Another customer cut off

Earlier this week I wrote about how "S/he who writes the checks makes the rules". I had yet another customer this week who did not get that. She is part of the same intensive program as the person mentioned in my last post. Every two weeks they have to turn in a log showing 3 work searches for each week (this is something they have to report for their unemployment claim each week anyway) plus two activities of their choice such as reading an article about job searching, etc. No, not overly burdensome. Also, this is purely a pencil whipping exercise. All we do with it is make sure it's done, note it in our software system, then file the hard copy. We don't check it at all. It's theoretically auditable, but the odds of that are minuscule.

The customer's log was due on Wednesday of last week. They technically have 48 hours before it's considered late. I called her first thing Friday morning as her first meeting didn't include my current speech telling them that I'll just report them as noncompliant instead of calling them. She said "I've been sick. I just got out of the hospital. I'll bring it today". Some of you are feeling sorry for her right now. You are not me. People who hear this where I work don't think "oh, you poor thing." Nope, we immediately go to "If you're sick, you're not "able and available to work", and thus you aren't eligible for unemployment for last week anyway". Yes, it's a different mindset, and you develop it quite quickly (I've worked there less than 2 months).

Well, Friday comes and goes, and as of 4:30 when we closed I'd received nothing. I put a note with the customer's name on my monitor so that I'd remember to report her to unemployment first thing Monday if her log wasn't there. Of course, it wasn't. I e-mailed unemployment with the notes in the system I put in Friday saying she was supposed to drop it off then and also today's saying she hadn't. I also noted her illness and probable lack of being "able and available" to work. She will not receive any unemployment benefits for the last two weeks. She can appeal this later, but I was told she will lose the appeal. Apparently the customer stopped by to see me Monday while I was at lunch. Oh drat I missed her. She'll figure out sooner or later (say when she gets no benefits for two weeks) that "S/he who writes the checks makes the rules."