DOUBLE STANDARDS

On Wall Street, burn through billions of dollars and you can get a "retention bonus," on Main Street, you may not be able to collect unemployment insurance.

Out of Work and Challenged on Benefits, Too
In Record Numbers, Employers Move to Block Unemployment Payouts
By Peter Whoriskey
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, February 12, 2009; Page A01

More than a quarter of people applying for such claims have their rights to the benefit challenged as employers increasingly act to block payouts to former workers.

The proportion of claims disputed by former employers and state agencies has reached record levels in recent years, according to the Labor Department numbers tallied by the Urban Institute.

Under state and federal laws, employees who are fired for misbehavior or quit voluntarily are ineligible for unemployment compensation. When jobless claims are blocked, employers save money because their unemployment insurance rates are based on the amount of the benefits their workers collect.

I've never liked the "misbehavior" clause because it seems that employers can always make some shit up to retroactively justify your firing. And why can't you quit when your manager is an asshole?