Think that doesn’t happen? Don’t kid yourself.
I’ve experienced it first-hand and I have a few friends that are going through the same thing. When/if they try to get UI, they are denied because, again, they aren’t laid off. They’re just at zero hours, but still “employed”.
And if for whatever reason that’s unlawful in a given area, employers can and will do all kinds of dirty tricks to get you to quit. Borderline harassment, changing your schedule without telling you (covering it up if necessary), any and all little things they can do to make your experience there so miserable you have to quit for the sake of your mental health. But since you quit, you aren’t qualified for UI. They’re also generally free to reduce your hours to a pittance, but if you lack full availability you’re in deep trouble. You have to work when they say you have to work, and if you don’t it’s a no-show and for-cause firing. Hope your other manager at your second job is nice and understanding. Also, if it’s happening in a bad economic climate, their attitude will be: “Just be thankful you have any income. Now lick the boots.”
Sometimes store managers have their hands tied — when my zero-hour streak happened it was because the number of actual hours the store manager was given by corporate was just enough for the ASM and a pittance to the lowest-rank manager. If he had the hours to give me, he would have. I was the best employee there, but since I wasn’t the ASM I didn’t have rank to get any real hours. It wrecked my finances for a couple years, and this was during the 2008 crash so no one else was hiring.
Not to mention the hell you’d be in if you’re in the “gig” economy as an “independent contractor.” It’s going to be a nightmare for you. Ditto if you, like me, were looking for work when this hit.
First, this is why AOC is right when she calls for blanket payments.
Give everyone money immediately. EVERYONE. MAKE IT UNIVERSAL. LET NO ONE FALL THROUGH THE CRACKS. Even a single person falling through the cracks means a huge increase in the risk that they get sick and infect others. Raise taxes on the wealthy after the fact to claw it back if you want (and we should AND THEN SOME). NO MEANS TESTING. Means testing is usually awful in normal times, but MONSTROUSLY awful now.
Yet, Pelosi’s Deputy CoS says she insists on means testing. When some of the GOP brought up the idea of giving everyone (not NEARLY enough) cash, Schumer tried to talk down the idea in favour of expanded UI benefits (which, while it would be more effective than the GOP’s one-time check proposal, and is ABSOLUTELY something we should do, it would still leave out MILLIONS).
But the progressive wing of the party is walking the fuckin’ walk.
Even The New York Times gets it!
Nancy, Joe, Chuck, listen to the progressives. No means testing. Just stop all evictions, foreclosures, and car repos for the duration of the crisis and give us cash so we can fucking survive. It’s the simplest, fastest, most effective stimulus you can get us, and even if the GOP says they won’t allow it you should get the party behind it and bang the drum every chance you get: “CASH IN HAND! CASH IN HAND!” Do it enough and we might just get it, or at least something way better than what you’re currently seemingly aiming for. It’s not just the right thing to do, it’s a political winner given we’re looking at 30%+ unemployment.
-JA