Why would someone quit a job to sit at home and collect unemployment?

[Macaela25]

I know a young woman who has a flexible part-time job where the company works around her college schedule. She gets about 30 hours per week at a little above minimum wage. She told me a few days ago that she is trying everything she can to get fired so that she can just go to school and draw unemployment.

I asked her if she disliked her job - no, she wasn't a fan of her boss, but she rarely had to deal with him.

I asked her if she understood that she would only get about 30% of her average wages, which in her case the max she could qualify for would be $75 per week. I got a blank stare.

I asked her if she understood that if she was fired for misconduct that she wouldn't qualify for unemployment. As an employer myself, I've been involved in the process many times - it's pretty near impossible to refute misconduct. She shrugged and said she would worry about that if it came up.

It's amazing that someone with a perfectly good job would purposefully get fired on the off chance that they might get a few bucks for free. I guess it's good since someone could take the job that would appreciate it, but it's so wrong for that unsuspecting employer to have to pay a greatly increased unemployment tax rate because someone is too lazy to work for their money. Don't get me wrong, I think unemployment benefits are great...but not when you have a job but just can't be bothered to work.

[JulieDB]

Too many details we just don't know!

First she sounds young. And young people often don't think things through clearly. When I was in college I was working "part time" but realistically getting over 40 hours a week. I was seriously suffering from lack of sleep and it was just too difficult. So I quit school. Then I got laid off and never called back to that job. I worked just 3 hours shy of being able to get unemployment. My previous job didn't count.

So I just sat around and did nothing for 2 months. Worked for me. I had enough money saved up that I could pay the rent my dad was charging me. But... He got fed up and told me to get a job or get out.

So I wound up taking a really suckish job but it did pay enough for me to move out.

It could be that this person is getting overwhelmed with having to work and go to college. Maybe she just needs a break. In other countries the young person usually takes a year or two off to travel or do what they want before they go into college. Most young people here do not do that and go straight into college from high school. And many were working during high school. It can all be too much.

Could be there are things about the job that she isn't telling you. Maybe she doesn't want to. Maybe it isn't such a great job. I had incidents at my job that were just horrible but I didn't want to talk about them. I will talk about them now. I just couldn't at the time. Like a manager trying to molest me in the janitor's room. I hit him in the knees with a mop bucket and managed to escape. But I had heard that he had molested many other young women. And his dad was high up in the company. So rather than do anything about it, they just moved him from store to store.

Could be that her friends do not work and she wants more free time to be able to hang out with them.

If she is living at home it could be that she really doesn't need the job. Or it could be that she is needed at home for something. Like maybe to take care of a younger brother or sister or a parent. And working that many hours is hard on her.

[CW&M Mom]

also most states don't allow you to go to school and collect unemployment.

I think people saw for the short couple of years that you could collect unemployment for the state for the few months..and then the feds would kick in with emergency funds...well those times are past. The emergency has been declared over (may or may not disagree with this). you "might" get one nod of a 3 month extension of unemployment...but beyond that...that's about it.

If people seriously think they are still going to manage to get 2 years of unemployment they are kidding themselves..and they will so learn..when they find themselves homeless (let alone it's so dang hard to try and live on unemployment anyways..only a flipping fool would do it on purpose!).

[CW&M Mom]

I want to reiterate..I don't know what her schedule is like....BUT

You have to be available basically 9-5 40 hours a week to do interviews and prove that your turning in resume's or doing job interviews and that is the only way you keep the unemployment.

Some states will not let you do college even night classes. Some will as long as it will not interfere with 9-5 hours....but you can't just go live your life and collect unemployment. She's kidding herself. And it only lasts for a few months (is it 6??anyone remember???). ..and it takes at least 1 month to kick in.

Also as a college student she automatically is disqualified from getting food stamps.

[Gertie2u]

My state unemployment office puts up big billboards all over the state about retraining for a better job, money for schooling, etc. Then they tell you if you get offered a job have to be willing to quit college and take the job. I know they don't want people to just sit on their butts and collect, but I dunno. Seems like if they're going to school and making good grades, we'd wanna promote that? Or at least let them finish the semester my tax dollars are going to pay for even if they drop out for the job. My state also helps with childcare for the children of college students based on income.

As far as this girl's story goes, I'd guess she's tired, she's young, and she hasn't thought it through/doesn't have her facts straight. Also, I wonder what her grades at college are like. She's probably just overwhelmed and has a friend on unemployment who seems to be having a good ol'time.

How long it takes to kick in must have changed. Used to be two weeks plus a few days for processing if you took direct deposit. I worked in oil field when oil prices were crashing back in the 80s and the company I worked for closed up, laying off the entire staff of around 85 people. It was really sad, some of those people had worked for the company for over 40 years and were nearing retirement.

[jacquelinemarie82]

She does sound young and stupid. She is just realizing how hard it is to work and go to school and she is not committed to the job. She figures it's the easy way out. I know for a fact that it is difficult to get started collecting benefits that you deserve...she is just thinking it is a quick and easy check that will come her way. She'll find out when reality hits and she is opening credit cards and asking her family for money and then drops out of school....to get a job. kwim? And she's wrong to do that too btw. No one should be paying you money if you are perfectly healthy and capable of caring for yourself.

[jkljkl]

In most states, you can not get unemployment benefits if you quit your job, only if you are terminated.

This woman has no guarantee of getting the UI benefits. Sometimes employers will fight the claims.

Also, when you collect UI benefits, you are required to search for work and document your search efforts. In my state, you have to make six employer contacts per week. They do audits, and they may call you in and check over your work search record. If they don't feel you are searching hard enough for work, they can quit paying your benefits, or even require you to pay back what you withdrew.

Unemployment is a risky game to play, and these benefits are only for people who are searching hard for a job. I personally know two people who were required to pay back benefits to the Texas State Unemployment Commission.

[jkljkl]

Some states will not let you do college even night classes. Some will as long as it will not interfere with 9-5 hours..

My state allows you to collect UI benefits, if you were already a student during the time you were employed. They wouldn't expect you to drop out of school just because you lost your job. But you cannot decide to become a full time student after you become unemployed.

[Macaela25]

In most states, you can not get unemployment benefits if you quit your job, only if you are terminated.

This woman has no guarantee of getting the UI benefits. Sometimes employers will fight the claims.

In Florida you can get unemployment if you quit if you can prove a hostile work environment...of course, you have to prove it...kinda difficult in most situations.

As a small business employer myself, I dispute each claim as I've never laid off an employee or fired an employee for anything but misconduct. In seventeen years I've disputed about a dozen claims and none has ever ended up in the employee's favor...most of the time these were for employees who quit without a valid reason and ended up having to pay back all the benefits they received.

[everprincess]

We had to fight twice on employees who quit-one walked out during the middle of shift-one-didn't return to work. We won both times. The second one had done this before at another company. I guess she thought she was a pro at this stuff-LOL. I myself could not live off unemployment so I don't know how she thinks she can plus going to school isn't cheap in itself.