Coronavirus: 18% of U.S. workers have lost jobs or hours, poll finds

Re:Coronavirus: 18% of U.S. workers have lost jobs or hours,... by legohead on Tuesday March 17, 2020 @02:44PM (#22608551)

wife's job is "firing" people so they can collect unemployment, and will rehire them later. I don't know the legalities around this, it's definitely odd. and you have to take the business' word for it...

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Coronavirus: 18% of U.S. workers have lost jobs or hours,... by unlinked_dll on Tuesday March 17, 2020 @02:49PM (#22608629)

It's not odd, that's pretty standard practice in dire situations like this. The company doesn't have the money to pay your wife or her colleagues, and since the government hasn't done anything special (yet) to help out businesses the only way they can guarantee she gets a portion of her salary is through layoffs.

If they furloughed your wife instead, she would not get paid anything by anyone until the government decides what the relief effort looks like.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Coronavirus: 18% of U.S. workers have lost jobs or hours,... by edoceo on Tuesday March 17, 2020 @02:50PM (#22608659)

If you terminate for cause then the employee can't get unemployment. So you "lay off" of "lose budget" then the employee can get benefits. (USA/WA interpretation)

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Coronavirus: 18% of U.S. workers have lost jobs or hours,... by taylodl on Tuesday March 17, 2020 @04:58PM (#22610343)

Construction companies do it annually - at least here where it gets cold in the Winter. I know people who get laid off every year and then re-hired once the Spring work picks back up. Thing is they know this so they're prepared and plan for it.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Coronavirus: 18% of U.S. workers have lost jobs or hours,... by gruez on Tuesday March 17, 2020 @02:49PM (#22608637)

Aren't you also eligible for unemployment if you're laid off?

[ Parent | on HN ]