How to Claim Unemployment Benefits Compensation per State

How to Claim Unemployment Benefits Compensation per State Losing your job is always a fear. Although the unemployment rate (3.6%) is at an all-time low since 1969, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, its not a guarantee your job is safe.The number of unemployed people is down 38% since the last U.S. recession ended in 2009. As of October 2019, there were nearly 6 million unemployed people in the United States. These people look to unemployment insurance to cover them until they can find work. While unemployment insurance isnt a permanent fix, it can help tide you over until you get another job.What Is Unemployment Insurance?Unemployment insurance is a federal-state program that credits its eligible members with part of their previous income. The program was established in 1935 by the Social Security Act, while Franklin D. Roosevelt was in office. Each states government operates its unemployment insurance program. However, the U.S. Department of Labor regulates the system.Since each state government is allowed to customize the progr am, things such as eligibility rules, how benefits are calculated, and the length of the benefit period vary by state. Before an unemployed person applies for unemployment benefits, they should find out if they qualify for their states program.Who Is Eligible for Unemployment Insurance?Although eligibility requirements can vary from state to state, generally, to be eligible for unemployment insurance, the individual must be unemployed at no fault of their own, able to work, and must have earned above a certain income level during a specific period before becoming unemployed.To lose a job at no fault of their own, the individual must have been laid-off or fired unfairly. If the individual quits or is fired for reasonable reasons, they will not be eligible for unemployment benefits in any state.What Is the Base Period and How Is It Figured?The specific period each state reviews for unemployment eligibility is known as the base period. The base period is calculated the same way in most states. The base period consists of the four earliest calendar quarters out of the last five full calendar quarters the person worked before applying for unemployment.Calendar quarters are as follows:January MarchApril JuneJuly SeptemberOctober DecemberFor example, if someone applies for unemployment during the first quarter (January March), their base period will be from October two years prior until September of the year directly before the year he applied. When someone applies for unemployment during the second quarter (April June), their base period will be from January until December of the year before he applied.If someone applies for unemployment during the third quarter (July September), their base period will be from April of the year before he applied until March of the year in which he applied. If someone applies for unemployment during the fourth quarter (October December), their base period will be from July of the previous year until June of the year in which he applied.For a quick reference to figure out a specific base period in 2020, check below.Base Periods-Unemployment EligibilityApplied during the first quarter in 2020 base period is October 2018 September 2019Applied during the second quarter in 2020 base period is January 2019 December 2019Applied during the third quarter in 2020 base period is April 2019 March 2020Applied during the fourth quarter in 2020 base period is July 2019 June 2020How Are Benefits Calculated?States calculate benefits differently. Depending on the state, benefits will be calculated by using the individuals quarter with the highest-earning or adding up the total earned during the base period. The result can help the state figure out eligibility, the payment amount, and how long the applicant is eligible for benefits. Also, some states take the number of dependents into account when calculating benefits.If the state uses the highest-earning quarter to calculate benefits, the total income will be div ided by 25 to determine the weekly benefit amount. However, states can set a maximum weekly benefit level, and if the result is higher than that, the individual receives the maximum limit instead.For example, in Texas, if during the highest-earning quarter, the applicant earned $10,000, their weekly benefit payment would be $400 ($10,000/25). As of 2019, Texas has a maximum weekly benefit of $507. Therefore, if the applicant earned $12,675 or more in their highest-earning quarter, he would receive the maximum weekly benefit.The national average unemployment weekly benefit is about $300. To be eligible for unemployment benefits in most states, the applicants total earnings during their base period must be at least 37 times their weekly benefit amount.People who receive unemployment benefits should keep in mind that they have to report any and all unemployment benefits as income when they file taxes.Maximum Benefits per StateStates are able to set the maximum benefit an eligible worke r can receive. The maximum will vary based on each states cost of living and other factors. Some states have a maximum benefit amount of nearly $800, while most have maximum benefits of around $400.As of 2019, the states with the highest maximum benefits are (in order from largest to smallest) Massachusetts, Washington, Minnesota, New Jersey, and Illinois. The states with the lowest maximums are (in order from largest to smallest) Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana, Arizona, and Mississippi.The following represents the maximum benefit levels of each state in 2019 (in order from largest to smallest benefit):Massachusetts $795Texas $507 Idaho $405Washington $749Kentucky $502Indiana $390Minnesota $717Wyoming $489Virginia $387New Jersey $696Montana $487Alaska $370Illinois $648Kansas $474Wisconsin $363Maine $646Vermont $466Michigan $362Connecticut $631Arkansas $451South Dakota $352Hawaii $630California $450North Carolina $350Ohio $598New Mexico $442Delaware $330Colo rado $597New York $435Georgia $330North Dakota $595Maryland $430South Carolina $326Iowa $573Mississippi $235Missouri $320Rhode Island $566New Hampshire $427Florida $275Pennsylvania $561Nebraska $426Tennessee $275Utah $543District of Columbia $425Alabama $265Oregon $538West Virginia $424Louisiana $247Oklahoma $520Nevada $407Arizona $240Maximum Length of BenefitsIn addition to choosing the maximum weekly benefits, states also choose how long eligible members get to receive benefits.In most states, the maximum length of benefits is 26 