The Unemployed 1 Adam Kennedy Ashley Palmer Cristian Torres Ivan Tiscareno Lucia Leyva ENGL 1010 - 25 December

6, 2013

The Struggles of Being Laid-Off

Have you ever wondered about the citizens in need of assistance? There are people everyday who are having their homes foreclosed on, bills piling up, and are having trouble even getting any food put on the table for their families. Even so, they all have different stories to tell on how they were left with a sense of hopelessness. What will happen to those people in our community who have lost their jobs due to a layoff? Were not talking about the person who was fired from their job because of their lack of ambition or that they were lazy or a bad employee, were talking about that woman who is trying to raise her seven children, who is working 3 parttime jobs, Dads not there to help, and then one day her company shuts down and she is laid off. What is she supposed to do? What solutions does she have of getting a new job/income? In our community, we feel like there is a big problem, and it is being overlooked. The citizens of our community need to be made aware of some solutions that would protect them if they were to be short handed on their job. It is true that as a person is laid off, that they can go and search for a new place for an income. But, weve all known somebody who has been working at the same job for the last 25 years, and just loses his source of income due to his company not making it and shutting down.

The Unemployed 2 Layoffs are an economic trial for the community in general, but we feel like in Utah our community needs to have solutions for a citizen that has lost a job due to a layoff. Employees that have been laid-off are unprepared for the challenges of having to find a new job that would require the same skills they have had the past 30 plus years, this can be a big drain on both them and their income. Knowing what options are available when being laid-off can make a difference. After having done much research, we had a personal interview with our classmates father whom has first-handedly experienced a layoff. Not only has it happened to him once, but twice! The first time was when I was working in construction. It was sudden and without warning, the boss just told a group of us that we were being laid off and he had nothing for us, Dave Palmer said. He then mentioned the second time he was laid off. The second time I was injured. I had to have a surgery and I was down for a few months. Apparently my recovery was too long and unimportant, so I got laid off from the job I had been working. It was the first job I had since being laid off the first time, and I was barely making enough to support my family. Dave is supporting a family of five, and losing a job he has had for over 20 years was a crushing blow. After his layoff, Mr. Palmer has long struggled to find a new job. The first time he was laid off it took him over a year to actually find a job with which he could support his family. Unfortunately, again he is unemployed due to his past leg injury. Dave Palmer was surprised to be laid-off without even being informed beforehand. He has since filed for Unemployment Insurance, but even with the payments he was recieving, it was still tough getting by. He said, There are things you can apply for though like food stamps and unemployment. Ive received both in the past but its really hard because of the way the government works. We have a family of five so wed get about $600-800 in food stamps to last

The Unemployed 3 us a month. Some months though, the amount would drop unexpectedly. Wed be down to $400600 dollars for the month. It was a very stressful situation. Whether a company shuts down, or individuals are laid off by company decisions, searching for a new job can be very stressful and cumbersome. These individuals who have been laid-off may not find a similar job with the same rate of pay or skills required. The job requirements are getting more sophisticated and more competitive which is making it more difficult to get a job. Sometimes, layoffs can occur from companys losing profit and business begins to slow down. These individuals who experience a layoff have options that can help them manage problematic situations. But is that enough? In his article Dr. Eberts, the president of the Upjohn Institute for Employment Research wrote: During the past four years, more than five million long-term workers have lost their jobs through no fault of their own. Behind these numbers are people of many different backgrounds, many of whom face financial hardship and emotional pain due to their layoff. They include highly skilled computer technicians and lowskilled food service workers. They are young and old, male and female, AfricanAmerican and white. Many have worked for the same employer their entire careers. (Par. 1) This issue impacts our society leading to higher unemployment rates. Some of the assistances available can be unavailable to laid-off workers. Qualifying for benefits can vary depending on status of unemployment. The amount of benefits received can always change based on income earned. Some companies provide severance pay to employees whom they are going to layoff. Severance pay is a termination pay that releases the employer from any claims the laid-off worker had with the company. Signing for severance pay on the spot may not be a good idea

