Non School Wages

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Home : 2005 : May : 8

Non School Wages
By Carol

Nic,
Non School Wages are any wages earned in a job that is not with a school district, a private or charter school or a college. There are exceptions for college instructors, in particular, whose continued employment
after a break depends upon student enrollment. These are adjunct professors and they can collect full benefits or at least retroactive benefits for the summer.
And, I assume the same holds true for trade schools and business/votech colleges. These schools and colleges are for profit businesses where continued employment, after a break, also depends upon student enrollment.

I worked for Sylvan Learning Center for five months last year and that job, although educational in nature, was not with a school district or college. Sylvan is a for profit business so I qualified for non-school wage benefits. During breaks I get $70 a week. Not a lot but better than nothing.
Non-school wage benefits are the only benefits that you can collect during a recess unless the district lays you off or your job depends (like adjunct college professors) on student enrollment.
Remember EDD goes back 18 months to start calculating your maximum weekly benefit. Your benefit year is a twelve month period starting usually 18 months ago and ending six months before you filed.
You don't have to be laid off either to collect benefits. You can quit a job and still be eligible. I actually quit Sylvan but I did it in a professional manner. You have to be careful about quitting any job because, if you leave in a huff without adequate notice, the employer will probably fight you for unemployment benefits. Mine didn't.
You see in California EDD assesses each employer, from your highest earning quarter, a certain percentage of your benefit and they must reimburse EDD. They have ten days to respond to EDD's decision to award you benefits. If they fail to do so then your in the clear. If you made an ex-employer angry they could get even with you at this time. Doesn't mean they will win out but some will try to get even.
I actually had to learn all of this the hard way. I've subbed off and on since 1985 and the first time that I filed years ago, it was during a summer break and they turned me down flat.
I erroneously thought it was because I was a seasonal, at-will, employee too. But now that I'm more educated about the process I know that it was because I filed during a recess. Never file during a recess (unless your job depends upon student enrollment)if all you have are school wages.
EDD doesn't go into detail about your rejection; which further allows you to draw a lot of erroneous conclusions. They just tell you that you have reasonable assurance of employment after the break. Denied!
They don't explain that, once the break is over, you can re-open your claim and collect during the school year for any week that you don't work full time and/or make x% of your weekly maximum benefit. And, if the district boots you in September you will be able to retroactively collect to the date that you filed in June. EDD told me the best thing to do is to always file and let them do the deciding. I say never take no for an answer and go to EDD's website today and file on-line. Just have your employment information ready. Dates, addresses, contact people, etc. It won't take you a half an hour to file. It's the fastest way and you will know within ten days of filing and you could have a check within three weeks. You have a one week waiting period where you will not be given benefits.
You will get a call from the Orange County Adjudication center after they notify you of your award. Don't panic and don't dodge the call. They are not trying to catch you in a lie.
The Adjudication center staff must call all school employees who file to see if they are on a break and if they have reasonable assurance of employment following the break. That is the only reason they are calling. If you dodge them you will delay EDD's final decision and your check.
EDD will check with your district(s) so don't refuse or cancel any work while you are waiting for EDD's final decision; which will arrive about 4 days after you talk to the adjudication division.
You will get a letter from EDD stating that, since it is not a break, you are entitled to benefits. Your first check may come the same day.
The critical variable is to try not to file during a break if you can help it. You will have to go through the the adjudication hoop after every school break I found except Thanksgiving. I got paid for the entire Thanksgiving week and no call afterwards.
Note: You can spread your award over an entire year, and if it is a period of high unemployment and you've exhausted your state award, then federal benefit money kicks in.
It's nerve wracking because you don't know what the district will tell them when they do call. Just suck-it-in and tough-it-out. We have all suffered from secret exclusions where we are bad mouthed and not apprised of what we did or given the ability to defend our actions. It makes us paranoid but it doesn't mean the district will fight our claim.
Remember to use the telephone/address/contact person that they tell you to use in your letter for filing purposes. These offices are county based and most districts use the same one in any given county. You will use your individual district(s) address/phone/contacts only when giving your employment history including the employer you last worked for before filing.
Example: Last week you worked 2 days for L.A. Unified. So when you file today or tomorrow you indicate that L.A. Unified was your last employer on the intake form. You are still working for them but are "on-call".
Web address to file on line 24 hours a day is: http://www.edd.ca.gov/uirep/uiappind.htm.