The reason I started this blog was a sudden surge in my free time - I was brought into a new job on a 6 month contract beginning in May 2019. Due to some unforeseen circumstances throughout the summer and early fall, the company had to do some restructuring, and I was not retained when my contract expired at the end of October. So, I took a few days, then began the whole unemployment/job hunt tango on Friday, November 1, 2019. My educational background is in construction management, and my work background is in positions tangential to construction: Permits, codes, and inspections; project management and contractor relations; and building maintenance and systems management. I've been in positions to lead the State of Michigan in production, both in soil testing and in residential building permits. I've been tasked with managing facilities in one of the first LEED-certified hotels in the nation. I've managed home renovation projects valued upwards of $80,000. I'm very proud of my professional accomplishments. But, being deep in the heart of Q4, a lot of companies in my field had begun running down their yearly work schedule, reassessing their needs, and preparing for Q1 in the next year when I'd begun my new job search. Put it bluntly, there's not a lot of interviewing and hiring going on as companies are hammering through the finish line, and facing a lot of company downtime (with staff vacations and time off) between Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years.
Entering January and February, I began getting more and more interviews, as was expected. I had some incredibly promising leads that didn't pan out for one reason or another; one job in particular gave me great feedback and said that I was one of their top candidates, but, they found their dream candidate and hired that person on the spot. I had a few more interviews that were equally as promising, but had longer timelines; they expected to begin onboarding in mid to late March for spring/summer work.
Then, a public health crisis began - the spread of CoVid 19. Governments limited contact and face-to-face meetings, nonessential businesses began temporary layoffs and downsizing, "shelter-in-place" and "social distancing" orders became the norm. All the while, my benefit weeks were ticking down. By March 16th, Governor Whitmer signed Executive Order 2020-10 to expand eligibility for unemployment benefits for those directly impacted by CoVid 19; among the expansions in this EO were increasing benefit weeks from 20 to 26 weeks, the window of time to apply for benefits was expanded from 14 to 28 days, registration was moved 100% online, and the normal job search requirements were temporarily suspended. Holland Sentinel covers the details here, and the Detroit Free Press published some numbers on Sunday the 22nd.
March 16 was the last day I was eligible to apply for, and collect, unemployment insurance. Due to the aforementioned "shelter-in-place" orders, I've been unable to meet with employers and interview for jobs since Friday the 13th of March. The expanded unemployment rights do not apply to existing claims, only to new ones:
I understand that this health crisis is evolving an an hour-by-hour and day-by-day basis, but I feel like this is a sizeable oversight on the part of the State of Michigan and the Unemployment Insurance Agency. I know I'm not alone in feeling dropped off the boat here.
Entering January and February, I began getting more and more interviews, as was expected. I had some incredibly promising leads that didn't pan out for one reason or another; one job in particular gave me great feedback and said that I was one of their top candidates, but, they found their dream candidate and hired that person on the spot. I had a few more interviews that were equally as promising, but had longer timelines; they expected to begin onboarding in mid to late March for spring/summer work.
Then, a public health crisis began - the spread of CoVid 19. Governments limited contact and face-to-face meetings, nonessential businesses began temporary layoffs and downsizing, "shelter-in-place" and "social distancing" orders became the norm. All the while, my benefit weeks were ticking down. By March 16th, Governor Whitmer signed Executive Order 2020-10 to expand eligibility for unemployment benefits for those directly impacted by CoVid 19; among the expansions in this EO were increasing benefit weeks from 20 to 26 weeks, the window of time to apply for benefits was expanded from 14 to 28 days, registration was moved 100% online, and the normal job search requirements were temporarily suspended. Holland Sentinel covers the details here, and the Detroit Free Press published some numbers on Sunday the 22nd.
March 16 was the last day I was eligible to apply for, and collect, unemployment insurance. Due to the aforementioned "shelter-in-place" orders, I've been unable to meet with employers and interview for jobs since Friday the 13th of March. The expanded unemployment rights do not apply to existing claims, only to new ones:
I understand that this health crisis is evolving an an hour-by-hour and day-by-day basis, but I feel like this is a sizeable oversight on the part of the State of Michigan and the Unemployment Insurance Agency. I know I'm not alone in feeling dropped off the boat here.
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