Strange advice from a professor...

[Kevthenurse]

When faced with the prospect of losing one's job, have any of you been encouraged to take unemployment for any reason? That is what my professor told me.

Many of my colleagues at my job are predicting that our department will be shut down by the end of the fiscal year in June. This is a major stressor in my life, and this has reflected in my scholastic performance--which has diminished to a point where I am in danger of not passing this semester. After discussing my situation with my professor, she actually advised me to draw unemployment for the remainder of my time in the nursing program.

It is not certain that my department will be shut down, but it is very likely. My odds of finding a job that will accommodate my school schedule are slim at best, so I was thinking of joining a temp agency.

I am not asking for advice, but I am wondering if this has happened to anyone else? I have not in my entire working life heard of someone being advised to take unemployment and *not* search for a job. Very strange....

[friskers96]

I am in a situation like that currently. My wife had back surgery and I need to be home with her and the kids. My employer was kind enough to lay me off so I would have an income while she recovers. I hate being that guy, but there is no other alternative in my case. I hate having to do it, but my boys need to eat and the power needs to stay on. They offer a pay back program of benefits received when you get back on your feet, most don't, but I think you get a tax break at the end of the year for doing it.

[mqstout]

I have heard of cases like this before where it's somewhat mutually beneficial to have a layoff and collect unemployment.

[Kevthenurse]

I'm glad to hear I am not alone. I know exactly what you mean, Friskers. My parents didn't raise me to mooch off the government, and if I wasn't in school I would have started my job search last month.
Thanks, dudes!

[alderdust]

I have taken unemployment before and since they average the last 24 months pay to get your qualifying amount and I had worked a full time job plus a part time job at some points in that time my benefit amount was more than the weekly amount i got from the job I lost....even still two to three weeks off work get very very boring...nothing I mean nothing is on TV during the day! It just let me take more time to make sure I found a job I liked better without having the financial worry. I had no warning I was going to lose my job but I began looking immediately... I wasn't mooching off the government but took it as a sign to make sure I really do something next I love.

[Kevthenurse]

(03-19-2013 10:12 PM)alderdust Wrote:  I have taken unemployment before and since they average the last 24 months pay to get your qualifying amount and I had worked a full time job plus a part time job at some points in that time my benefit amount was more than the weekly amount i got from the job I lost....even still two to three weeks off work get very very boring...nothing I mean nothing is on TV during the day! It just let me take more time to make sure I found a job I liked better without having the financial worry. I had no warning I was going to lose my job but I began looking immediately... I wasn't mooching off the government but took it as a sign to make sure I really do something next I love.

<nods> I hear ya. I got fired from my first job out of high school and was unemployed for 6 weeks. I was only with them for a year, and I did not qualify for unemployment. I figured that I was just a kid, and all I wanted to do was play video games and watch dirty movies, but it got old fast...I found a job within six weeks =D

Boredom for me this time won't be an issue I think. My program content is pretty intense. We study the vascular system and oncology next quarter. Lots to study!

[Sarku]

My girlfriend took unemployment for a time while she went through school. Being a single mom, it was the only way she would have ever been able to do it.

[Kevthenurse]

I concede it is good advice.
With any good luck it won't come to that. At a meeting today, upper management announced plans for the next fiscal year, which says to me that it may not be as dire as my colleagues think.

[friskers96]

Ok, i wish you the best of luck with work and school... The company I got laid off from, and tell me if I'm wrong in thinking this is screwed. (Also this was the company I worked at for 7 years, the recent job I got laid off from cause of my wifes surgery I was only at for like 2 months.) They called us all in for a "state of the company" talk and hyped the companies outlook. They did three of these meetings before lunch, then at 1pm they started calling people in one at a time and laying them off.. I hope that place isnt as jacked as mine was. Again, best of luck and we will always give ya the support, just watch out, corpoate is usually full of snakes.... I'm not bitter though..