Furloughed fed employees urged to take time at once to file for unemployment

[Soonerjeepman]

...am I the only one who has a problem with this? why not take one day a month, spread out the days so you don't get hammered at one time.

on top of that, this engineer will lose $4400 dollars for 2 weeks..11 days. WOW~

says these are mainly middle class people...hmmm, dude makes $104K a yr. I gross $59K and that put me in the top 45% with a family and top 30% as a single...he' s a bit higher than me.

He just had an expensive divorce, 5 kids, 2 in college...BIG F'in DEAL. We are suppose to pay for your divorce? I'm divorced and don't have cable, internet (pay my neighbor to tap into his wireless) or any other luxury items because I can't afford it.

So what's your take? agree, don't agree, don't GAS? :single_eye:

http://money.cnn.com/2013/05/29/news/economy/furlough-unemployment-benefits/index.html

[SoonerorLater]

I don't have a problem with the employees doing this if they can. It's just not reasonable to expect individuals to leave money laying on the table that they are legally entitled to. I do have a problem with a system that allows this to happen. If you think about it doesn't make a lot of sense in that it just transfers the burden of paying these people to another agency. In the muddled mind of government bureaucrats it must make some sense since it's not coming out of their budget.

[Midtowner]

If you make $104K, get a divorce, have 5 kids and two in college, you're likely to have a monthly budget which relies on that $104K income to make ends meet. My household makes a little more than that, but if my wife was to stop working, we'd definitely have to make some changes.

[soonerhubs]

Dear Middy,
Research shows that those who live within their means have higher marital satisfaction. High relationship satisfaction is a strong predictor of high relationship stability. Cut your spending before the divorce, and you may prevent the divorce. YWIA. :)

Signed,

Dr. Hubs.

[KABOOKIE]

If you make $104K, get a divorce, have 5 kids and two in college, you're likely to have a monthly budget which relies on that $104K income to make ends meet. My household makes a little more than that, but if my wife was to stop working, we'd definitely have to make some changes.

What a terrible life that person must live.

[SanJoaquinSooner]

Before Governor Brown saved California from deficit disaster, Governor Schwartzenegger furloughed state employees on some Fridays for a couple of years. I'm sure the state employees had to tighten their belts and made it hard, but that's the reality of trying to correct deficits. State employees have such rosy benefits not many people who work for a living felt sorry for them. And ****ty service from state departments was still ****ty so not much was different to the rest of us.

[Midtowner]

Dear Middy,
Research shows that those who live within their means have higher marital satisfaction. High relationship satisfaction is a strong predictor of high relationship stability. Cut your spending before the divorce, and you may prevent the divorce. YWIA. :)

Signed,

Dr. Hubs.

Oh wow. Glad you could solve that problem! Now no one will ever get divorced if they simply follow your simple advice. Or how 'bout this--being married is one thing, suddenly being stuck with the mortgage, all of the previous bills you were paying plus child support and alimony and suddenly that $104K paycheck isn't enough. People generally do live within their means. Divorce effectively blows up the financial landscape which is why very few divorcées have decent credit.

[C&CDean]

Oh wow. Glad you could solve that problem! Now no one will ever get divorced if they simply follow your simple advice. Or how 'bout this--being married is one thing, suddenly being stuck with the mortgage, all of the previous bills you were paying plus child support and alimony and suddenly that $104K paycheck isn't enough. People generally do live within their means. Divorce effectively blows up the financial landscape which is why very few divorcées have decent credit.

Uh no on the "people generally do live within their means." Most folks in this country are so financially strapped that if they lost a couple paychecks they'd be ****ed. The problem is people are living check to check and then the big D hits.

IDGAS about this particular guy. However, what Hub says is spot on. I'm gonna go ahead and offer up my Dave Ramsey advice here. If you and your wife ain't seeing eye to eye on money, kids, religion/politics, and one other thing I can't remember then you're pretty much doomed. Of course money is the primary factor in most divorces.

[olevetonahill]

Uh Dean , that one other thing is the Sex, Ya gott agree on the sexin

[yermom]

Divorce comments aside, this seems stupid.

First off, it doesn't sound like they are being pushed to do this, but it would make the most sense to put it off as long as possible. Especially if there is a chance all this whining causes someone to do something and not everyone gets furloughed all that time

[pphilfran]

Hell, I don't understand why you qualify for unemployment if you are off work for a week....

Also, if you are earning, say, 700 a week why would you be eligible?

