I’m on temporary lay-off since July 01.09. Today I get my unemployment package telling me my total benefits are $40, not weekly, TOTAL.
WTF, I’ve been working for that place for almost 2 1/2 years and all I’m getting is $40? Then I look closer and see the name of a place I worked for last year, for 2 weeks until Gustav made a mess of things.
This must be a mistake I’m thinking, placing a call to the unemployment office and can only get a recording, no humans work there!
For most of the afternoon I’m trying to track down the chairman of the board, he’s out of town, but I get his cell phone #. Great!
So I’m waiting until 7pm, to not interrupt his business dealings, and I explain to him my reason for calling. “Yeah,Yeah I see, but no we don’t pay unemployment. We don’t have to, we’re a non profit, a church. Nothing I can do.”
I know churches don’t pay taxes and such, but I never realized and was never told that they don’t have to pay unemployment. What the hell! I don’t work for the church I work for their school! They close for every public school holiday, usually a couple of days or weeks,and I don’t have a problem with that. There are 3 other non-salaried workers employed at that school, I wonder if they know this? I’m up shit creek without a paddle and no unemployment.
Now I’m angry all over again and it took me almost 2 weeks to calm down from the way they broke the news to me that I wouldn’t be working during July closing, one hour before the doors closed. Because I was suppose to do some general maintenance work while the school was closed, like I did last year.
Is this legal? Anybody know?
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but they sure don’t make it easy.
you GO TO the unemployment office & demand some answers.
you might also get in touch with legal aid to find out for sure what your rights are.
i worked at a church for a couple years, in a ‘right to work’ state. they paid taxes AND unemployment AND gave me health ins.
…those will likely indicate that YOU payed your share of unemployment taxes out of your wages, in which case they are required to pay their share as well. The whole non-profit excuse is a scam. Hubby worked for 3 years fund-raising for a Presbyterian Children’s Home, rounded up more than $7 million for new housing and improvements and such. They get kids from the state, are required to follow EOE rules, pay taxes, etc., a school or other sponsored charity mission is NOT a “church” – it’s a mission of the church – and if you’ve been paying taxes they have to pay their portion as well.
that sounds completely infuriating.
DO what you can, but don’t
wastespend too much time fighting a losing battle, start looking for another job.my .02 c.