The combination of MN unemployment temp agency benefits is stressful. If you can, do not mix them. If you cannot help it, then consider the following.
How does the temp agency process start?
Often, unemployment appeals begin and end when an applicant applies for work at a temp agency. Here are the problems an unemployed worker seeking temp jobs will run into:
- Wage reporting,
- Failing to recognize when a work week starts or ends,
- Turning down a temp job for the wrong reasons, and
At first, work through a temp agency might seem like a necessity. If this is your decision and you are collecting or anticipate collecting unemployment benefits, take extreme caution going forward.
From the perspective of the job seeker, a job through a temp agency is “temporary.”
From the perspective of the unemployment office in Minnesota, a person who turns down a “temporary” job is no longer eligible for unemployment benefits going forward. As suggested above, this issue can instigate an unemployment appeal.
Elements of MN Unemployment Temp Agency
First, please recognize that a person requests unemployment benefits on a week to week basis.
Each week, the worker will report whether they are working. The process of answering questions presented by the unemployment office is often where the risk of an unemployment appeal begins
Because work through a temp agency is often “temporary”, there are many legal issues related to temp agencies that can get a person in trouble. For example, a person can become ineligible for unemployment benefits indefinitely after turning down or rejecting a job offer from a temp agency.
Also, if the unemployment office in Minnesota willy nilly determines a worker failed to accept a valid job offer, that worker could be deemed ineligible for unemployment benefits for each future week.
Yes, this rule can be true even if the job was “temporary” or if the wages the person was expecting from the temp agency become less and less each subsequent week.
Other confusing parts for temp workers and their unemployment benefits
Working at a temp agency can be confusing in terms of hours worked and hours paid.
A person who works 32 hours or more in any given week is automatically ineligible for unemployment benefits in Minnesota. From the perspective of the unemployment office in Minnesota, it doesn’t matter whether or not the worker was paid for their labor.
Yes, there is a government agency (the Department of Labor) that protects workers from this issue. But, it is not as significant of an issue in terms of unemployment benefits. Again, this alone can instigate an unemployment appeal.
Being alert while you are unemployed
Once a person applies for a job through a temp agency they have to be on alert. The worker who is collecting unemployment benefits and applying for work through a temp agency has to be on alert because a job offer (even for a day) can be proposed with or without notice.
The general rule is the moment a worker turns down or rejects a temporary job offer, the person is now ineligible for unemployment benefits indefinitely. Luckily, there are exceptions to this rule too.
Double trouble for MN Unemployment Temp Agency
Another example related to wages can be seen in this example called “double trouble.”
For a moment, lets assume a person worked at a temp agency some two weeks in the past and was not paid until today. If the worker was ineligible for unemployment benefits two weeks ago after working more than 32 hours, believe it or not, the wages paid after the fact will also reduce the person’s eligibility for unemployment benefits during the week the worker was paid. I call this “double trouble.”
My point about temp jobs and unemployment benefits
A person who is collecting unemployment benefits in Minnesota and works or anticipates work through a temp agency can unknowingly increase the likelihood of an appeal for unemployment benefits.
Yes, it is okay to pursue both, but every Applicant trying to manage MN unemployment temp agency should take steps to protect themselves too.
