What is real life like?

[Fluffyumpkins]

Yes, I am employed at will, but there is a big difference between being fired and being let go. They can let me go for any reason in the world, but I get to collect unemployment.

As far as the handbook I spent about 15 minutes, but couldn't find the damn thing. Either way, I stand by my previous statement.

"There have been too many stories about people that had to mouth off on the internet and lost everything because of it. Just not smart."

[Merk]

Hell yeah unemployment is awesome. You've heard me say this and I have no idea how this works (Brandon can pedantically chime in) but all employers throw in money to the giant fund that people draw their unemployment from. I'm not sure if a company's contribution to the fund changes as they lay people off, but my point is that your employer is throwing away money for unemployment regardless of whether or not they fire or lay off people.

Is there a difference between being fired and laid off? Semantically, yes. But in the end the result is the same really. I'm pretty sure you can still collect unemployment even if you are fired. The employer has to prove to the Department of Labor that you don't deserve unemployment compensation for one reason or another and most of them won't even bother. I mean unless you really want to go out of your way to be a dick you can deny someone unemployment but it's not worth the effort if you're already throwing money at the unemployment fund anyway.

Cool story -- My good buddy was an accountant at a place up in Ft. Wayne. He's a bit of a miser and comes from money so he's got a couple of bank accounts with a few grand in them apiece. Anyway, this place that he worked at had the nasty habit of not having enough money to pay their employees come payroll time. Being the accountant, he was able to fiddle with the budget and convince his employer that in order to stay in business they needed to lay him off and send him off to collect unemployment. He was able to pay his mortgage and live very comfortably for a year on unemployment and his savings; he played a shit load of video games, worked out, and took some classes for his MBA.

Basically he lived the college lifestyle with all the perks of a full-time job.

[Fluffyumpkins]

From the Indiana Department of Workforce Development:

You only qualify for Unemployment Insurance benefits if you are unemployed through no fault of your own.
If You Quit or Were Fired: A claims deputy within the agency’s administrative office will need to make a
determination of whether or not you are eligible for benefits. You must provide fact finding information as part of your
online application. Your benefit eligibility determination will be based on the fact finding information you provide, as
well as information provided by your employers. Please fill out this information as completely as you can. Your most
recent employer and your base period employer(s) will be contacted for information regarding your claim. When this
process is complete, you will be sent a Determination of Eligibility (see page 10).
If You Were Fired for “Just Cause”: If you were fired for “just cause” you may not qualify for benefits. Just
cause includes, but is not limited to:
• Giving false information on a job application
• Knowingly breaking an employer’s rules
• Unexcused absence or tardiness
• Purposely damaging the employer’s property
• Refusal to obey employer instructions
• Reporting to work under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol
• Consuming drugs and/or alcohol on the job
• Conduct that threatens the safety of others
• Conviction and imprisonment for a serious crime
• Breach of a duty you owed your employer
If You Quit Voluntarily: If you quit voluntarily without good, work-related reasons, you may not qualify for
benefits. Good, work related reasons include, but are not limited to:
• Your employer arbitrarily (unreasonably) changes the terms or conditions of your work
• Safety violations at your work site
• Harassment
• Domestic or family violence
Some exceptions are made for those who voluntarily leave work for other reasons.

The result is not the same at all.

[Merk]

I should have been more clear:

"The result [for the employer] is the same, really."

[Fluffyumpkins]

Do their premiums go up if they let more people go?

[Merk]

That's something I'm hoping Brandon will pedantically chime in on.

I'll wager that after a certain threshold, yes.

[Fluffyumpkins]

That's something I'm hoping Brandon will pedantically chime in on.

I'll wager that after a certain threshold, yes.

Brandon HALP!

[MonMotha]

The "insurance premium" that a company with employees pays to DWD does indeed go up if they have a disproportionately large amount of unemployment claims once adjusting for number of employees, field of work, etc. This is one reason why employers want to contest unemployment claims if possible (i.e. they fired someone with "just cause").

In Indiana, being an "employment at will" state, you can be terminated at any time for any reason at all (including no reason) so long as the reason (even if not stated) is not discriminatory. Note that what constitutes "discriminatory" is heavily slanted towards certain "protected classes" the existence of which or lack thereof may in some cases be surprising. However, if the employer declines to provide a reason for termination or the reason is not considered a "valid" reason ("just cause"), the terminated employee would be generally eligible to collect unemployment from DWD, with all the resultant nasties for the former employer. If an employee is terminated with just cause (some of which were previously listed in this thread) then attempts to claim unemployment compensation, the employer can contest the claim and provide the cause for termination. If the former employer and former employee still can't agree on things, there are pseudo judicial and fully judicial (i.e. open court with a jury) options to resolve things.

Cool story -- My good buddy was an accountant at a place up in Ft. Wayne. He's a bit of a miser and comes from money so he's got a couple of bank accounts with a few grand in them apiece. Anyway, this place that he worked at had the nasty habit of not having enough money to pay their employees come payroll time. Being the accountant, he was able to fiddle with the budget and convince his employer that in order to stay in business they needed to lay him off and send him off to collect unemployment. He was able to pay his mortgage and live very comfortably for a year on unemployment and his savings; he played a shit load of video games, worked out, and took some classes for his MBA.

This is almost surely considered fraud (both by the company with the DWD being harmed AND by the accountant with his former employer being harmed). However, IANAL.

[Merk]

Okay does anyone have any other questions about real life after college?

[Fluffyumpkins]

Today a coworker caught me in the elevator on the way up.

Him: "I guess it's Monday again."
Me: "So the news tells me... <fake laughing>"

[Merk]

What an asshole, co-workers are the fucking worst.

Never ask what someone did on the weekend at work because you'll get one of the following:

"Took my kids to [someplace here]"
"Visited my in-laws [insert campy in-laws joke here] ROFL"
"Mowed the lawn"
"Ran some errands / Did work around the house"
"[Insert smarmy over-the-top smartass story that didn't actually happen]"

Adults are incredibly uninteresting.

[Fluffyumpkins]

What an asshole, co-workers are the fucking worst.

Never ask what someone did on the weekend at work because you'll get one of the following:

"Took my kids to [someplace here]"
"Visited my in-laws [insert campy in-laws joke here] ROFL"
"Mowed the lawn"
"Ran some errands / Did work around the house"
"[Insert smarmy over-the-top smartass story that didn't actually happen]"

Adults are incredibly uninteresting.

What did you do this weekend?

[Merk]

I went to Fort Wayne, fixed my broken car windshield, played videogames with Riot, played a lot of DDR, ate dinner with my family a bunch, saw a movie wi....


Waaaaaaait a second! You're trying to make the point that we all live boring mundane lives! Clever Heeb!

[Fluffyumpkins]

I went to Fort Wayne, fixed my broken car windshield, played videogames with Riot, played a lot of DDR, ate dinner with my family a bunch, saw a movie wi....


Waaaaaaait a second! You're trying to make the point that we all live boring mundane lives! Clever Heeb!

You broke your windshield?

[Riot]

He played fighting games against me. Of course he broke his windshield.