The Unemployed 4 according to Alison Green, a journalist for the U.S News and World Report. She says Many companies routinely offer laid-off employees severance payments in exchange for signing a general release. Take some time to look over the agreement and consider running it by a lawyer. You may be able to negotiate a higher payment. These laid-off workers need to consider how they will be affected by accepting severance pay. If a company doesnt provide severance pay, there are other benefits that people should know about that could help unemployed workers. The most well known support that is provided to help workers who have been laid off is filing for Unemployment Insurance. The State of Utah proclaims that: Unemployment Insurance (UI) is an insurance that pays a weekly benefit to eligible workers. Benefits are funded by quarterly contributions paid by employers and are paid to eligible workers who are (1) unemployed through no fault of their own; (2) able to work full-time; and (3) available for, and actively seeking full-time work. But in Utah, the Unemployment Insurance benefits have been cut down due to Utahs 4.7% Unemployment rate. In an article from the Salt Lake Tribune from 2012, Utahns who are struggling to find a job are about to find out that there is a downside to the states low unemployment rate. (Par. 1) We asked Mark Freckleton, (an unemployed worker who we met and interviewed at the LDS Employment Center), if his Unemployment Insurance was enough to cover for his expenses. He replied, Heavens no. What I get in a month from that is just barely enough to cover my mortgage. The rest of his expenses he had to pay from his reserves. Freckleton said that he only receives roughly 20 percent of what he was making when he worked as a coach in

The Unemployed 5 real estate investments. He is searching for a job similar to his skills and rate of pay, but as of February 2013, is struggling to find one. Another type of aid that weve researched for unemployed workers is Welfare. Welfare is federal aid to families with little or no income. Eligibility for a Welfare program depends on numerous factors. Eligibility is determined using gross and net income, size of the family, and any crisis situation such as medical emergencies, pregnancy, homelessness or unemployment. (Welfare Information 1). Laid-Off workers who are continually searching for a job may qualify for a welfare program. In some cases though, the benefits that are given vary monthly and might be insufficient for that month. TANF, a welfare program in Utah, Is a federally funded program that helps American families by providing benefits, both financial and otherwise, to help keep family units intact. The maximum TANF benefit amount ranges from $288 to $633 per month. (TANF Benefits par. 2). The aid provided is used to purchase clothing, food, medication, and pay for housing and utility costs. TANF provides their benefits to those who qualified for up to three years. This could be a temporary service to help laid-off workers manage in the meantime while searching for a job. As a group we have explored some of these benefits that provide services for unemployed workers. A number of these available services can be effective to help laid-off workers to get back on their feet. The services provided can range from on the job training to specialized assessments. We think by raising awareness to our community, we can help decrease the unemployment rate. For example, when the government shut-down, many workers were laid-off or were on a temporary release. Guillermo Tiscareno, who is the brother of our group member Ivan, worked at Adult Provision and Parole. Guillermo was working for the Government as a parole officer. Guillermo was working for the Government as a parole officer and was laid-off

The Unemployed 6 due to the government shutdown that just occurred in the United States this past October. Guillermo said that due to the government budget being so scarce for the time being, they couldnt pay for all the officers, so he lost his job and is in search for another. By informing our community, it can help individuals who have no idea what to do if a layoff occurs. Because we felt like it would help our short-term solution to this issue, weve made brochures that can help inform these individuals. In addition, we felt like it would be a good idea to pass out 40 of our brochures at the local Wal-Mart because of the diversity in people involved there. Our brochures include a chart, as well as a few websites. That can help the people to be informed of some step-by-step solutions that they (or someone they know) could use to help them get back on their feet while trying to earn their daily bread. We also felt it beneficial for the public to have a website that the could go to for support and guidance. Our website can be viewed at www.homelessarepeople.weebly.com, which we created with the help of our friends in another group of English class. This website is also one that is listed on our brochures, which we hope people will get the benefit from. As for another short-term solution, weve thought very hard about several possibilities. We could write letters to our government leaders, stating our concerns. We could form committees or groups to help raise money and awareness. And we feel this can be effective in the State of Utah. These all seem like small beginnings, but if taken seriously they could turn into something big. Being citizens ourselves, we already know how hard it is to find jobs, pay bills and taxes, work hard beyond limits for everything that we need in life. We know that as a community we have the ability to help each other in order to reach a common goal, and for a better outcome for those in serious need. We start off by informing people in our community, not just those who have been laid off but even the ones who have stable jobs as well. We inform

