Another reason businesses are for limited reopenings

[TXPaganBanker]

A close friend of mine is a manager of a teen / tween mall jewelry store. It's cheaply made, inexpensive stuff that is in no way essential to the economy. The chain is doing a limited reopen, and having only their managers work. They'll be working 3 hours a day, five days a week. The store will be open a grand total of 15 hours a week. She's going to be making less in the store than on her unemployment.

We were talking about it (because frankly, she's scared), and it not only gets the highest paid employees off unemployment, but if the stores close back down, her new unemployment is going to be based off 15 hours a week, not 40. It's just another way for businesses to save money by screwing the workers. We talked to her about not going (because they fired everyone when they closed the first time), but they flat told her that if she doesn't come back now, she won't ever be rehired.

Is anyone else seeing this in other businesses?

[Hoyt]

1. Honestly, I'd call your friend and tell her you were wrong. I'm pretty sure she'll

still get unemployment if her hours have been cut that much. There might be some reduction for the new income, but not much.

[TXPaganBanker]

4. Honestly, most of it was just her venting.

I was letting her discuss what she was worried about. I'm not 100% on unemployment rules since I retired 6 years ago. I was just wondering if other people were seeing this.

[mr_lebowski]

2. Unemployment compensation is based on earnings long before, 6 months or a year

before you apply. At least in CA I know it is, probably is like that most places.

So, it depends on how long this goes on I suppose.

[marybourg]

3. More importantly -what are they doing to protect her?

[TXPaganBanker]

5. Masks are "required"

There's a sign that a mask is required to enter the store, but the employees have been directed not to confront anyone if they aren't wearing a mask. It's a policy with absolutely zero teeth. That, and they've been told to wipe down the counters and registers at the beginning of each day.

[SWBTATTReg]

6. Wipe down stuff at the beginning of each day? At Home Depot, they're wiping down workdesks...

etc. after every customer encounter (a sit down encounter, the customer is ordering flooring etc., that requires a measurement of the premises to be laid (w/ flooring, etc.)).

Maybe they meant after every customer encounter?

[TXPaganBanker]

7. Nope

They only require it once a day because it's only a 3 hour work day. She plans on cleaning more than that.

[SWBTATTReg]

8. Smart kid!

[TheBlackAdder]

9. Lots of toxic metals in that mall store & 5-below pot metal jewelry.