$600 on top of unemployment.

[vharrison]

I am trying to keep up, honestly.

Are the US Feds giving unemployed workers an additional $ 600.00 on top of the unemployment check?

if that is true, some workers will be making more on unemployment than if they were working. What then is the incentive to stay in those essential jobs, like the grocery story or drug store clerk?

The Feds have made it easier to get the unemployment. Basically, you just have to say you are scared of being out in public because of COVID-19.

 

[flushcut]

It's fine!
Everything will be A Okay!
What could possibly go wrong.

 

[Fiddler]

Don't feel bad, I got confused when I Heard and read it being explained also. I'd swear that each time I heard "equal to paycheck + 600" but I simply find that hard to believe and think I misunderstood it.

 

[Tree09]

It's up to 600. If you don't qualify for maxed out unemployment you get less, so you wouldn't likely be paid more, but i suppose it could happen. I would be making about the same with the child credit i get. It's going to be a lifesaver for me, because most construction is shut down, so finding another job after this one is going to be unlikely. Construction workers rely on unemployment for the times in between jobs to help pay the bills, and most including myself view it as part of their yearly income or benefits because without it many would be screwed.

 

[lxskllr]

and most including myself view it as part of their yearly income or benefits because without it many would be screwed.

It literally is, and doesn't require creative accounting to come up with that. Union work may be different, but regular people get paid less due to the higher cost of unemployment insurance. If not for that, your paycheck should be fatter. You're taking a loss up front for money down the road when you need it.

 

[Tree09]

Union work is a negotiated wage, unemployment has nothing to do with it. We then vote on how our hourly fee is spent, aka pension, money on check, vacation or savings fund, 401k, health, dues, and annuity. Workers comp, unemployment, bond for the job and for us (union contractors have to carry a bond for the workers pay, so if they fold the guys don't get screwed), e.t.c are all on top of that, and are considered the cost of doing business.

 

[lxskllr]

It's still part of the negotiation whether explicitly stated or not. Every employee is worth $x. That's the total cost to support that employee, with wages, benefits, unemployment insurance, whatever. There's a little wiggle room where the negotiations live, but the employee won't see the total of $x up front(or at all). If they can't get an employee for $x, they'll do something else. Raise prices, move the job to China, or get out altogether.

 

[Tree09]

I'm talking construction, that sounds more like factory stuff. Everything is included when they are negotiating a contract to come to an agreement, but that contract is valid for however many years they agree. Our latest one is a 5 year one i think. Each contractor will pay a different rate for work comp, unemployment, e.t.c, but the contract is thre same for all doing that work. There are different contracts depending on the work, but they are usually fairly similar. The employee will see what's on the check, the dues and other after tax deductions, and hours for pension/ healthcare. The take home pay is just a portion of the entire wage package.

When a non union contractor works a prevailing wage job, they are required by law to pay the going rate, which can be looked up for the area by checking the Davis bacon prevailing wage for the state, then by area. Since they almost never have the benefits that the union contractor will, they usually have to just put that money directly on the check, so a non union employee will actually bring home more a week than a comparable union guy.

If you guys are ever on a prevailing wage job, make sure they are paying you the total package rate, not just the hourly wage rate. A bunch of shady contractors try to sneak that one by the workers, who usually don't know better and know their legal rights/ what the rate is. They can take out for benefits that they do have, such as health insurance, but the pension and retirement might have to be placed on the check if they don't have that for you. Also the hours you work go by the contract overtime rules, so anything over 8 (or technically outside of the scheduled 8 hour day) and Saturdays are usually time and a half, and sundays are usually double time too. Some areas are still all overtime at double time. Less than 8 hours off you should stay on overtime rate till they give you 8 hours off consecutively. And in some areas they have what's called pyramiding benefits, meaning the benefits also are subject to the overtime rate changes. So for example the total package is 60 an hour, 40 on the check, but your employer pays no health or retirement so you would get 60 an hour. In a non pyramiding area ot would be (40 x 1.5 + 20 = 80) and in a pyramiding area you would get (60 x 1.5 = 90). Also if you are doing operator work (driving heavy equipment), they should be paying you as an operator, not a lower classification such as a laborer. Any questions?

 

[lxskllr]

The job I was on in PA recently was certified payroll. My hourly rate almost doubled on that job. I'm usually exempt. I've been on jobs where I wasn't making much more than laborers.

 

[Tree09]

I've been on jobs where i wasn't making much more than one either, but it was as a welder helper. They actually have a stipulation if the laborer wage is higher the helper gets a buck more than that rate or something lol