The Unemployed 7 them not only of the facts, stresses, and dangers of being laid off, but also ways for them to be prepared if it were to happen to them. The key to being prepared, whether youre fired, laid off, even just being prepared for life, is to save. For our long-term goal we chose between two general ideas, which are creating more jobs and build a whole new program for assistance to help laid-off workers. In this new program it would consist of attorneys who will guide these people who cant find jobs that fit into their set of demands. We propose that it can be funded by the government through taxes. Now, you may be against the tax idea but would you really feel like that justifies for the more jobless/ homeless people, not being able to get back on their feet? There have been many struggles in trying to set the unemployment rate at an all time low. One of the best solutions that the United States has experienced in the past years was during the Great Depression, as Franklin D. Roosevelt created millions of jobs for those who were unemployed. This could help us find a long-term solutions that would help our community in aiding Utahs dislocated workers. You may ask yourself, how will we get the money to fund all the jobs that can be created. Well, with making new jobs the unemployment rate will decrease and the money flow would increase causing the economy to rise. People would worry less about losing their jobs. And people will get new jobs, providing they have good work skills. We can see clearly the struggles that laid-off workers are experiencing, in addition to the stress involved when finding a new position that resembles the skills they have been using for years. When notified about a layoff, we urge our audience to start planning ahead so they can stay on top of their financial needs. Cut spending and focus on the essentials. Ask your employer about the possible benefits the company has to offer. This will help that the layoff will not

The Unemployed 8 entirely bring you down. Understanding the transition from having a job, to becoming unemployed can make a huge difference. In conclusion, we agreed that one of our solutions could be helpful to decrease the unemployment rate in Utah by the combination of forces between the Utah Workforce and the Utah Labor Commission to unify the assistance from attorneys in the same office. They can provide assistance and orientation about the rights and procedures to relocate those who were laid-off. We believe that the State of Utah, throughout its Labor Commission could create and set new laws and rights to protect people who are laid-off, to avoid the struggles that many families have to deal with. Established insurance is not enough, nor is food stamps. We have learned during our research and also from personal interviews, that it could work on permanent help by the Creation of Government Center to relocate immediately those unemployed people, and provide them with resources. We should recognize the time and effort theyve all spent. Laid-off workers need help. Weve got help.

The Unemployed 9

Works Cited
Dr. Eberts, Randall W. "After The Doors Close: Assisting Laid-Off Workers To Find Jobs. Economic Perspectives 29.2 (2005): 75-85. Academic Search Premier. Web. 15 Nov. 2013< http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=378981a3-d8af-483cb7c5-910820c8fb5c%40sessionmgr198&vid=4&hid=126 > Freckleton, Mark. Personal Interview LDS Employment Resource Center. 25 Nov. 2013 Green, Alison. 10 Things You Should Do Immediately After Being Fired money.usnews.com, June 25, 2012. Web. 11/16/13. < http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voicescareers/2012/06/25/10-things-you-should-do-immediately-after-being-fired> Palmer, David Personal Interview. 18 Nov. 2013 Utahs low unemployment rate triggers benefits cut. The Salt Lake Tribune. 25 May 2012. Web. 27 November, 2013. <http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/money/5418424179/unemployment-benefits-utah-weeks.html.csp> "Your One Stop Resource Guide after a Layoff. State of Utah Department of Workforce Services. 1: 31. Web. 12 Nov. 2013 <http://jobs.utah.gov/employer/business/laidoffworker.pdf>. Welfare Application Instructions for Utah. TANF Benefits. Web. 16 Nov. 2013 <http://www.tanf-benefits.com/state/UT> Welfare Information welfareinfo.org 2013. Web. 11/16/13.