As Gannett offers buyouts to as many as 30,000 newspaper employees, one N.Y. worker asks: "I want to know, as many others do, if you volunteer for severance, will you be eligible for unemployment?"
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Wednesday, November 05, 2008
13 comments:
Jim says: "Proceed with caution; this is a free-for-all comment zone. I try to correct or clarify incorrect information. But I can't catch everything. Please keep your posts focused on Gannett and media-related subjects. Note that I occasionally review comments in advance, to reject inappropriate ones. And I ignore hostile posters, and recommend you do, too."
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I marched on over and asked HR, and they said yes, if you volunteer for a layoff, you will get unemployment (in NJ, anyway).
ReplyDeleteConfirming the "yes" to unemployment in NJ if you take the voluntary layoff. Verified by our HR rep.
ReplyDeleteI think I would ask someone other than Gannett HR critters if I wanted an answer I could trust.
ReplyDeleteOurs told me when I was laid off that what with medical and all other benefits for the severnce period, I was technically still an employee who just didn't have to show up for work.
It makes sense.
You will receive unemployment when your severence pay runs it's out.
ReplyDeleteGenerally states don't let you double dip, that is, get salary continuation or severance AND unemployment at the same time. But when the severance runs out you can apply for unemployment assuming you haven't gotten a job.
ReplyDeleteShouldn't it be, "as many as 3,000 newspaper employees" (sted 30,000 in your lede)?
ReplyDeleteNo; 30,000 is correct. This refers to a buyout offer -- not the upcoming layoff of up to 3,000, or 10% of all.
ReplyDeleteI thought severance was supposed to be a supplement to unemployment. A few years ago, two friends were laid off in huge downsizings at Indiana corporations (not Gannett), and both drew unemployment right away. Maybe it's changed.
ReplyDeleteThe question might seem to just be a play on words, but does unemployment differentiate between employees who are laid off and those who took voluntary buyouts? AND does the way in which the pension is taken have an impact on the unemployment benefits?
ReplyDeleteWe're talking about NJ where three different unemployment department workers gave three different answers. A fourth refused to answer at all because it would have been considered "financial advice"!
If everyone in NJ just went ahead and volunteered, you could find out for yourself how severance and unemployment worked and saved the rest of our jobs.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, that would deprive Jim of his most rabid group of pissers, moaners and floor-poopers; but hell, it's a tough economy.
If the Interstate group didn't have to shovel our revenue east, we'd all have a merrier Christmas.
5:41AM- Like, who stole your breakfast! Unless you have worked in the NJ Group, your message has no substance or knowledge!
ReplyDeletere: double dipping.
ReplyDeleteIt depends.
If I understand correctly from my experience with having been laid off (not from Gannett - I left in disgust and of my own volition), if severance is dispensed as a lump sum, you can collect unemployment almost immediately. If it is paid out over time, you have to wait until it runs out.
From the New Jersey Department of Labor:
ReplyDeleteIf you voluntarily quit your job without "good cause connected with the work," or if you voluntarily retire, you may be disqualified for benefits. "Good cause connected with the work," means that your reason for leaving must be directly related to your job and be so compelling that you had no choice but to leave the job. For example, a person quits work to move out of the area. While this is a good personal reason to quit, the reason for quitting is not connected with the work and the person would be disqualified.
... If you quit your job, or if you voluntarily retire, you will be scheduled for a claims examiner interview. The examiner may request certain documentation as supporting evidence of your separation. The examiner will determine if you are entitled to benefits based on unemployment insurance laws and regulations.