No Unemployment Pay for Gear Up Co-Pilot

[Golden Rivit]

Could this be the slippery slope to criminalization of accidents?

No Unemployment Pay for Gear Up Co-Pilot - AVweb flash Article (http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/No-Unemployment-Pay-for-Gear-Up-Co-Pilot222591-1.html)

[pattern_is_full]

I don't see any connection to criminality.

It is standard, throughout all of the US, as far as I know, that unemployment benefits are only available to those who lose a job "through no fault of their own" - such as layoffs, downsizings, business failures, etc. Economic furloughs as practiced in aviation may qualify as well (never had to find out, myself, fortunately).

If one is fired "for cause" - i.e. incompetence, failure to perform to standards, chronic tardiness or absence, etc. etc. - one does not qualify for unemployment benefits.

It doesn't have to be a criminal offense - although criminal offenses (even those having nothing to do with the job) are certainly one of the "reasonable causes" for which one can be fired.

It is interesting that the first bureaucrat found that a single incident of incompetence did not constitute "cause" for firing. But I'm not sure the unemployment office is really the place to make that determination. If the co-pilot in question really felt the dismissal was unjustified, that should be handled through other channels (a union, if available, or unfair labor practices or discrimination complaint.)

With - if he succeeded in his case - compensation from the company, not through the state unemployment system.

[JeroenC]

How can a company appeal a STATE unemplyment benefits decision (genuie question from a European, where no such thing would be possible in my country, AFAIK).

[bigduke6]

Because the company pays for "unemployment insurance", and their rates will go up if there are more people from that company are using/claiming it. So the benefit is paid out by the State, but the program is funded by employer contributions, which the employer would like to minimize.

But in this case, they probably just don't like the guy in question.....

[JeroenC]

Thanks for your answer!