dlm

    I heard tell from a person laid off last year that when TFSO'd in
    Massachusetts you don't get your Social Security payments until your
    severance pay is used up. Then Soc. Sec. kicks in for 26 weeks.
    
    But the Soc. Sec. clock for 26 weeks begins when you sign up.
    
    An example:
    
    	You TFSO with 26 weeks.  You sign up immediately upon lay off
    	with Soc. Sec.  26 weeks later your severance AND your Soc.
        runs out.
    
    	You TFSO with 26 weeks.  You sign up when your severance ends. 
        THEN you have another 26 weeks Soc. Security payments.
    
    Can anyone confirm this situation?

        Re:                     <<< Note 2548.27 by MR4DEC::RONDINA >>>

        Why doen't  anybody  look  for  answers  before asking questions.
        First  of  all,  you  mean  unemployment.    Social  Security  is
        retirement.  Secondly the  question  has  been  answered  lots of
        times the last couple of weeks.
        
        Anker