Mandatory furlough (ie without pay) for Hubby

[Cris N]

So sorry to hear about the furlough. Hope things pick up soon for everyone - this is really getting tough for a lot of folks. I'm a state employee and we all have to take 8 furlough days per year for this fiscal year and the next. I'm grateful it was only 8/per.

 

[Cris N]

Oh, I forgot to ask... he should be able to collect unemployment during that time... right?

 

[CThrock]

Sorry to hear about your husband being furlough. We've had to deal with it four times since Feb. Then when he does go back to work his pay has been cut in half. We try to take a day at a time it gets to overwhelming otherwise. Our economy is'nt getting any better at all. We've been trying to modify our house for 90 days now we don't want to lose it if we can help it. You will be in my prayers. Keep us posted.

 

[COLLEEN S]

Yes, he will be eligible for unemployment. Thanks to Obama and the Cobra Reduction he arranged, we will be paying only 35% instead of 100% for the premium. This discount goes on until Jan.1, 2010. Below is from the Cobra website http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/faqs/faq-cobra-premiumreductionEE.html

Q1: I have heard that the stimulus package signed by the President included a temporary COBRA premium reduction. I would like more information.
The stimulus package, which was enacted as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) temporarily reduces the premium for COBRA coverage for eligible individuals. COBRA (the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985) allows certain people to extend employer-provided group health coverage, if they would otherwise lose the coverage due to certain events such as divorce or loss of a job.

Individuals who are eligible for COBRA coverage because of their own or a family member's involuntary termination from employment that occurred from September 1, 2008 through December 31, 2009 and who elect COBRA, may be eligible to pay a reduced premium. Eligible individuals pay only 35% of the full COBRA premiums under their plans for up to 9 months. This premium reduction is generally available for continuation coverage under the Federal COBRA provisions, as well as for group health insurance coverage under state continuation coverage laws.

If you were offered Federal COBRA continuation coverage as a result of an involuntary termination of employment that occurred at any time from September 1, 2008 through February 16, 2009, and you declined to take COBRA at that time, or elected COBRA and later discontinued it, you may have another opportunity to elect COBRA coverage and pay a reduced premium.

 

[marky]

I'm sorry Colleen... My husband had 3 mandatory furloughs in 3 months over the summer.. it sucked!
He even had to travel to try to drum up business on one of his unpaid weeks..

 

[COLLEEN S]

Thanks everyone for the support. The big F er um furlough, starts a week from today on the 15th.

 

[Bill B]

As bad as it is, you might put a positive spin on it. The company could have laid off, say, 20-30% of managment, and your husband might have been one of those. Goodbye. Instead they temporarily furloughed everyone, so you all share some of the pain, but noboody is shoved out in the cold.

I far preferred when my company asked us to take every other Friday off w/o pay rather than lay off 10% of the staff. I really found those Fridays useful. Try to enjoy the 2 month "vacation".