weeks. However, it can range from 12 to 30 weeks. Eligibility will determine how long each person receives benefits.The maximum length of benefits for each state as of 2019 is as follows (in order from longest to shortest):Massachusetts 30Maine 26Texas 26Montana 28Minnesota 26Utah 26Alaska 26Mississippi 26Virginia 26Alabama 26North Dakota 26Vermont 26Arizona 26Nebraska 26Washington 26California 26New Hampshire 26Wi sconsin 26Colorado 26New Jersey 26West Virginia 26Connecticut 26New Mexico 26Wyoming 26District of Columbia 26Nevada 26Idaho 21Delaware 26New York 26Arkansas 20Hawaii 26Ohio 26Michigan 20Iowa 26Oklahoma 26South Carolina 20Illinois 26Oregon 26Kansas 16Indiana 26Pennsylvania 26Georgia 14Kentucky 26Rhode Island 26Missouri 13Louisiana 26South Dakota 26Florida 12Maryland 26Tennessee 26North Carolina 12Extended Unemployment BenefitsThe program known as Extended Benefits allows certain people about 13 to 20 weeks of unemployment benefits in addition to the states maximum. However, this program is only available at times when the states unemployment has increased dramatically. As of November 2019, there are no states currently offering the Extended Benefits program.Unemployment Rates by StateAs mentioned earlier, the national unemployment rate is the lowest it has been since 1969. In 1969, the national unemployment rate was 3.5%. Before 1969, there were onl y three years (1951-1953) that showed a lower unemployment rate than 2019.The state unemployment rates represent the percentage of unemployed workers in each states workforce. People who are considered part of the workforce are the employed and the unemployed looking for work. People who are not considered as part of the workforce and therefore dont affect the unemployment rate are people who arent actively looking for work, such as students, retirees, and stay-at-home parents.Although the national unemployment rate is currently 3.6%, each state has an unemployment rate specific to it. The current unemployment rates for each state are as follows (from lowest to highest):Vermont 2.2Florida 3.2Illinois 3.9North Dakota 2.5Indiana 3.2New York 4Utah 2.5Minnesota 3.2North Carolina 4Colorado 2.6New Jersey 3.2Michigan 4.1Iowa 2.6Oklahoma 3.3Nevada 4.1New Hampshire 2.6Wisconsin 3.3Oregon 4.1South Carolina 2.6Georgia 3.4Ohio 4.2Virginia 2.6Montana 3.4Pennsylvania 4.2Ha waii 2.7Tennessee 3.4Kentucky 4.3Alabama 2.8Texas 3.4Louisiana 4.5Maine 2.8Arkansas 3.5Washington 4.5Idaho 2.9Connecticut 3.6Arizona 4.8Massachusetts 2.9Maryland 3.6New Mexico 4.8South Dakota 3Rhode Island 3.6West Virginia 4.8Kansas 3.1Delaware 3.7District of Columbia 5.4Missouri 3.1Wyoming 3.8Mississippi 5.5Nebraska 3.1California 3.9Illinois 3.9Educational and Training Programs for the UnemployedOne requirement to qualify for unemployment benefits is that the person must be looking for work. States offer educational and training programs to the unemployed to increase their chances of getting hired. These programs vary from state to state and are usually low in cost or free.Some states, such as Delaware, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New York, and Oregon, offer a self-employment assistance program that helps the unemployed return to work by starting their own business.Health Insurance While UnemployedThe decreased income isnt the only thing unemployed people have to worry about. They may also have to find new health insurance. People who received their health insurance through their previous employer have a few options in deciding how to get health insurance.Recently unemployed people may be able to receive coverage through the Affordable Care Act, their spouses employer, or the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA).COBRA is a program that allows employer health coverage to continue after the employee loses their job. COBRA is a short-term solution, as people can only have it for up to 36 months. This program is also usually expensive, so people should research other ways to get health coverage as well.Generally, to qualify, the employer's health plan must be covered by COBRA, the loss of employment cant be caused by misconduct and several other factors that are dependent upon the employer and employee specifically. Ex-employees will need to talk with their previous employers Human Resources department to figure out if they qualify.How to Apply for Unemployment BenefitsAnyone can apply for unemployment benefits. Whether they get approved or not will depend on the states requirements. Each states application process for unemployment benefits can vary. However, this is generally how it works:To start the unemployment benefits application process, people should contact their states unemployment office. Its more efficient if people can determine their likelihood of approval before applying. By doing this, they can save time by not going through the application process if they figure out that they dont meet the base requirements.The next step will be to submit a claim. Most initial claims will require basic personal information as well as employment history. After the claim is submitted, applicants usually hear a decision within ten business days.Applicants who are approved for their states unemployment program will have to attend a meeting at the states Americas Job Center. At this meeting, a represe ntative will help the applicant get set up with workshops, job search, and other services that will assist the applicant in finding a job.The final step will be for the applicant to start looking for a job. Unemployment programs monitor how often their members search for jobs and the jobs they are offered. To maintain eligibility, workers have to include this information on their weekly unemployment benefits claim. Failure to submit weekly claims can result in benefits being suspended.People who are looking to learn their states unemployment benefits qualifications or to apply for benefits can find their states unemployment site linked below.Unemployment Sites by StateAlabamaKentuckyNorth DakotaAlaskaLouisianaOhioArizonaMaineOklahomaArkansasMarylandOregonCaliforniaMassachusettsPennsylvaniaColoradoMichiganRhode IslandConnecticutMinnesotaSouth CarolinaDelawareMississippiSouth DakotaDistrict of ColumbiaMissouriTennesseeFloridaMontanaTexasGeorgiaNebraskaUtahHawaiiNevadaVermontIdahoNew H ampshireVirginiaIllinoisNew JerseyWashingtonIndianaNew MexicoWest VirginiaIowaNew YorkWisconsinKansasNorth CarolinaWyomingDanielle K. Roberts is a Medicare insurance expert and co-founder atBoomer Benefits, where her team of experts help baby boomers with their Medicare decisions nationwide.

