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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2015
    Location
    Somerville, MA
    Posts
    101

    Default What Kind of Work Must You Report While on Unemployment

    My question involves labor and employment law for the state of: MA

    Hello all,

    For the purposes of unemployment collection in MA how does one report work that is on commissions basis? In other words, the kind of work that may pay something down the road but only if a certain business deal happens and has thus far paid nothing?

    Since the reporting is on a week-by-week basis, if it OK to report nothing if one did engage in this sort of work during the week in question, yet received no compensation for it during said week?

    Thanks.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Posts
    18,340

    Default Re: What Kind of Work Does One Need to Report While on Unemployment

    You have apparently not looked up any information from the UI website.

    You should do that and make a thorough study of your obligations, they are many, and call up if you don't understand.

    What I have found so far is instructions for filing online. One of the questions is: "Did you work or collect earnings during the week listed above." Notice the word "or" in there which means to me that you report that you "worked" even though you have not yet been paid for that work. See:

    https://www.mass.gov/files/documents...%20Payment.pdf

    I'm sure that you are not the only one working for commissions. The UI agency undoubtedly has a way of handling that.

    There's no question that you have to report that you "worked." Ask the agency how commissions are handled.

    https://www.mass.gov/unemployment-be...-for-claimants

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Posts
    38,867

    Default Re: What Kind of Work Does One Need to Report While on Unemployment

    Since working itself can disqualify you for benefits you may find that no matter whether your pay is delayed or not as irrelevant. Working full time does disqualify you. To be eligible for UI you must be available for work and actively searching as well.

    Your earings are reported in the week earned regardless when or if they are paid. Your statement makes no sense though. Either you earned a commission or not.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2015
    Posts
    1,142

    Default Re: What Kind of Work Does One Need to Report While on Unemployment

    My strong advice to you is call the agency and discuss it with someone. Document what exactly you were told. Then, on your weekly certifications, report, report and over report. Report work done in the week it was done, NOT in the week you will be paid for it. Unemployment is NOT needs based, they want to know about when you worked, regarding availability, not how much you made accurately to the cent. Guestimate how much you actually made during the Sunday through Saturday time period for which you are making your weekly certifications. It's better to be a little off on how much you made, exactly, than to say you did not work on a week you did actually work. That's fraud. That's lying. Incidentally the amount you made is in GROSS wages, not net wages. They'll deal with it, you just report it. Don't try to calculate how much the state will allow you make before they start impacting your weekly benefit.

    Know that if you do not report it, and later, down the road about income tax time, when the systems cross match, they will see that you were working for company xyz at the same time period you were drawing benefits for unemployment. When they pull your records, and find that you were reporting those wages, that will go well for you. When they look and see that you were NOT reporting the wages, they will start thinking about unemployment fraud issues. Be proactive, don't let that happen. Report it now.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Posts
    1,360

    Default Re: What Kind of Work Does One Need to Report While on Unemployment

    Quote Quoting plushevyitigr
    View Post
    For the purposes of unemployment collection in MA how does one report work that is on commissions basis?
    Have you actually started doing this work? If not, do NOT do it. Just refuse the job. Commission work like this is most certainly unsuitable compared to what you had before. Also, stop looking for this kind of work. Get a real job so that you won't have these problems. If handled incorrectly, you can end up with no UI, no immediate income, and you'll hate yourself.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Posts
    38,867

    Default Re: What Kind of Work Does One Need to Report While on Unemployment

    Quote Quoting chyvan
    View Post
    Have you actually started doing this work? If not, do NOT do it. Just refuse the job. Commission work like this is most certainly unsuitable compared to what you had before. Also, stop looking for this kind of work. Get a real job so that you won't have these problems. If handled incorrectly, you can end up with no UI, no immediate income, and you'll hate yourself.
    Maybe op worked commission work before. I don’t know what your issue is with commission work but I know some folks that have done extremely well with commission pay.

    My uncle had a real job even though he was paid commission. Don’t know how many millions he had when he died but it was from that “not a real job” that paid him commission for his efforts.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Posts
    18,340

    Default Re: What Kind of Work Does One Need to Report While on Unemployment

    Quote Quoting chyvan
    View Post
    Have you actually started doing this work? If not, do NOT do it. Just refuse the job.
    Incredibly bad idea. Refusing work makes one ineligible for UI.

    Quote Quoting chyvan
    View Post
    Commission work like this is most certainly unsuitable compared to what you had before.
    Not necessarily. Lots of people make thousands a week on commission.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Posts
    1,360

    Default Re: What Kind of Work Does One Need to Report While on Unemployment

    Quote Quoting adjusterjack
    View Post
    Refusing work makes one ineligible for UI.
    BS. I've refused work twice, and each time it was ruled unsuitable. You don't have to take ANY job, only a SUITABLE one.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Oct 2016
    Posts
    4,301

    Default Re: What Kind of Work Does One Need to Report While on Unemployment

    The OP's work is suitable because he not only wants to do it it sounds to me that he already has been doing it.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Posts
    1,360

    Default Re: What Kind of Work Does One Need to Report While on Unemployment

    Quote Quoting PayrolGuy
    View Post
    The OP's work is suitable because he not only wants to do it it sounds to me that he already has been doing it.
    I disagree. I think he thinks he has to do it because he's afraid to refuse, and I'm not sure he's started it yet, because he's asking how to report it for purposes of UI. I also clearly asked him if he's already started, and he hasn't responded yet.

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