My first visit to the unemployment — excuse me, the employment — office
It was kind of like this, but with people who are less employed. (Image via Wikipedia)
There’s a first time for everything. Here’s to hoping it’s also the last. That said, my first face-to-face introduction to the unemployment bureaucracy was not particularly painful, despite a disastrous start.
In late July, I filed my first ever unemployment claim. Technically, I wasn’t laid off — I volunteered for a buyout. But in the magically shrinking media industry, buyouts apparently qualify as evidence of “lack of work,” qualifying me, thus, for unemployment insurance.
A couple of weeks ago, I received a letter informing me of an appointment at something called the Workforce 1 Career Center in New York City, at an unfathomable 8:45 a.m. “Failure to keep this appointment may result in the termination of your benefits,” the letter said.
I failed to keep the appointment.
At 8:47 a.m., as I played puzzles on the floor with two children in PJs, a jolt of sheer panic coursed through me as I remembered I was supposed to be somewhere. Yeah, you’ve been there. Here’s the first surprise:
1. The Department of Labor appears to be staffed by human beings. I immediately called the phone number provided, and a person — a person — answered. No problem: “Come at 10:30, then,” he told me. The woman who ran our group session was also of a recognizable species. She was even funny, in a refreshing, self-deprecating way; she refused to read aloud the list of job-search tips, saying she “didn’t want to insult people’s intelligence,” and she referred to the Powerpoint presentation as “exciting and high-budget” (it totally was not). The yellow-haired troll doll who mans the front desk was the sole exception. These people were normal.
2. In New York state, the Division of Unemployment Services has dropped the “Un-”. Along with the name change, there appears to be a change in focus and attitude. We were referred to as “customers.” (Of what? What exactly were we purchasing?) Some of the resources and tips they gave were actually helpful. For instance, a list of web sites actually included some relevant sites for media and entertainment workers. The government as job-search aide — who knew?
3. The process was quick and pain-free. Though billed as two hours, I stepped out of 75 Varick Street in half that time. If the customer in the blue hoodie hadn’t added her two cents to everything in the group session (“well, when I went to that library…” “if you use LinkedIn, here’s what you can do…”), we could have shaved at least five minutes. And although about half the class was hauled in for individual sessions, I was somehow excused.
All in all, a not-bad experience I hope to look back on one day and laaaaugh.
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Ms. Cullen,
I think you need to re-think your attitude to the Employment Development Department (as it is called here). It is an adventure. I first went the EDD almost 30 years ago. It was an unusually cold summer that year and my regular work as a bottler in soft drink factories was unexpectedly slow. So off I went on the 91 bus to the EDD on Sunset Blvd in Hollywood (not far from my other favorite state agency, the Department of Motor Vehicles). I did have to stand in long lines but the personnel were pleasant and hard working so I did not have to wait too long. My fellow unemployed were an interesting lot. Out of work actors, singers, truck drivers, you name it, they had them. We had conversations and they had conversations that I listened to. I heard about how to singing background was not as high paying as the lead but was steadier work. I even got to stand next to Iron-Eyes Cody, a Italian American actor who was famous for his portrayal of Native American characters (he was in costume). While I would not want to make a living at it, it really was not the worst way to spend at day. In any event the weather finally heated up and I was back to the factory floor, bottling soda pop for the thirsty masses.
David, thanks for your colorful recollections. But while my attitude is congenitally poor and thus always in need of rethinking, it seems to me the experience I reported was similar to yours. All in all, my first time at an unemployment office wasn’t so bad at all.
In response to another comment. See in context »Both of you are quite fortunate to have State governments that care. In Michigan – immediate facts and figures escape me at the moment, so allow me to make some bold statements – probably the worst state in terms of employment – the system is nowhere near as kind.
Before Republican former Governor John Engler left office in 2003 after two terms, one of his final acts was to “modernize” the Michigan Department of Worker Benefits.
Renaming it the Michigan UIA (Unemployment Insurance Agency) was probably the most harmless, and innocuous portions of what he did.
Within a span of six months, all the unemployment offices in the State were closed. Doors shut. Workers reassigned. Done. Gone.
The entire process was automated after that. Claims were to be filed online at the official UIA website. No other option was available, as all the offices (and their very human staff) were closed down.
Within the span of two to six weeks, you’ll get a notice in the mail telling you whether you’ve been accepted or denied. If accepted, you’re directed again to the website where you’ll find instructions for enrolling yourself in the Michigan Talent Bank and how to create an account at the Michigan Works! website. (Both are mandatory, of course, and failure to do so results in termination of benefits.)
While reading through the directions on the website, you find out that the last four digits of your Social Security number determine which day of the week, every other week, you are to call Marvin. The first three digits determine the time of day. You only get a one-hour span to call Marvin. If you miss your call, there’s a fall-back time & date. If you miss that one as well – even by a one second margin – this results in termination of benefits.
Marvin is actually M.A.R.V.I.N. – Michigan’s Automated Response Voice Interactive Network. Cute, huh? When you call Marvin every two weeks, he asks you the same questions as he did last time – Are you still unemployed, are you actively seeking work, have you failed to appear for a job interview, things like that.
The possible answers are to press 0 for yes, 9 for no, and Marvin tells you that after every single question. You can’t press your answer before Marvin finishes speaking, or Marvin starts over. Since 0 and 9 are right next to each other, it is entirely possible to be a thumb-fumbler and accidentally hit the wrong key. That means you just answer the rest of the questions in any way, and at the end, use the option to do it over. Marvin isn’t 100% hardass, after all.
Marvin can be tricky, though. Once in a while, if you’ve been drawing unemployment benefits for more than 12 weeks (six two-week pay days), he mixes up the questions. That’s so you can’t just call in and press 0-0-0-9-9-0-0-9-0-9-9-0 without listening to him.
Marvin starts and finishes each telephone session with the admonition that lying is a felony, calling in for someone else is a felony, everything is a felony, and reminds you that Michigan is all too happy to throw you in prison.
All this for three hundred dollars a week. Before they take taxes out of it. That’s a less than six hundred dollar payday every two weeks; roughly 1100 a month.
On the plus side, every step of the process is totally devoid of any human interaction whatsoever. On the negative side, every step of the process is totally devoid of any human interaction whatsoever, even when some human interaction is clearly called for or assistance is needed. Grievances against the system have to be filed in writing, mailed to a P.O. box in Lansing, and are promptly answered within six to eight weeks.
Democrat Governor Jennifer Granholm – a wholly incompetent and completely inept governor, if ever there was one – while decrying the system as “less than ideal,” has done absolutely nothing to change it.
Say Yes! to Michigan.
Geez. If I were still a card-carrying journalist, surely the Michigan system would be worth an investigation by a major national publication. Thanks for the thorough and wholly legitimate gripe — but sorry you have to slog through the experience. Unemployment sucks in so many ways, right?
In response to another comment. See in context »