Covid layoffs question

[Matthew74]

Not exactly epilepsy, but I need help. Maybe some of you have had the same experience…

I was one of the first people laid off without notice back in 2020 (along with 80-90% of the company). I can’t pay the rent, so I applied for county assistance. My application was rejected because my former employer refused to state that the layoff was due to Covid. They would only state “mass-layoff on March 11, 2020”. I asked them nicely to specify, but they refused without explanation. I wasn’t really bitter about it until they pulled that. Now I’m hot as a flaming toaster in July August. They must have some liability if they say it was because of Covid. I can’t find out what. It’s nearly impossible to google it without getting irrelevant results. From what I did find, I think they may owe us pay, or may have an obligation to re-hire us, but I’m not sure. In any case, all I want is a statement of the truth so that my landlord can get paid. Neither my former employer, nor the county are being reasonable. I don’t know how else to prove it. How else can I prove it?

 

[Porkette]

Hi Matthew,

I'm so sorry to hear what's going on. I was also laid off back in 2020 but my employer still continued to pay me even though
I was home and wasn't working and I have a state job working at public school.
Your employer has no legal right to be doing this to you and what I want you to do is go online and type in Avvo.com
and you can post this same question only it will go to lawyers and they will answer your question for free. Give it a try
and see how you make out. If your employer and the county aren't being resonable you may have a good case against
both of them. I wish you the best of luck and May God Bless You!

Sue

 

[valeriedl]

Porkette's answer is a good one. This is just a guess but I don't know if any sort of info from a dr, saying that you had COVID would help some?

 

[Matthew74]

Florida is the worst. I spent several hours yesterday working on it. I was able to submit a screenshot from my unemployment benefits instead. This morning they weren't happy with my residency documentation (a hospital bill), I resubmitted a different document (my power bill). Of course, the state ID I submitted has my address on it, but that's not good enough. I fully expect them to send it back again because they don't like something else. I honestly, sincerely, think that Florida sets these things up to be virtually impossible. There's really no other explanation. You guys may have heard about the unemployment site. I was truly unbelieveable. There's normal bureaucracy and inefficiency, and then there's something intended and designed not to work. When I first moved here I went to the state rehabilitation / disabled services office. I had a master's degree and lots of work experience, I had just left a job in another state, and a training program, and the guy told me he couldn't help me because I wasn't capable of working at all. It was surreal. It was probably the worst I've ever been discriminated against because of epilepsy. That was the last place I expected it.

Porkette, I did post on Avvo. No responses yet. However, the people at the county government said that it's not uncommon for employers to refuse to state that layoffs were due to Covid.

Valerie, As far as I know I haven't had Covid. My former employer is in the travel and cruise industry. They were one of the first to lay people off.

In other news, my mother seems to have decided not to see me. I'm really not a pain or anything. She's always resented me for being sick. She only lives a few miles away. We used to get together every week. It's a long story, but she paid my rent last month, and wouldn't look at me afterward. We went out twice and spoke on the phone once after that, but it's been almost a month since I've seen her. She obviously didn't want to visit last week. She hasn't invited me over to her place in almost 6 months - It was the Superbowl. Because of Covid, I haven't seen my sister for almost two years - it was Christmas 2019.

My life has turned out to be pretty much the exact opposite of what I wanted, and worked for it to be. I didn't get messed up or hang out with questionable people. I finished (a lot) of school. I worked jobs I didn't like. I'm getting closer to 50 with no career, unmarried, jobless, and behind on my rent.

That sounds morbid, but I'm actually doing much better recently. I got a job at the library. It's part time, but it should pay my rent. I'm waiting for them to finish the background check to start. There isn't any reason there would be a problem, but the way things are, I'm holding my breath. If there is any technicality to dissatisfied with I'm sure they'll find it. Boca Raton is very snobby. You should see what you have to go through to get a library card. I've basically been at home alone for over a year. It's going to be hard going back to work. It's a good job for me, but I'm afraid I'll have problems communicating with people again. Sometimes I go for weeks without talking to anyone for social reasons.

 

[Porkette]

Hi Matthew,

Sometimes Avvo will take a couple of days to respond to a persons question and then there are times they may not
respond at all then a few weeks later you hear something from a lawyer. What ticks me off is how the guy told you that
you couldn't work do to your epilepsy, that's nonsense and depending on how long ago that was I would take legal action
against the person or company that said this because that's discrimination all the way. Tell them to look at Alan Faneca who
played for the Pittsburg Steelers, NY Jets, and Arizonia Cardinals he's had tonic clonic seizures since he was 15 yrs. old and
he just got into the Hall of Fame a few days ago. He didn't let his epilepsy stop him and that's how I feel.

I don't understand why so many people in FL. aren't getting the shots for the virus this would help them out as well as
the state and others around them. In regards to your mom and family don't feel bad I've seen my mon 1 time in 4 yrs. and
my brother 1 time in 20 yrs. Neither of them will accept me unless they want money from me just to waste on themselves
I finally put my foot down and told them no more and that they have to pay me back and that's why they aren't speaking
to me. If they want to blow money shopping and gambling that's their problem if they get in debt not mine. Your in a different
situation give it time and your family will come around. I found not having any contact with them is what draws them closer.

Keep your chin up and I wish you the best of luck and I hope you get the library job. May God Bless You!

Sue

 

[Matthew74]

Thanks. Sorry about your family Sue. I understand what you are saying. My mom finally called and we went out today, so that was good. It wasn't super cheery, but it was ok.

I totally would have had a suit against the disability office. I didn't really want to do that, nor did I have the resources or energy. I figured it would be a lot easier to get a job. My guess is that somebody probably DID sue them, if what I experienced was normal.

I know you didn't mean it this way, but I do feel like a total deadbeat. The thing is that I've taken all sorts of jobs that weren't the best for me, or even made me sick. I've always had to take whatever was available. You can do that when you are 20 and healthy, and then use the extra energy to build something else, but I didn't have the extra energy. I wasn't able to build on my successes - like when I went to band instrument repair school, got a 4.0 GPA, and then had to drop out because of back surgery. It's not super crucial as far as being able to learn the trade, but it makes everything much harder. Now I'm stuck. Hopefully the new job will give me enough rest and time to repair instruments, or something else if that doesn't work. I've been trying to fix woodwinds, but I don't have the resources to buy supplies, or buy more profitable instruments to fix up. I need to figure out how to promote myself. Most people could have done it while working my previous job, but it was too much for me. If I can avoid being stressed out about money, the new job should work out ok. I'll even get to do some teaching.