I've held this in for 3 months-Rant

I was laid off from my job back in May. To keep it as short, it was politics and the ego of a butt kissing backstabbing boss was involved. When he was told his admin was being laid off he had to make sure my boss lost his admin (me) to. So I decided to do something constructive while I am out of work and got my realtors license. Well I called unemployment the other day and was told that if I worked more than 2 days a week I would no longer be elegible for benefits, even though this is on a commission only basis and don't know when I will see a check. Well no realty company will hire a sales person part time and I really don't want to work in an office anymore but I have no choice. I thought I would finally get to try something new but it just isn't going to happen. Thanks for listening everybody.

You must be so frustrated I'm sorry you can get started in something new.... but perhaps later on you may be able to venture out... once you're not on unemployment perhaps?

Calming for you.

Ugh! I feel your pain!

Back in January 1994 I was laid off of my legal secretary job (essentially fired because it was permanent). Anyway, I was on unemployment insurance. I had decided to enroll in school for the August 1994 semester. In preparation of that I enrolled in a night course at the university. The class was from 7pm to 10pm Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.

On the UI card there was a spot to indicate if you were taking classes. So I filled that in. Well they decided that since I was no longer available for work that I disqualified myself from receiving unemployment payments! And they cut me off!

I fought them like heck telling them that I was a legal secretary. As such I worked in an office Monday to Friday between the hours of 8:30am and 4:30pm and what I did in the evening was none of their business and had nothing to do with my being available for work during the day time, which I was available for! They didn't see it that way!

I ended up contacting my member of parliament and pleading my case to him. I told him that I was unemployed and had been working dead end jobs, and that I was let go from my job due to financial difficulty with the company, and that I was looking for work but wasn't able to find anything thus far and had started to take steps to better my education so that I could eventually get a better paying job and not have to go through lay offs and financial hardships again. And I told him that I did office work and that all I needed to be available for work was during the times I would normally be working in an office, and not 24/7 as UI was insisting that I should be. He completely agreed with me and somehow managed to get my benefits reinstated.

After that UI left me alone. I continued to look for work, providing them proof of all the resumes that I was leaving with law offices, most of which weren't even hiring at that time of the year, and kept filling out that I was taking classes in the evening.

I was so frustrated with them.

If you are having trouble, contact your local government representative. Sometimes they can help!

Thanks everyone. I am now trying to think of what my next move could be.