[lotsofpulp]

In the US, employers pay unemployment insurance premiums to the state. The state then pays unemployment benefits to qualifying individuals. Individuals who resign (quit) or are terminated for cause are not eligible for unemployment benefits.

For example, an employer can slowly ratchet up requirements at work to the point where they can document an employee is not performing, terminate them, and the employee is not eligible for unemployment benefits. (This benefits the employer by keeping their unemployment insurance premiums low).

Also, unemployment benefit amounts vary greatly by state. They are a pittance in the vast majority of the states, especially if you consider most people don't have the cheapest possible lease/mortgage, and they can't just move out of where they live the week after they are terminated.

https://savingtoinvest.com/maximum-weekly-unemployment-benef...

There was a temporary supplement of unemployment benefits by the federal government due to COVID, but that is exceptional, and those are gone now.

Also, the process is the punishment. You should talk to people who had issues or who aren't proficient with the online applications how much of a pain it is to resolve issues with unemployment benefits over the past year. You have to call the minute the office opens up in the morning, and if you don't get in the hold queue immediately, you are told to call again the next day by the automated message. I know for a fact that this is still happening today, a year+ since COVID started.

Edit: I just tried Washington state's unemployment phone call line (open 8AM to 4PM). It's 9:07AM, and after 2m20s of various prompts on the phone, you are informed that "All agents are currently busy, call back at a later time". So imagine you have kids to take care of, jobs to look for, and you have to spend your time repeatedly calling the phone number, wait 2m20s each time to be told to call later. Your only chance is really to call at 7:59AM and hope you get through to the hold queue. If not, then your benefits are delayed one more day and you try the next day. As an American, it's embarrassing to me.

[selimthegrim]

They are still active until early September

[lotsofpulp]

Oh, this was the most recent government website I could find quickly. Looks like its dated before the new stimulus.

https://blog.dol.gov/2021/01/11/unemployment-benefits-answer...

[alisonkisk]

An employer who fires a whistleblower for cause is begging for an NRLB lawsuit (constructive dismissal) for no benefit. The employeer doesn't benefit from blocking unemployment except if they try to fire a LOT of people.

Obviously Covid is an extreme special case at the division of unemployment

[lotsofpulp]

Yes, that's why large employers will offer severance benefits or something else in exchange for laid off employees agreeing to forego unemployment benefit from the state.

And a large employer will be deterred by lawsuits, but smaller employers might have nothing to lose and/or the employees will be low wage and not in a position to deal with lawsuits and whatnot and have bigger things to worry about.