Woman behind the desk: "Let's see. You wrote here that you were a marketing manager, right?"
Woman applying: "Yes. That's right."
Woman behind the desk: "Hmmm. Here it says you refuse to work second or third shift. Why is that?"
Woman applying: "Well, I didn't think it made sense. There is no such thing as a second shift' job in marketing management."
Woman behind the desk: "Well, you're limiting yourself."
Woman applying: "But there's no such thing as 'shift work' for what I do."
Woman behind the desk: "Ma'am, if you won't cooperate with the process, it may affect your eligibility."
Woman applying: "OK. I give up. You tell me how to play the game and I'll do it."
Woman behind the desk: "This is not a game. What you put in these spaces will affect your eligibility."
Woman applying: "OK. Please tell me what I should do."
Woman behind the desk: "Change your answer to yes' on this question. Then initial it."
You will undoubtedly encounter such contradictions when you apply for unemployment compensation. It's not a game, but it is a game. As in any bureaucratic process, the forms, conventions, and rules that have been developed over the years have taken on a life of their own. You have to realize in advance that these Catch-22 situations come with the territory. Although you've just lost your job, you have waited for three hours to get to this desk, and someone has just given you an absurd hoop to jump, you must keep your cool and do what they say. If they want you to be willing to accept shift work as a corporate vice president, agree to it. Remember that to argue or thwart the process in any way may affect your eligibility.
Approach the process as if the person behind the desk has numerous bags of money under the desk. If you are calm and pleasant and follow all the rules someone will give you one of the bags. The people at the unemployment office who have direct contact with the public have very little power to do anything except slow down your claim. If you abuse them, you may be waiting a long time before you see your first check.
What's a government office without a few forms? Every state has a form all its own. As an example, an unemployment compensation form for the state of Ohio appears on the next page. The form you file will likely have a number of questions relating to your reasons for applying, previous claims, and general personal data. As you complete the form, there are several things to remember:
This is a test. You do have to come up with the right answers. If they want you to agree to work weekends, agree to it, even if you are a bank teller. This doesn't mean you necessarily have to accept a job that requires weekend work. It simply means you are willing to accept one. The distinction is enough to stall your claim or make it sail through the bureaucracy.
Don't lie. They do check. Unemployment forms are not like tax returns. They don't check a random few, they check them all. This is because your employer must agree with you that you were not fired for some sort of misconduct. In that respect, your employer will be asked some of the same questions you are asked. If your answers don't agree, your claim may be denied. In the event your employer responds in a way that causes your claim to be denied, you can and should file an appeal, especially if your answers were right in the first place.
If you're confused, ask someone. You may get more than one answer to the same question, but if you're confused, you're better off being able to say, "Gee, so-and-so in the unemployment office told me to answer that way" than to guess on your own and make a mistake.
If all else fails, find a construction worker. Finally, if all else fails and the forms have you completely confused, look around the unemployment office and find someone who looks like a construction worker. Many people who work in construction deal with seasonal employment shifts that put them out of work from time to time. After one or two times through the system, they have learned how to answer the questions and save themselves time and headaches.
If you're not sure how your employer will respond, ask for a fact-finding interview. Remember, unemployment compensation is available to people who are out of work through no fault of their own. If you were fired or laid off but committed no misconduct, you are generally eligible for unemployment. However, if your employer disagrees, he or she may tell the unemployment office that you were fired "for cause," which would invalidate your claim. If the circumstances under which you left were strained, or if you think your employer would try to have your claim denied for any reason, ask for a fact-finding interview when you turn in your original claim, A fact-finding interview will require your employer to appear with you at an informal meeting during which a representative from the unemployment office will try to determine the actual circumstances of your departure. This can be an important step and a relatively painless way to avoid a potentially lengthy appeal process.