6 Ways to Save Time Money Managing Your Payroll

6 Ways to Save Time Money Managing Your Payroll While the majority of employees count down the days until their next payday, this isnt quite the case for HR professionals unfortunately. For them the very thought of payday approaching brings about  quite different emotions and what can be a very lengthy and frustrating process fills them with dread. In fact, 25% of payroll leaders spend more than 50% of their time on day-to-day payroll activities, so theres no wonder its not exactly their favourite task. Managing the payroll doesnt have to be such a nightmare, however, and a lot of time and money could be saved if a few changes are made. Namely have put together some of their top tips for making your Payroll process more efficient. Heres what they recommend: How can you save time on payroll? 1) Switch to salaried positions Employees with fixed pay save a lot of time calculating hours worked, overtime and time off. 2) Give employees unlimited holiday   Not only will it make employees happy, but giving them unlimited PTO  will reduce the number of pay-codes you have to deal with. 3) Make direct debit compulsory   88% of employees are paid by direct debit, which payroll professionals feel helps them to meet their payroll needs. 4) Offer prepaid FSA cards With and FSA card, employees are more likely to spend pre-tax dollars which lowers their taxable income meaning youll spend less on Social Security payments. 5) Automate tax filings   1 in 5 people handling payroll taxes  internally report spending more than 6 hours a month on the task. 27% of small businesses report spending more than $10,000 on the admin of federal tax. 6) Move payroll to the cloud   45% of companies plan to move payroll to the cloud in the next 2-3 years. Doing so helps to eliminate manual work and makes it possible to integrate with other HR software. [Image Credit: Shutterstock]

