The United States has been taking what may be called a very hard left turn when it comes to freedom and property rights.  You work hard to create and grow your small business, yet others now have a legal claim on your money no matter what you say or do.

If you have an employee who works for you less than 3 months, generally speaking if he/she quits their job you are not liable to support them (pay them unemployment). But this is now eroding. A former employee's rights to your money have reached the ridiculous level in many states, including New York, California, Washington, and Illinois.

As of 2004 most employers do not know this, but if an employee quits their job - they now have the right to collect unemployment at your expense. Even if they quit! This smacks of socialism and is clearly not right. The little loophole in the law basically states that if even a past employee were to quit, if they find another job and work there for at least 6 weeks, the courts will decide against your company if they are fired or even quit their new job.  Which means that you will be charged to pay them unemployment - and your rates with your insurer or state, depending on where your company is, will be raised.

The documents that show such a case are below. Imagine an employee walking out in the middle of their shift, with no warning. You would think that you are not liable to support them - right? Wrong! If they get another job after working for your company, and then quit that job or are fired, they may then collect unemployment and you, as their former employer, are liable no matter what you do. You can appeal and spend thousands of dollars fighting it, but the law is the law.

Is this socialism or just plain stupidity? It's not as if you, as a new business owner, have enough to worry about. Long hours planning and thinking to live your dream, all at the mercy of anyone who simply knows the law.

Here are a few documents to show how the courts in N.Y. handle such a situation. Thousands of employers in N.Y. have been caught with supporting former employees who quit their jobs.  It doesn't matter how good you are to employees or how well they are paid. More and more thanks to the internet, unscrupulous employees are finding out that they too can milk the unemployment system. This can potentially cost you thousands of dollars a year in increased rates on your unemployment insurance.

Click here for documents - only two pages that explains things according to the law in the state of New York. All names (aside from the judge) have been whitened out to protect privacy.
 

Something to ponder...

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