Why Go Back To Work?
Question:
Because of the extra $600 per week provided by the CARES Act supplement, I am making a lot more on Unemployment Insurance than I was making in my weekly pay when I was working. Why should I go back to work if my employer reopens soon?
Answer:
That’s an excellent question. The answer depends in part on your individual circumstances, but there are some good reasons to return to your old job.
First, Unemployment Insurance (UI) was never meant to be a way of life. It’s intended to help you fulfill your basic needs while you look for a new job. Typically, refusing to take an appropriate job (not necessarily a good job, or a job you like) will result in the termination of your benefits. It would be hard to argue that a job you used to do is not appropriate for you. You could lose all your benefits if you refuse to take a job offer.
Second, the extra $600 is not a permanent benefit; it will end on July 31. If you haven’t gone back to work or found a new job by then, your benefit will revert to whatever it was before. In addition, no one knows what the job market will look like at that point. We do know that a lot of other people will be looking for jobs then. Especially if the outlook is poor, do you really want to compete with all of them? If you don’t find a new job by then, is your current employer likely to take you back?
Did your old job provide benefits, such as health insurance or a 401(k)? If so, those intangibles should figure into your decision as well. Find out what it would cost to replace your health insurance and other benefits. That may make the decision for you.
That said, you may have a compelling reason to refuse to go back to your old job. If you’re caring for a loved one with Covid-19; if you’re sick or self-quarantining; if you are immunocompromised and it would be dangerous for you to go out, obviously you shouldn’t go back to your old job. Talk with your employer. Think long and hard about this decision; it may turn out to affect you for longer than you expect.