Your Stellar Work is Your Brand - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Your Stellar Work is Your Brand - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Stellar work is your personal wealth: your worldly goods, trust fund, gold stash, life preserver, money in your pocket, and 401(k). It is the investment in yourself that no one can take away and no depressed economy or down market can diminish. “In the football world, it’s called making plays. Everyone in the game is fast, big, and strong, but only a certain percentage can make the big plays week in and week out,” says Steven Israel, retired NFL player for the Carolina Panthers and now the CEO of EndZone Coverage. So what does “stellar work” mean to the CEOs I asked? You: Make your numbers and deliver results on time, within budget. Know the most important areas to focus on, and you make them better. Find a need and fill it as well as you can. Make your boss’s life more comfortable and easier. Make your boss look good. You never surprise her, and you always keep her in the loop. Are willing and flexible to take on more when asked, and better yet, you discover openings before being asked. Have your work complement others’ work. You do what you can to help groups outside of your immediate job area. Do damn fine work, and you are a damn fine person. Do things that seem impossible to do. Deliver faster, cheaper, with higher quality. Are the fulcrum mover. Extract the most from an opportunity. Act as eyes and ears so as to improve the company’s achievements outside of your immediate job area. Utilize a broad and diverse set of skillsâ€"that is, you are multi-disciplined. Can track your successful history of making good decisions with value-added contributions. Deal with complex tasks without needing your hand held. Make it fun with the right amount of friskiness and playfulness in getting along and making things happen. Always look at how other people are doing the same type of work you’re doing. You always try to find people who are better at it and studying what they are doing. Figure out how to fix what is thrown at you. Think like an owner. You promote the organization’s mission, not just your own. So when your boss gives you assignments, recognize that you will be viewed as “pretty good” if you do what’s expected. But that’s not good enough. Good work is done with sincere intent, not political intent. You don’t do it to impress but to demonstrate what you can do. You’ll find a couple of things are likely to happen when you exert yourself in that manner. First, you’ll likely stimulate the intellectual thought and activity of other people around you, and second, the boss will probably give you bigger and more important projects. ___________ Debra Benton/Kylie Wright-Ford, co-authors of The Leadership Mind Switch (McGraw-Hill, 2017)

Five Ways to Hire the Best People

Five Ways to Hire the Best People Whatever your business, you need the best people you can get to make your company thrive and grow. However, finding the right people is a big challenge and you need to box clever. It’s not all about the CV, the verdict of an HR system, or the work experience â€" does the person “fit” into your company culture? What else can they bring to the table? How do you look beyond the obvious and fix your eyes on the real stars? Look for hidden potential You’re looking at the on-paper skills, but what about the personality? Skills can be learned, but an incompatible personality won’t change or improve. You need to look for evidence of social and emotional intelligence and an ability to handle difficult social situations. Look for lots of eye contact during the interview, as well as lots of extra information and openness. Don’t just go straight for the skillset, look at the whole person. Look at social media pages and profiles Everyone does background checks and Googles a candidate’s name, but looking through social media profiles can tell you lots about the real person behind the CV. Check out Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at least, so you get a good idea of the person’s sense of humour, ethical and political leanings, and also their relationship with former colleagues and bosses. If they stay in touch with old colleagues, it usually means they’re good to work with. Ask clever questions Obviously it’d be great if you could ask, and get an honest answer to: “Are you a nightmare to work with and do you pilfer stationery?” That’s not going to happen, though, so you have to read between the lines. Ask why the person left their previous job â€" if they blame their evil ex-boss, then it’s time to look a bit harder. If they say the office relocated and it was too far away, but that they still stay in touch, you may be onto a winner. Ask open-ended questions like “Why do you like to work?” and “What makes you happiest in your job?” These questions will give you a better idea of what the person’s about. Put yourself in the hot seat Any potential employee needs to show a bit of initiative and to find out more about your company, you, and your other employees. It’s actually a two-way process, and by allowing candidates to ask a few questions, you’ll find out more about them, just as they find out if you’re the right employer. Don’t judge by appearances It’s not the 1950s any more, and so the odd piercing, tattoo or a quirky dress sense shouldn’t really matter. Think about whether the person can do the job, or can learn to do it, if they’re young. You may find yourself interviewing school leavers who seem naïve and maybe inarticulate, but they have real ambition and a sense of purpose. Think outside the box every so often.

