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[adjunctatlas]

Applied for unemployment benefits today.  The agent asked me:  "Are you applying against Local College?"  I said I was, but my heart sank:  Against them? Suddenly I remembered how, while still a grad student at big rich RU in the north, after my very first stint teaching I applied for UI, and they fought me tooth and nail; eventually I prevailed.  Now that I'm just an adjunct, with a non-renewable contract each semester, I'm worried that, if small, poor, and struggling LC does pay, they may hold it against me, and the HR at my school would call the provost, and the provost the department chairman, with the recommendation that he not re-hire me for fall semester. 

Their policy is already not to pay me the maximum for the one course I teach, and not to allow adjuncts more than three sections, since four would mean they'd have to pay benefits.  Given their penny-pinching ways, should I be concerned that they'll see being forced to pay benefits as my making more trouble than I'm worth? 

On the other hand, I looked over the provisions that Georgia law stipulates teachers must meet to receive benefits, and as far as I could make out in trying to reduce their bloated legalese to sense, if it is at all likely that LC will hire me again fall semester, I might not be eligible. 

I'd appreciate any suggestions from anybody anywhere, but particularly from anyone in Georgia.  War stories, links to questions about unemployment for teachers, etc., are also welcome.  Thanks!

[embitteredhistorian]

<headdesk>

When did we, as a society, decide to go back to feudalism?

[anon99]

This may be a stupid question, but doesn't the government pay UI and not your former employer?  Note that I have never applied for UI and am in Canada.  here we have money taken off each cheque for UI but it goes to the government.

[stitch]

This may be a stupid question, but doesn't the government pay UI and not your former employer?  Note that I have never applied for UI and am in Canada.  here we have money taken off each cheque for UI but it goes to the government.

I'm not familiar with the details, but the gist is that UI is funded from multiple sources.  Employers do pay more if their former employees collect.  Not the full amount you receive, but a significant portion.

[rear_view_mirror]

From the New Faculty majority Website:
"However, institutions that obstruct claims are trying to have it both ways:  they want all of the "benefits" of contingent employment without the responsibilities. Explaining the reasoning and methods involved in the decisions of colleges and universities to fight unemployment insurance for contingent faculty will begin to expose the fundamental problems and contradictions inherent in institutional policies of contingent faculty employment. In short, the disingenuousness of higher ed on this issue is evident in the fact that many institutions have it specifically written into their rules that contingent faculty DON'T have reasonable assurance of continued employment, while at the same time obstructing claims by asserting that they DO have reasonable assurance.  We believe that a concerted national effort at both the state and federal levels will lead to the clarification or elimination of the phrase and affirm this right more clearly."
In my experiences, it would be very easy to demonstrate that I have had no reasonable assurance of employment in the future, because all of the contracts have clearly stated that (1) employment terminates at the end of the term, (2) there is no guaranteed number of hours per week, and (2) the employer may terminate the contract in the middle of the term.
However, I have never applied for UI because I would not be able to live on what I would get.
Will you lose prospect of another stint at this college? It certainly sounds risky.

[adjunctatlas]

In my experiences, it would be very easy to demonstrate that I have had no reasonable assurance of employment in the future, because all of the contracts have clearly stated that (1) employment terminates at the end of the term, (2) there is no guaranteed number of hours per week, and (2) the employer may terminate the contract in the middle of the term.
However, I have never applied for UI because I would not be able to live on what I would get.
Will you lose prospect of another stint at this college? It certainly sounds risky.

I have to supply proof that I no longer work, and my contract states your (1), but not your (2) or (3); I don't even understand (2)--after all, your class meets for a determinate number of hours a week, and my contract stipulates that I am to teach two sections; (3) is terrifying--don't they specify a reason? 

I can't live on the $100 a week I'm likely to get, but if I could just get another job, I wouldn't bother, either.  Tomorrow I'm going to participate in their Georgia Work$--yes, the dollar sign is official--to see if I can get training for something. 

Can't even ask other adjuncts--most of them are grad students, and I don't see them anyway because of our schedules; the only adjunct I do know has another job, so he doesn't have to worry about this. 

[rear_view_mirror]

(2) and (3) were on a separate document that the adjunct is required to sign, but the name of the institution does not appear anywhere on it. This is separate from the contract, signed by both parties, indicating work done and compensation.

[theritas]

This may be a stupid question, but doesn't the government pay UI and not your former employer?  Note that I have never applied for UI and am in Canada.  here we have money taken off each cheque for UI but it goes to the government.

I'm not familiar with the details, but the gist is that UI is funded from multiple sources.  Employers do pay more if their former employees collect.  Not the full amount you receive, but a significant portion.

Many years ago, I worked in a personnel office, and from what I remember, there is a calculation that involves the number of previous employees that have collected unemployment that figures into the amount the institution has to pay into the system.

[rear_view_mirror]

This may be a stupid question, but doesn't the government pay UI and not your former employer?  Note that I have never applied for UI and am in Canada.  here we have money taken off each cheque for UI but it goes to the government.

I'm not familiar with the details, but the gist is that UI is funded from multiple sources.  Employers do pay more if their former employees collect.  Not the full amount you receive, but a significant portion.

Many years ago, I worked in a personnel office, and from what I remember, there is a calculation that involves the number of previous employees that have collected unemployment that figures into the amount the institution has to pay into the system.

Right; what this means to Atlas is that if the adjuncts at your college have not been making unemployment claims, this will be an expense that the college has not been planning on. They won't like that.