[TAFBSooner]

I don't have my official notice yet (I expect it this week), but I don't think we have a choice as to when we take our furlough days. I still intend to keep them spread out, one day per week for 11 weeks, if it's up to me. I took unemployment a long time ago, and I think you don't even get a check for the first week. Could be wrong, though.

[Soonerfan88]

We got our notices last week and it specifically states we won't miss more than 16 hours per pay period (2 weeks). Of course, I don't have a money hungry union pushing for an unemployment option for me. I don't think it should be allowed anyway.

Also, as an engineer, he makes significantly more than the standard federal employee.

[SCOUT]

So in order to cut government spending, we have furloughs. We are then encouraging people to get government assistance to offset the cuts in government spending?

[olevetonahill]

So in order to cut government spending, we have furloughs. We are then encouraging people to get government assistance to offset the cuts in government spending?

Technically Bro. Unemployment is not Govt. assistance. Is taken from an Insurance pool that is paid into by employers. A percentage of every dollar you earn is paid in by your employer, Say you make a dollar an hour Employer Pays you that buck then has to pay into the Unemployment fund a Nickle so in essence you are costing the Boss a 1.05 an hour , Not counting the Workers comp Insurance. matching SS and Medicare

Thats why when I ran my companies I had to figure that if I was paying 10 an hour that person best be making me at Least 20 an hour for me to even break even. Or why have em around.

[rock on sooner]

Uh Dean , that one other thing is the Sex, Ya gott agree on the sexin

Aw Vet, You and all them shrinks..sex, sex, sex....
Oh, BTW, I agree...:glee:

[SCOUT]

Technically Bro. Unemployment is not Govt. assistance. Is taken from an Insurance pool that is paid into by employers. A percentage of every dollar you earn is paid in by your employer, Say you make a dollar an hour Employer Pays you that buck then has to pay into the Unemployment fund a Nickle so in essence you are costing the Boss a 1.05 an hour , Not counting the Workers comp Insurance. matching SS and Medicare

Thats why when I ran my companies I had to figure that if I was paying 10 an hour that person best be making me at Least 20 an hour for me to even break even. Or why have em around.

While that is all true, it is a tax on employment/earnings. It is also state based so this is really the Fed passing on more costs to the states.

[SanJoaquinSooner]

Technically Bro. Unemployment is not Govt. assistance. Is taken from an Insurance pool that is paid into by employers. A percentage of every dollar you earn is paid in by your employer, Say you make a dollar an hour Employer Pays you that buck then has to pay into the Unemployment fund a Nickle so in essence you are costing the Boss a 1.05 an hour , Not counting the Workers comp Insurance. matching SS and Medicare

Thats why when I ran my companies I had to figure that if I was paying 10 an hour that person best be making me at Least 20 an hour for me to even break even. Or why have em around.



My wife Maria used to try to hire people off welfare. The second they qualified for unemployment they did everything they could to get fired.

One dumb **** quit thinking if you just quit you could draw unemployment.

[badger]

Uh no on the "people generally do live within their means." Most folks in this country are so financially strapped that if they lost a couple paychecks they'd be ****ed.

I agree with this and sometimes it's responsible choice debt, such as 15-30 year home mortgage, buying a car over a two year period and making payments on time, student loan debt for a good career, etc.

I long for the day when the home mortgage payments end.

[jkjsooner]

For what it's worth, a lot of private companies will give their severance packages as a lump sum (even though the pay is defined as X weeks) so that the employees can start collecting unemployment immediately.

[badger]

says these are mainly middle class people...hmmm, dude makes $104K a yr. I gross $59K and that put me in the top 45% with a family and top 30% as a single...he' s a bit higher than me.

I suppose it depends on what you're used to. I could probably survive in a third world country making pennies a day to work in a sweat shop producing Dallas Cowboys merchandise, but it would be extremely uncomfortable.

Post-college, I was getting by on far less on my own, but I was living in a crappy apartment (to the point that people were lifting my old stuff out of the garbage can after I disposed of it on move out day) and couldn't afford new clothes. Boo hoo, right?

[Soonerjeepman]

I suppose it depends on what you're used to.

that is the key....

I was pointing out that I think most folks don't realize they actually make a pretty decent living...it's all relative though. I'm always thankful for what I have and make when I go to work..there are a lot of folks with a lot less.

[SCOUT]

For what it's worth, a lot of private companies will give their severance packages as a lump sum (even though the pay is defined as X weeks) so that the employees can start collecting unemployment immediately.

Hint: They also do this to avoid paying for their benefits for that period of time.