Is this legal?

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Gibson486

Gibson486

Lifer
Aug 9, 2000
18,378
2
0
So, I filed for unemployment. I do not want to sit on my ass all day and do nothing. Would it be illegal to do volunteer work at a company while collecting? I tried do EE work on my own, but the expense is just too high. Also, you can only do so much with a Launchpad micro controller.
 
Wyndru

Wyndru

Diamond Member
Apr 9, 2009
7,318
4
76
Gibson486 said:
So, I filed for unemployment. I do not want to sit on my ass all day and do nothing. Would it be illegal to do volunteer work at a company while collecting? I tried do EE work on my own, but the expense is just too high. Also, you can only do so much with a Launchpad micro controller.
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I don't think it matters if you're not collecting too much (or $0) income from anywhere other than your unemployment benefits.

IIRC, you can even earn below a certain amount of money per week and still collect unemployment benefits also. I think it has to be below a certain percentage of the benefits you are receiving.

Might want to check the web to see for your area though, each state might be different.
 
Ichinisan

Ichinisan

Lifer
Oct 9, 2002
28,298
1,235
136
Gibson486 said:
So, I filed for unemployment. I do not want to sit on my ass all day and do nothing. Would it be illegal to do volunteer work at a company while collecting? I tried do EE work on my own, but the expense is just too high. Also, you can only do so much with a Launchpad micro controller.
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I thought you're expected to seek employment, which means you wouldn't be "sitting on your ass."
 
Gibson486

Gibson486

Lifer
Aug 9, 2000
18,378
2
0
Ichinisan said:
I thought you're expected to seek employment, which means you wouldn't be "sitting on your ass."
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Yeah, I send out resumes and do networking, but when the majority of the jobs want 5 years experience, you can only do so much. The past month has consisted of me talking to hiring mangers and sending out resumes. While I have made some progress, their has been no immediate need. One manager really liked me, but he said he really liked me, but it was going to be another 2 months before they open up a a req for me.

However, if you have this big gap on your resume and the employer asks, what did you do in that gap, they are going to expect more than "Oh, I was looking for a job".
 
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HAL9000

HAL9000

Lifer
Oct 17, 2010
22,021
3
76
It's not illegal over here you can volunteer or work up to 18 hours a week while in unemployment benefit.
 
S

Schfifty Five

Lifer
Oct 20, 2005
10,978
44
91
Unemployment rules depend on the state you live in.

I'm in TX and I collected unemployment for a while. I even went to school (FT some semesters, PT others), worked an internship, and was still able to collect unemployment.

So doing volunteer work shouldn't be a problem. You aren't collecting any income from it. I'm going to assume that the only requirement other than not collecting too much income would be to submit a minimum # of job searches per week.
 
S

Schfifty Five

Lifer
Oct 20, 2005
10,978
44
91
Wyndru said:
I don't think it matters if you're not collecting too much (or $0) income from anywhere other than your unemployment benefits.

IIRC, you can even earn below a certain amount of money per week and still collect unemployment benefits also. I think it has to be below a certain percentage of the benefits you are receiving.

Might want to check the web to see for your area though, each state might be different.
Click to expand...

I was able to make a small income from an internship but that income was always lower than my weekly employment amount so the texas workforce commission just gave me the difference of what I had earned that week.
 
SphinxnihpS

SphinxnihpS

Diamond Member
Feb 17, 2005
8,368
25
91
HAL9000 said:
It's not illegal over here you can volunteer or work up to 18 hours a week while in unemployment benefit.
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That's so totally relevant.. !

Do you have any other completely worthless stuff you are just DYING to spew out on us?
 
Texashiker

Texashiker

Lifer
Dec 18, 2010
18,811
198
106
Gibson486 said:
So, anyone know any charitable organizations that need EE work done?
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Why would a charitable organization need Electrical Engineering work done?

Maybe you could go to some third world country and design electrical systems in hospitals or something?
 
hanoverphist

hanoverphist

Diamond Member
Dec 7, 2006
9,867
23
76
L

LordMorpheus

Diamond Member
Aug 14, 2002
6,871
1
0
Gibson486 said:
"The volunteer work is for a charitable, religious or cultural organization;"

So, anyone know any charitable organizations that need EE work done?
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Maybe find an Engineers Without Borders team at a local school that is doing electrical work (a good chunk of EWB projects) and mentor them?

There are several similar organizations.

edit: haha, similar minds.
 
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BurnItDwn

BurnItDwn

Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
26,353
1,862
126
Search for jobs (online, newspaper, connections/people), work on skills, work on resume.. go to interviews, search other states you'd consider moving to, etc ...

Being unemployed and looking for work is a full time job.
 
Lithium381

Lithium381

Lifer
May 12, 2001
12,452
2
0
BurnItDwn said:
Being unemployed and looking for work is a full time job.
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lol

being unemployed and being paid for it provides no incentive to go "look for a job".
if you don't qualify for free cash monies then yes, by all means go look for a job.
 
BurnItDwn

BurnItDwn

Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
26,353
1,862
126
Lithium381 said:
lol

being unemployed and being paid for it provides no incentive to go "look for a job".
if you don't qualify for free cash monies then yes, by all means go look for a job.
Click to expand...

That's bullshit.
In Illinois, the maximum I can get for unemployment is $385 per week.
My mortgage is $1600 per month (including prop insurance and taxes)
I also have a car payment, and would need to pay health insurance too if I were to lose my job.

My "costs" of just paying bills (if I stopped all unnecessary spending) is around $2500 per month. (~$575 per week)

Sure, unemployment would help buffer that, I'd only need to spend about $190 per week from my own savings.... however, I wouldn't be saving anything for retirement, I wouldn't be able to spend any money on non-necessities, it would really really suck. It would be like being poor.

So yes, if you want to be poor, then you don't have to work, but unemployment only pays enough money so that you can survive and be poor.
 
pontifex

pontifex

Lifer
Dec 5, 2000
43,804
46
91
Wyndru said:
I don't think it matters if you're not collecting too much (or $0) income from anywhere other than your unemployment benefits.

IIRC, you can even earn below a certain amount of money per week and still collect unemployment benefits also. I think it has to be below a certain percentage of the benefits you are receiving.

Might want to check the web to see for your area though, each state might be different.
Click to expand...

When I as on unemployment I could make up to like $150 a week without it affecting my unemployment.
 
Capt Caveman

Capt Caveman

Lifer
Jan 30, 2005
34,543
651
126
Lithium381 said:
lol

being unemployed and being paid for it provides no incentive to go "look for a job".
if you don't qualify for free cash monies then yes, by all means go look for a job.
Click to expand...

Go back to P&N moran. Unemployment sure pays all of the bills, not.
 
zinfamous

zinfamous

No Lifer
Jul 12, 2006
111,892
31,410
146
Ask Spidey. He loves to bitch about wastes of life leeching off the system and cheating tax payers when they could be working while he sits around leeching off the system and cheating tax payers.


...not that I'm saying you're leeching or a waste of life; but spidey would. ;)
 
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