Part-Time Employees

Jroberts

We are a privately held logistics company that has peak times. I'm new to the company as the Director of HR. Here is my question. They have part-time employees that work only during peak times, maybe 2 months total a year. These employees have been on our payroll for years and have no benefits. What's the rule with unemployment? Can they apply for unemployment when they are not currently working due to our downtime????

JR

Don D

With perhaps a few 'State-specific wrinkles', the filing for and drawing of Unemployment Insurance will depend on such things as total wages during several of the past so-many completed calendar quarters, availability and ableness for work, and the reasons for being unemployed. As to your specific question however, a person may file a claim for unemployment at any time they wish. The investigation and decision as to whether he/she is monetarily eligible to draw are the purvue TOTALLY of the UI office in your community and your State regulations regarding receipt of benefits. In short, at least in my state, I will say that the determination will be based on how much employment they have had in a certain number of quarters and the wages earned during that period and whether or not they are laid off when they become a claimant. A quick call to your local UI office will answer your questions. I would strongly caution you or anybody else in HR to NEVER advise a potential claimant that they will or will not draw UI. It will bite you in the butt at least 68.7% of the time.

NaeNae55

Ah Don. How I missed your statistics while you were gone. x;-)

HRManager

Can you tell me the difference between part time and half time employees?

Don D

The definition is whatever your company decides it is. My company's definition of part time will not necessarily be the same as your company's, and it need not be. For example, some places of business define part time for insurance purposes as those working 30 or more hours per week. Some companies define part time workers as anybody who works less than 'x' number of hours per year who is called in sporadically. Half time means to me that the employee works 20 hours per week. But if your normal work week is 48 hours per week, then half time at your place might be 24 hours per week. Half and part time are two things of which the government has not (yet) decided to force feed us definitions. Disclaimer: Your state may, however, have assigned some bureaucrat the very task of defining these for you. Your insurance plan may also have a pat definition of part time for that program's participation eligibility.

HRManager

Thanks, you confirmed what I thought.