I am a resident of Loudoun County, a single parent, a graduate of VA Tech, a taxpayer for 20 years, and a recently displaced Systems Engineer who filed for Unemployment with the Fairfax office of the Virginia Employment Commission six months ago.
While I was at the VEC for my group interview in January, one of their counselors, Delilah, made a change to one of my (correct) entries on my Application for Unemployment Benefits, a change that resulted in a series of inquiries and verifications and determinations that delayed the processing of my claim.
After two months, and even though the Fairfax office had admitted it's error to me, I still had no idea if I have been deemed eligible. I have received no benefits whatsoever, SEVEN MONTHS AFTER BECOMING UNEMPLOYED!!!
To make matters worse, I could not even get a call back from anyone either at the Fairfax or Richmond offices that has been of any practical help. My eligibility determination caseworker at that time, a Ms. T. Doljac, had never personally answered any of my 9 attempts to call her in over three weeks. She DID, however, have her part-time assistant call me back and let me know that no one there had any idea as to the disposition of my claim. I find that unusual, in that Ms. Doljac was the person responsible for making the determination.
The contact in Richmond at the Monitor/Advocate office that could help me, a Ms. Snyder, was not been in the office the week when I had tried to call, therefore she never returned my call.
I will say that one person, a Mr. Jack Turner, at least made an attempt to put me in contact with people who could help me, and did so with thoughtfulness, concern, and a very pleasant attitude. He should be a model for every other VEC employee to follow.
Further, since I had tried on many occasions to contact the VEC office in Fairfax with no luck, I finally contacted my Congressional representative for help. This apparently did NOT help, as my claim came back denied, even though I have consulted with attorneys who have assured me I am in fact eligible to receive benefits.
The reasons why I feel I am eligible are the following:
(1) I was terminated for not being able to keep NEW, REVISED hours that my employer insisted upon, for no valid business reason. These hours were not the hours I kept during my first FOUR YEARS at that organization, and the new hours constituted a change that my employer was well aware conflicted with my duties as a mother. I volunteered this information to Ms. Doljac's assistant, but was told the neither the e-mails I had as proof, nor the phone numbers to contact ALL of my previous supervisors (who could confirm the change in working hours), would be needed.
(2) After my termination with VIDAR Systems, I did in fact find seasonal employment with the Hecht Company in Dulles Town Center. I was unable to get hours there after the Holiday and Inventory seasons, though So technically I am unemployed from my LAST employer for lack of work.
Not only am I disappointed in the fact that, as a taxpayer-supported system, the VEC office in Fairfax seems terribly mismanaged, but also to have learned the hard way that VEC employees can disregard Virginia law with impunity, for the purposes of being malicious.
Several members of the Fairfax office gave me outright incorrect information as to when a determination would be made, statements as to my eligibility, indicating that a telephone interview would be delayed because someone from the Richmond office would be assigned to the call, and telling me that there WAS no vehicle for lodging any complaints and most were particularly rude and/or completely unavailable.
I would truly like to see Ms. Doljac try being unemployed for a while. Perhaps it would improve her disposition as it would seem nothing could worsen it!
In Virginia, one is entitled to Unemployment benefits EXCEPT in the case of willful misconduct, or gross negligence. My previous employer cited NEITHER of these, and in fact was promoting me and giving me raises up until 6 months before my termination. My termination coincided with the termination of approximately 25% of the company!!! How does the VEC, and specifically this Ms. Doljac, get off denying my claim, when I may well lose my family home and be unable to support my daughter without that money?
I can explain that — ZERO ACCOUNTABILITY!
From what I have heard, NOT ONE of the 20 people laid off from my previous employer, in the same 3-day period as me, has seen EVEN ONE RED CENT OF UNEMPLOYMENT MONEY!!! Where does the money we all pay as taxes go???
Perhaps it could be going... inTO THE POCKETS OF THE VEC EMPLOYEES, who seemingly would make it their primary business to delay and muck up your claim until you give up!!!
Susan
Northern, Virginia
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