I am tempted to make a new category, Life with Unemployment, but that would imply that dealing with it isn’ t WORK.  Boy howdy is it ever.

I’ve been filing my weekly claims, waiting to hear back.  I haven’t been worrying much because it’s taking a long time.  They are very busy and they say it will take longer than usual.  Took 13 weeks for a friend.

I’ve called them a few times because I have an interesting situation.  I’ve tried to find out about getting credit for that 7th quarter.  I’ve been rudely treated let me tell you.

You quit so you don’t qualify.

I didn’t quit, I was terminated.

You told the online form you quit so you don’t qualify.

I didn’t quit, I was terminated.

Then you did it wrong and it’s not our problem. The computer never lies.  YOU SUCK.

*scream*

Friday I tried one more time.  I did work at the full moon for things to get better in this area.

I knew the moment I heard her voice that I’d finally got an angel on the phone.

Help!  I have two questions.  1) I didn’t quit I was fired and your system says I quit.  How can I fix this?

Isn’t that interesting, this looks odd.  Oh dear our computer entered your last job as a quit but there are two other jobs at the same company and two overlap.  Let’s figure this out.  (YAY!)

From Oct 2008 until Dec 2009 I was technically employed at the University as an hourly web specialist.  I worked perhaps 3 hours a quarter.  Not much money but it kept me on the books which allowed me to apply for positions that outsiders couldn’t.  When I got that last job, which taught me many lessons thank you master, I had to stop doing the hourly contract job because their payroll systems weren’t compatible.  Since I was employed, albeit miserably, I said okay, let’s not renew the contact Jan 1.  Reporting that messed quite a few things up.

So we repaired question #1 and their computer, which screwed up ROYALLY, now reports me as fired, probationary rejection.  *whew*

Why did no one acknowledge my written and phone requests for an appeal?  Because technically I didn’t qualify so I go to a stack that says do not respond further. OMG  I was in Unemployment Siberia.  And no one would help until my angel appeared.

Question #2

How do I get you folks to look at a different quarter?

Well, we don’t technically do that.  But you can file to backdate your request.  You were only working part time that entire year and if you use this date, 9/27/09, it allows you to use that 7th quarter and I see that you have plenty of hours there to qualify.  Now, remember, there is no guarantee that they will give you the backdate.  But it’s worth a try.  In the mean time I will walk your written appeal, I see you did file one, over to the appeals department.  I’ve walked your packet of forms to the mailroom.  Is there anything else I can do to help you?

Bless you bless you bless you.

This was an hour and half phone call but I felt hope.  I now have the forms and I have to reconstruct the jobs I was applying for when I was working part time.  Not an easy feat.

Last night I was in terrible fear and I prayed hard to the Lady and Lord that they remove my fear.  The fear subsided almost immediately and it came to me that if I can’t fill out the forms completely that the week will be null and I won’t get paid for it but it won’t close my claim.  I’m going to do my best, I have to provide 20 weeks by Wednesday.  Luckily the university keeps an online log of jobs I’ve applied for all the way back to 2005.

If approved, I might get small amounts (offset by the part time work so probably not much but it keeps me qualified) going back to 9/27/09.  This happened for a friend and they are trying to be flexible within the law, they know how hard things are.  And I’ll get my appeal too.  So I’ll have a chance to tell someone over the phone how this all happened.  And why they should grant it to me.

Cross your fingers for me!!!