At this time of year, there is always uncertainty for adjunct faculty and others whose work is not guaranteed in the new year. The pandemic has only made things worse.

As a worker, you have been charged in every paycheck for insurance to cover you in times like these. That’s what unemployment is… and it is important to understand your eligibility and how to apply to secure available benefits.

Unfortunately, the process is complicated for part-time school workers, and you may experience a significant lag time before you receive money from the state unemployment office. But even with that lag, if you are eligible, you will be able to collect back pay only from the day you apply, so it’s important that you do so as soon as possible. In this case, you want to file the day after you are no longer a Temple employee.

Check your contract – not your teaching schedule or pay date – to determine the last day you’re with Temple. You can apply for unemployment the day after your contract expires.

Even if you are working, if you have experienced a drop of 10% or more in pay that’s due to a decision from your employer, you may be able to collect partial benefits. So, if your credit load is reduced in the spring, you should consider applying.

Given the complex nature of unemployment programs, we are offering free unemployment compensation workshops next week on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Please register for one of the time slots here.