I know some states allow for unemployment in addition to severance, but I just heard that the moment you receive a job offer that unemployment stops. Is this true? Literally any job offers stops the payments immediately?
So what happens if an engineer is offered a fast food job?
This makes no sense to me...
I've been collecting unemployment since Nov. and have met with the NYS Dept of Labor. You receive 104 days of unemployment. If you receive a job offer that is less than 80% of your prior salary, than you can refuse without it affecting your unemployment. After your unemployment runs out, than its up to you. You need to keep a record of job search activities and report them to the Dept of Labor. They need to see that you are actively searching. In Rochester NY, the unemployment office (Rochester Works) has a lot of workshops and networking opportunities.
It's a jurisdiction to jurisdiction thing. I remember in Germany a few years back when a woman was denied unemployment because she was offered a job as a prostitute and then they said hmm, maybe this isn't such a good idea.
I think your question is what happens if you have to accept a new job that pays significantly less than what you used to get. Some states offer partial payments but the rules vary. In NJ you can get partial payments from unemployment if you work less than 40hrs a week. So if the only jobs available are part-time or as a contractor you can still collect some unemployment. They would pay the difference between what you're making now and your unemployment payments.
Yes, when you are laid off you can collect unemployment. You do not have to take any job -- but if you are offered a position that is in line with your career and it pays prevailing wage you are supposed to accept it. There are caveats around relocation, miles you have to commute, etc. Unfortunately, many people feel they need to make what they were making and will reject a job paying less. Personally, I have never encountered the situation where people were penalized for not taking an offered position -- unless somehow managed via NYS unemployment or offered by the place that laid you off how would anyone know?
Why would an engineer being applying for a fast food job if they weren't prepared to accept the job? That makes no sense to me.. Unemployement varies by state, but you usually have to report to them when you get a new job, not just a job offer. In California you have to check in every two weeks