re: #180 Walter L. Newton

Because in most states, half of the unemployment benefits is paid by the employer who fired you, it it is discovered that you were fired without cause.

Other wise, you cannot collected unemployment for being fired with cause, at least not in Colorado.

Hi Walter! I think it’s the same (or close) here in Texas. Our workforce commission does protect the employee - sometimes to a very odd extent.

I have a friend who had his own business - a dry cleaner. He was having a terrible problem with unexcused absences (no doctor’s note, etc.) so finally decided to put in a policy of no more than five. After five, termination was immediate.

One woman who worked for him had an incredible history of skipping work, but - as with the other employees, he started her from scratch, with all previous absences erased.

She - as you might suspect - hit her five absences almost immediately. On her sixth, she came in and explained what had happened. My friend decided to give her a break, because although she hadn’t called in, the reason for the absence appeared to be a good one.

Naturally, she skipped work again about five days later, and my friend let her go.

She was given unemployment benefits, and my friend saw his unemployment dollars go up. When he called the state, he was told that because he excused the sixth absence, and his policy was only five, she was entitled. If he had let her go after five, in accordance with his policy, no benefits, no increase for him.

In short, according to the state no good deed goes unpunished.