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  1. #1

    Question Unemployment Question: Did You Refuse Any Work

    I'm on unemployment, federal tier 1. It's administered through state of California but I live in Massachusetts now. I got a job offer, and accepted the offer, but the first day I started working they revealed things that were not clear in the offer letter. For example, I could not get on their medical plan for 3 months. I also agreed to be at their office for 8.5 hours per day and to do the remainder of my work from home on meetings/ conferences with international clients, to add up to a total of 45 hours per week. But on my first day, they asked me what my hours would be, and I told them 8-5. The HR guy said that was okay, but then while I was taking my 30 minute lunch break in the kitchen, my boss comes in and tells me that lunch time is not included in my 8-5 pm day. That if I want to take a lunch I have to work until 6pm. Before accepting the offer I told the HR guy that I could not be onsite more than 8.5 hours because I am limited by preschool dropoff/pickup times and he said he didn't think that would be a problem. I accepted the offer with that understanding, even though that was not explicitly written in the offer letter. I do have emails to prove it though. I just told them I cannot work for them because I am sole caretaker of a small child and I cannot control when the school opens and closes. As it is, I'm dropping my boy off right when they open at 7:30 and picking him up 15 minutes before they close, so there is no wiggle room there, especially once snowy weather comes and traffic gets worse.

    My question is, on my unemployment form, do I have to say I refused work, if the work I refused was misrepresented to me? In other words, if anyone offers you a job, however low the pay or however undoable the hours, are you obligated to accept that job or you will lose your unemployment? In my case, I literally cannot leave my child at the preschool after 6pm, they would charge me by the minute, and probably kick us out if I did it every day. I have no other family who can help me watch my boy, as everyone else works. I cannot risk losing what little unemployment benefits we have now, as I am not even getting any child support whatsoever. I don't want to mark Yes I refused work, if that means my benefits will end. We will be on the street if that happens. But I also don't want to lie. What happens when you mark Yes to that question? Are there any circumstances where it is okay to refuse work and still get benefits, cases like mine? I have to commute 40 minutes in the morning to drop off my son and get to work, and then 50 minutes in the evening to get home when traffic is worse, if that matters. I'm not even sure if it's legal for that company to require me to work more than 9 hours just to be able to take an unpaid lunch break, but I was supposed to be "exempt" whatever that means, so maybe those type of laws don't apply to me. Anyway, I'm just wondering about the unemployment form, and that question about refusing work. If some hustler walked up to me and asked me to pose naked for a $1000, would I be obligated to do it or lose my benefits? I mean, where do you draw the line here?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Posts
    19,901

    Default Re: Unemployment Question: Did You Refuse Any Work

    You didn't refuse work, you took and quit a job.

  3. #3

    Default Re: Unemployment Question: Did You Refuse Any Work

    So if I took and quit the job, would that end my unemployment benefits, do you know?

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Massachusetts
    Posts
    24,521

    Default Re: Unemployment Question: Did You Refuse Any Work

    You are not going to get better information that you got on the other board where you posted this question. The responder there has over 30 years direct experience with the unemployment system from the inside and she knows what she's talking about. I realize you probably posted on both boards more or less simultaneously and hadn't seen her response when you posted here, but truly - listen to her. She has the best track record of helping posters with UI issues of anyone I've seen on any of the multiple boards where I post.

    I'm not yelling at your posting multiple times - I'm giving you the best advice I know how to give.

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