ASK DoL

By Robert Acquaye
In order to make the newsletter more useful to your job search, we are asking for your questions for the Department of Labor (DoL). Here are your recent questions and answers.
1. Why doesn’t our DoL rep attend the Monday morning meeting?
Mr. Emmanuel Inyang (Manny), our N.J. State DoL representative, has commitments Monday mornings that conflict with our meetings. Nonetheless, he is apprised of our ongoing activities and programs. Mr. Inyang also reviews and approves the PSGCNJ newsletter for compliance with DoL rules prior to its being released. We thank him for his prompt handling of the newsletter.
2. What happens to my unemployment benefits if I get a part-time job? Do they continue less the amount of my compensation? How do I arrange for continued benefits?
According to the NJ State Department of Labor Unemployment Guidebook’s section on part-time work (Page 17):

• •You must report all gross earnings and all hours worked including holiday/vacation pay, tips, commissions, or earnings from self-employment for the week in which they were earned, not when they were paid.
• • Note: If you worked on Election Day for a county election board, you do not have to report these earnings. Earnings from Election Day work will not reduce your weekly unemployment benefit amount.
• • You can earn up to 20 percent of your Weekly Benefit Rate (WBR) and still receive your full unemployment check for that week. For example if your WBR is $200, you can earn up to $40 (20 percent of $200 is $40) and still receive your full WBR of $200.
• If it is determined that the wages you reported are deductible, they will be subtracted from your Partial Benefit Rate (PBR). The PBR is higher than your WBR. You cannot be paid more than your WBR. For example if your WBR is $200, your PBR is $240 (20 percent higher than $200). If you earn $50 during a week, you would receive $190 in unemployment benefits ($240 – $50 = $190).
• To be eligible, you must not be employed for more than 80 percent of the normal hours worked in the occupation (e.g., if a 40-hour week is common in your occupation, you may be able to receive benefits if you worked 32 hours or less).

We have attempted to source answers based on referrals from NJDoL employees. These guidelines were derived from the NJ State Department of Labor’s booklet. If you have any additional questions with policies and other procedures, please check with the unemployment office – or send them to us on the evaluation forms which are distributed during the General meetings.