Florida’s unemployment system has long been known as among the most 'stingy' in the nation when it comes to cash assistance. Now critics say it will become even worse under a bill (HB 191) approved Tuesday by the Florida House of Representatives.
The proposal, sponsored by Rep. Shane Abbott, R-DeFuniak Springs, says individuals receiving unemployment benefits will be disqualified if they:
- Fail to contact five prospective employers per week;
- Fail to appear on three or more occasions for a scheduled job interview without notifying the prospective employer of the need to cancel or reschedule;
- Fail to return to work when recalled by their former employer after a temporary layoff.
Abbott told the House that his motivation was his own experience as a business owner three or four years earlier, when “we had folks who would ghost on interviews or not show up even after we offered them a job.”
The state now offers 12 weeks of unemployment with an average weekly payment of $236. Most states offer between 20 and 26 weeks of benefits.
Why would that seem unreasonable to anyone? The idea of 'unemployment insurance' is simply to tide a person over while they look for other gainful employment. Makes sense right? The nay-sayers say that the timeline is too short. The rules are too stringent and inflexible. The money is insufficient fo a person to 'make ends meet'. Well, that's all bullshit and we know it. No matter where anyone lives in this state, there are more than enouh jobs to go around. People in need can't be picky, and they can't be subsidized for failing to get a job when they're not trying hard enough. Juss' sayin'...
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