Employment fun.
So, here's what has had me distracted the last few days not to mention having me getting about 4 hours of sleep a night.
Minnesota has screwed me, hard. My job is a seasonal one. During the work season I (ideally) work intensively (6 day/50-70 hour weeks) and around late November/early December I get seasonal layoff. This qualifies me for unemployment. I don't really feel bad about taking it either as I pay more in taxes than some people make. It was going to make all the difference this winter too because due to the shitty year we had my winter savings were less than 1/4 what they were end of year last year.
The last few years I filed in North Dakota because that's where I'd been working. This year though I had to file in Minnesota because our entire work year was in the Twin Cities. When I was filing over the phone the person helping me had to send me a form to sign and asked my address which I told them. (Out in Utah where I'm visiting family during the off season.)
Even though we got released the last week of November, I couldn't file until the second week of December because you have to wait 365 days from the last time you filed. So I get the determination paperwork in the mail and they say I'm "indefinitely ineligible" because I'm "not within commuting distance of the workplace".
It's irrelevant to them that we CAN'T do earthwork when the ground is frozen and that we won't be getting recalled for months. It's already been a month without paychecks and I've been using those limited savings to come west and live off.
This leaves me in a real shit situation. It's not really possible to go back to the Twin Cities for the rest of the off season to collect it there. I gave up the place I was renting and again due to the lacking of work this year, the UE payment would be 2/3rd the normal I got before. It'd be cutting coupons just to make ends meet and again, I don't have a place to go back to right now.
So I have 2 main courses of action.
First, trying to get something, ANYTHING to make some money temporarily here while I wait for the construction season to start again. I've been looking to leave my current employer anyway because they've been going downhill fast. There's a massive federal project looking to start whenever the eco-religionists run out of stalling lawsuits in Fargo, ND. It's a major flood control project in addition to a 25-30 mile bypass loop around Fargo/Morehead. A good 5-6 years of high paying work. But that's at least 3-4 months away.
Second, try to find permanent work here. Problem is "here" is over an hour from the greater SLC area in a small town. There's probably more work in SLC proper but even though things don't "stop" here, they've slowed down to life support levels because of winter.
Going back 'over the road' isn't an option. You run your ass off for no money and it isn't getting any better. As it stands, I have enough money to last 1.5 to 2 months before I'm flat broke. Getting temp work is iffy because A:small town and B:who's going to hire someone for 2 months?
I've begun to do some online searching but due to the holiday it's half pointless until after Jan 2nd anyway. Luckily I'm staying with family currently so at least room and board aren't immediate worries. Ongoing expenses though will close the gap soon.
My life. Woo.
P.S. At this point the yearly TFF trip is probably a pipe dream but I'll wait to cut that till I know more.
Minnesota has screwed me, hard. My job is a seasonal one. During the work season I (ideally) work intensively (6 day/50-70 hour weeks) and around late November/early December I get seasonal layoff. This qualifies me for unemployment. I don't really feel bad about taking it either as I pay more in taxes than some people make. It was going to make all the difference this winter too because due to the shitty year we had my winter savings were less than 1/4 what they were end of year last year.
The last few years I filed in North Dakota because that's where I'd been working. This year though I had to file in Minnesota because our entire work year was in the Twin Cities. When I was filing over the phone the person helping me had to send me a form to sign and asked my address which I told them. (Out in Utah where I'm visiting family during the off season.)
Even though we got released the last week of November, I couldn't file until the second week of December because you have to wait 365 days from the last time you filed. So I get the determination paperwork in the mail and they say I'm "indefinitely ineligible" because I'm "not within commuting distance of the workplace".
It's irrelevant to them that we CAN'T do earthwork when the ground is frozen and that we won't be getting recalled for months. It's already been a month without paychecks and I've been using those limited savings to come west and live off.
This leaves me in a real shit situation. It's not really possible to go back to the Twin Cities for the rest of the off season to collect it there. I gave up the place I was renting and again due to the lacking of work this year, the UE payment would be 2/3rd the normal I got before. It'd be cutting coupons just to make ends meet and again, I don't have a place to go back to right now.
So I have 2 main courses of action.
First, trying to get something, ANYTHING to make some money temporarily here while I wait for the construction season to start again. I've been looking to leave my current employer anyway because they've been going downhill fast. There's a massive federal project looking to start whenever the eco-religionists run out of stalling lawsuits in Fargo, ND. It's a major flood control project in addition to a 25-30 mile bypass loop around Fargo/Morehead. A good 5-6 years of high paying work. But that's at least 3-4 months away.
Second, try to find permanent work here. Problem is "here" is over an hour from the greater SLC area in a small town. There's probably more work in SLC proper but even though things don't "stop" here, they've slowed down to life support levels because of winter.
Going back 'over the road' isn't an option. You run your ass off for no money and it isn't getting any better. As it stands, I have enough money to last 1.5 to 2 months before I'm flat broke. Getting temp work is iffy because A:small town and B:who's going to hire someone for 2 months?
I've begun to do some online searching but due to the holiday it's half pointless until after Jan 2nd anyway. Luckily I'm staying with family currently so at least room and board aren't immediate worries. Ongoing expenses though will close the gap soon.
My life. Woo.
P.S. At this point the yearly TFF trip is probably a pipe dream but I'll wait to cut that till I know more.
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