Help Your Employees Take Ownership of Their Jobs CareerMetis.com

Help Your Employees Take Ownership of Their Jobs â€" CareerMetis.com It’s not always easy to keep an eye on everything that goes on in your workplace. After all, as the manager, you might find your employees are actively trying to stay out of your way! This doesn’t help you do your job.Neither does it help them to do theirs more productively. When you manage large teams of people, you might need to approach these challenges in more than one way.Have you tried to help your employees take more ownership of their jobs?Management StylePhoto Credit â€" Pexels.comevalIt doesn’t really matter what style of management you prefer. Nor does it really matter how your employees prefer to be managed. But if they’ve been awarded a job in your business, surely they should take ownership of that?There are several ways you can help or encourage your team to invest or engage with their job a little more.Start by giving them the trust and freedom to report their own hours. You don’t need to invest in expensive HR tools, but this tool by Humanity could prove qu ite useful.Instead of using up your time and energy checking up on employees, you can now divert your resource to something more productive instead.In fact, your team could be managing a lot of their own reporting and administration without you having to oversee it or sign it off.Now you have a bit more time to actively engage your employees. Engagement is low for many businesses, and a lot of employees cite their manager is the reason they hate their job! This can be due to an overbearing approach when you might be on their back all the time instead of letting them get on with it.Again, give the employee as much ownership of their role as they can. This increased responsibility will be perceived as freedom and trust.New ApproachesPhoto Credit â€" Pexels.comevalInstead of being the manager that demands and barks, you might prefer to be the one that asks leading questions. Don’t ask “have you done that yet” and expect a yes or no.Instead, check-in with your employee. Draw up th e day’s task list together, and ask them to define the deadline The group mentality might gee-up those that aren’t feeling the love for one project by encouraging them to pick up the slack on another. There are, of course, downsides to this. Some workers can start to shy away from the group and leave it to become dysfunctional. This in turns pushes the others to pick up the slack.Engaging your workers is always a challenge. After all, they’ve got complex lives outside of work that can easily spill over into the office. Is it worth your time and energy getting to know your employees on that level?Yes and no.You could help them to build a better work-life balance. This, in turn, might improve your relationship with them. But ultimately, you need to empower your workforce to take care of all the sides of their life.Mentoring and coaching are very useful approaches for managers to use. You can quickly and easily help your colleagues to develop this function within their own role.E veryone needs feedback quite regularly. We all need to know we’re performing as expected, and where we can work a little harder. Self-confidence often comes from peer feedback or manager-led appraisals that confirm we’re doing well. This level of engagement can help your entire team become more productive and effective.Managing NegativityPhoto Credit â€" Pexels.comIt’s never easy to hear that you’ve got it wrong. If your appraisal of an employee is more negative than positive, then you need also to offer a plan of action to fix things.If you suggest your worker is entirely to blame for poor performance, you’ll leave them fretful and less productive than before. However, if you approach the lack of results as an opportunity to take on specialist training, your employees can then work on their weaker areas.Additional training can boost confidence and fill in any skills gaps. Chances are your workers will be thrilled that you can fix the things they’ve been worried about fo r a while.evalStrengthening weaknesses is a big motivator too. To give that employee an even bigger boost, ask them to mentor or coach a colleague. Start with tasks that they already excel at.Then, after training, ask them to teach someone else to do the things they’ve just learned. You are showing trust and faith in that worker to excel and giving them the tools to do it.Even employees that are yet to perform as well as you would like can take ownership of their learning and development. Encourage them to detail a training program that will fill in all the gaps. Where do they lack confidence?These are the areas they should seek additional advice and help. Invite them to talk to you and any other colleague that might help. All employees should take action if they are to fully own their job.Are Changes Practical?Of course, some employees might take their ownership a little too far. They might suggest the job needs to change. Perhaps they even talk about different functions or repor ting lines?evalIt’s important to clarify what the job is from the beginning. What your workers are likely talking about is a career progression. Make it clear the job they’re in is the one they need to work on.Career opportunities are a separate part of their working life and should be managed with the human resources team.Can you find more ways to help your employees take ownership of their jobs?

