Benefits for some but not others

[tommyd]

Hi all,

Just got my hours reduced which prompted me to check out some of the labor laws.

I've already pretty much figured that I can't do anything about my hours being reduced.

I'm a full-time(39 hrs) worker in Michigan and was just told that for the month of March I'll only be working 29 hours per week. Guess I'll have to live with it.

But, while reading through some of the posts, I thought of another question. Can my employer offer benefits to another worker who works the same number of hours as I do, and not offer the benefit to me? This worker gets healthcare paid for, I don't. I figure I'm probably screwed here too, but just wondering.

Also, does anyone know if I can file any kind of unemployment claim for the hours I'm getting reduced?

Thanks all...a very informative forum you have here.

[cbg]

It depends entirely on the eligibility requirement in your health insurance plan document. I can think of instances in which it would be legal to offer benefits to some and not to others; I can also think of instances in which it would not.

State law varies on whether or not you can receive unemployment benefits for a reduction in hours, and even in the states that permit it, how much of a reduction it takes before you are eligible is variable. I suggest you contact your state unemployment commission regarding the regulations in your state. They will probably tell you to file a claim and see if it is approved, but they are far more likely to have accurate information as to your specific situation than we will.