Unemployment Misinformation

[Paladin Anderson]

So I work as a janitor at a rest stop area full time in Pennsylvania.

Now, they have a lot of older people working there and people with health problems. As part of their contract with the state 90% of their employees have to have some sort of disability. But, because we have to shovel snow all winter employees are given the option to be laid off for the winter if they have a medical reason that they can't handle the work load of shoveling snow and maintaining their cleaning duties.

Now, that's all fine and good. Here's where things get shady...

The people who take medical lay off are told they aren't eligible for unemployment benefits by our bosses. That the company we work for would refuse them.

I have a friend who works in the unemployment office and she says that's a load of BS. Companies don't decide who gets unemployment, the unemployment office does. Being unable to maintain your work load due to a valid medical condition is a perfectly valid reason for unemployment benefits. These people who took medical lay off are fully within their rights to be paid unemployment over the winter.

So I asked her if there was someone I could turn these people into for lying to their employees to keep them off unemployment.

My friend says no. It's not illegal, at least in PA, to feed your employees misinformation about unemployment. It's something she has to deal with every day while working on claims.

If you have any questions about unemployment benefits, call your local unemployment office. Don't trust ANY information you get from any other source.

 

[GiglameshSoulEater]

That seems very dodgy. Hmm.

That sounds like it should be illegal to feed people misinformation.

 

[Paladin Anderson]

For some reason I thought you could not collect unemployment if you took a voluntary lay off.

If it's for a medical reason, yes you can. I'm not sure if it's valid otherwise. Call your local unemployment office, don't trust ANY information except what comes directly from them.

 

[Aulleas123]

So it should be illegal to give misinformation to produce an effect that would benefit oneself? You mean a lie? Well, let's lock up all of the politicians!

OT: Yes, Unemployment decides who gets benefits, not the employer. There are guidelines to follow to put yourself down for unemployment services (time out of work, condition of leaving the workplace). Employers will always BS about Unemployment services because they simply don't know or don't care. I was in a similar position when I worked for a government agency. I chose not to go for the benefits (to each their own) but I looked at it for an option. Point being, talk to the people who are actually providing the benefits instead of those who don't care.

 

[tharglet]

This is why if I want information, I tend to go direct to the source. In the UK, the govt websites aren't too bad, and you can usually find what you need. Nothin' beats the official sources.

 

[LordFisheh]

A business laying to its employees to gain power at their expense? Why on earth would that be illegal in the Western world? Are you some kind of hippie communist nazi terrorist?

 

[Paladin Anderson]

So it should be illegal to give misinformation to produce an effect that would benefit oneself? You mean a lie? Well, let's lock up all of the politicians!

OT: Yes, Unemployment decides who gets benefits, not the employer. There are guidelines to follow to put yourself down for unemployment services (time out of work, condition of leaving the workplace). Employers will always BS about Unemployment services because they simply don't know or don't care. I was in a similar position when I worked for a government agency. I chose not to go for the benefits (to each their own) but I looked at it for an option. Point being, talk to the people who are actually providing the benefits instead of those who don't care.

Well, by law, they have to have a big board put up somewhere in plain sight depicting workers rights, wage laws, child labor laws, etc etc. But, apparently, when it comes to unemployment rights they can lie their asses off.

 

[Therumancer]

Having been in conflict with employers before, yes it is up to the unemployment office. Employers sometimes contest this because apparently some of the cost of employees on unemployment goes back to them when they are fired without cause.

HOWEVER Lay Offs tend to be a little differant, and part of the point is to avoid the whole thing with unemployment.

I'm not sure if the office is correct here, to my limited understanding if they were FIRED due to a medical condition making it so they couldnt do their job, they would get unemployment. If they take a lay off, they shouldn't get unemployment, however the nature of a lay off is such that they might be hired by the same employer again as they are not being thrown out.

It will be interesting to see what happens in the end.

 

[Something Amyss]

So it should be illegal to give misinformation to produce an effect that would benefit oneself? You mean a lie? Well, let's lock up all of the politicians!

Not seeing a downside here.

 

[Antari]

It would be nice if there was an agency around that you could blow the whistle to on that one but unfortunately there isn't one. About the only thing you can do is when you encounter someone in that situation, inform them.