When Is It Okay to Contact Employers About Advertised Jobs - Hire Imaging

When Is It Okay to Contact Employers About Advertised Jobs - Hire Imaging In my last post, I shared some checklist items to note when applying to advertised job openings. When a job advertisement is published, employers typically get many phone calls, both from individuals trying to make an impression and from agencies proposing candidates. Neither are usually welcome. However, there are times when you might contact an organization before you send in a written application. Here are a few potential scenarios where this might be appropriate. If there is something important you need to research. This research needs to involve an important detail which is unclear. For example, there’s no point calling and asking about a total compensation package or asking about something which is perfectly obvious from the published posting. You might, however, call to ask about features of the job which are important but not listed. It’s also reasonable to ask if an employer will consider alternative qualifications or experiences which have relevance. This gives a favorable impression that you are trying to not waste their (or your) time by applying with the wrong background. If there is explicit permission to make further queries. Some job postings give the name and number of someone who is charged with answering telephone inquiries about the job, and this is often a senior person with substantial knowledge of the organization. Don’t use this call to have that person read you the job description again. It’s a wasted call. Analyze the job posting documentation in depth, and then use the call to flesh out a more in-depth picture. You can subtly bring up your own background and experience here, but don’t sell yourself hard. That will often be perceived as pushiness, rather than inquisitiveness and thoroughness. If you know someone in the organization. Once again, focus this call on fact-finding rather than thrusting for positioning. A good contact in the organization can help you get to the heart of published job advertisements or recruitment statements. For example, if the job appears to be all about disruptive change leadership and management, you can find out how serious the organization is about that idea, and how much the leadership actually supports new initiatives. In my next post, I’ll share some of the more common hoops to jump through, as well as some specific questions to ask. I always love to hear from you! Please comment below.

How to Write the Best Resume For the Job You Want

How to Write the Best Resume For the Job You WantSo you're wondering what the 'best' resume is to get hired for the job you want. Well, that depends on a few things. It really depends on how good your resume is and how well it speaks for you.Resumes are primarily written to express you the person you are. If you can't convey your self-worth to a prospective employer by means of your resume, then you won't make it through the door. And the reason why you need to be able to write a compelling resume is to get hired for a job that you would love to be employed at.That's pretty simple to see when you think about it, but many people simply don't know how to go about expressing themselves the way they want to. They just give a standard resume that no one is going to read and simply hope that someone else will. While it may work sometimes, it's not going to get you the position you want if the company only sees a generic resume with nothing to really offer them.So what can a generic resume do? Most companies are familiar with these types of resumes and have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to develop job-specific software to read them. These companies also spend the time to find you, getting to know what you've done and who you are.Specific resumes, on the other hand, generally just tell a part of who you are. They'll show you an educational background, your work experience, and any awards or honors you may have won. And that's fine, but that's all.The trick is to give the employer the impression that you're the right profile to be hired for the job. But, if you have to keep reading a thousand resumes before you find the one that speaks to you, what's the point?It's best to give your resume an edge that will allow you to stand out from the rest. Your best resume is going to be the one that reads like you, so that the company actually wants to interview you for the job. Keep in mind that the resume isn't the whole story: You're looking for an actual interview, so make sure you make the most of it!Keep in mind that this is one of the most important parts of your resume: It tells your prospective employer what you're really like. You'll be surprised at how a simple little note in the margins can add thousands of dollars in salary to your bank account!