[prof_smartypants]

This may be a stupid question, but doesn't the government pay UI and not your former employer?  Note that I have never applied for UI and am in Canada.  here we have money taken off each cheque for UI but it goes to the government.

I'm not familiar with the details, but the gist is that UI is funded from multiple sources.  Employers do pay more if their former employees collect.  Not the full amount you receive, but a significant portion.

Many years ago, I worked in a personnel office, and from what I remember, there is a calculation that involves the number of previous employees that have collected unemployment that figures into the amount the institution has to pay into the system.

Right; what this means to Atlas is that if the adjuncts at your college have not been making unemployment claims, this will be an expense that the college has not been planning on. They won't like that.

Not really. The school will pay into UI regardless. Just like any other insurance, companies pay premiums. The more employees collect after being let go by a company, their premiums go up. This is why companies will fight UI claims - they don't want their premiums go up. It's not entirely that simple, but this is the way I've been told to think about it.

All of this assumes that there is effective communication between the various people in HR who handle this stuff (UI and hiring) - they are probably not the same person. And given how other departments at universities operate, the people dealing with hiring you again probably will never even talk to the folks in HR who deal with unemployment insurance.

[dellaroux]

<headdesk>

When did we, as a society, decide to go back to feudalism?

Sorry, what?

Not sure how this relates to feudalism, first of all.

And I'm still not quite understanding if the "we" refers to the culture you're now in or the one you're not in, or a more global construct of culture, or something else? You seem to be including yourself in some group or other but I'm not clear which one that is.



To the OP, you might want to check with a UI counselor directly, I think they are listed on some states' sites. They might be able to help you figure out your best pathway, and would have the most accurate information about how your state administers its own and the federal programs for unemployment insurance.

A friend has been dealing with this for the past 2.5 years, after being let go from a job she'd held faithfully for 19 years and expected to retire from shortly, so several of us have been hearing about and trying to help her with her situation.

It is now becoming dire since the intervening Senate vacations and quibbling over riders to the bill seem to be forestalling her next possible "tier," or whatever the next period of coverage might be; she did some Census work as well, but that will be ending soon for her, too (as someone else just posted) so she's getting very scared.

She was a staff assistant in a sort of backwater office at an NGO where her skills atrophied. She's not very competitive in the current market and so far hasn't found anything she can do that will take her on to do it.

So, you definitely have my sympathies...I gather from what she's been saying that even the temp market is only slightly picking up, so that's only a tenuous option as well.

[larryc]

A quick google for adjuncts+unemployment reveals a bunch of resources. Try adding the name of your state to the search.

[kedves]

This information might be helpful:

Q:  Could I be retaliated against for applying for UI?

A:  While everyone is entitled under federal law to see whether or not he or she meets the state’s eligibility requirements for unemployment insurance benefits, retaliation is a serious concern for many adjuncts.  Each of us needs to take the measure of our former employers and consider the possibility that we might lose the opportunity for future work by applying for unemployment insurance benefits.
 
At the same time, it is important to note that an employer who challenges a claim for unemployment insurance benefits indicates in so doing that the employee will soon be rehired.  It is important to file as soon as you may be eligible.  In many cases claims are awarded retroactively to employees who file, are denied, and are then not rehired, when it becomes evident that the prospect of continued employment was not reliable after all.

From:  New Faculty Majority National Unemployment Compensation Initiative.

[rear_view_mirror]

True or false?: unemployment insurance/compensation is a good deal for colleges. It's a way to bring better quality of life to its workforce without bearing the entire cost.

[adjunctatlas]

Thanks for all the observations and suggestions--too many for me to respond to.

This information might be helpful:

Q:  Could I be retaliated against for applying for UI?

A:  While everyone is entitled under federal law to see whether or not he or she meets the state’s eligibility requirements for unemployment insurance benefits, retaliation is a serious concern for many adjuncts.  Each of us needs to take the measure of our former employers and consider the possibility that we might lose the opportunity for future work by applying for unemployment insurance benefits.
 
At the same time, it is important to note that an employer who challenges a claim for unemployment insurance benefits indicates in so doing that the employee will soon be rehired.  It is important to file as soon as you may be eligible.  In many cases claims are awarded retroactively to employees who file, are denied, and are then not rehired, when it becomes evident that the prospect of continued employment was not reliable after all.

From:  New Faculty Majority National Unemployment Compensation Initiative.

Wow!  I hadn't realized my question was an FAQ.  I'll definitely go to NFM--someone else mentioned it, but I've been doing something else, and hadn't gotten around to it before coming back here.

I gather from what she's been saying that even the temp market is only slightly picking up, so that's only a tenuous option as well.

I don't know what state you live in, but in Georgia there really is no temp market at all, as far as I can tell--temp agencies don't let you walk in, talk to a recruiter, and send you on an assignment; they tell you to go to their website, register, and then apply for positions.  I used to be able (about seven years ago, in another state) to support myself through temp agencies because their clients just wanted either a warm body for a few days, or somebody with enough intelligence to follow basic instructions, do basic tasks for a couple of weeks--now their clients seem to want people highly-trained in more computer programs than I've heard of to work for a possible permanent position. 

All of this assumes that there is effective communication between the various people in HR who handle this stuff (UI and hiring) - they are probably not the same person. And given how other departments at universities operate, the people dealing with hiring you again probably will never even talk to the folks in HR who deal with unemployment insurance.

I hope you're right.  Certainly the administrative staff at my school can seem slow, even incompetent more often than not; it's just such a small school. 

It's always good to get a better idea of how things work.  Thanks again!  Keep'em coming if you've got thoughts!