I got laid off from Chevron in December. I am being denied unemployment due to the severance payout. I had a call from Texas Workforce and I honestly told her the amount of severance I received. She put in a note denying severance for most of the year.
From all I read the kind of severance we got (one time lump sum) and that we signed a waiver of our rights would entitle us to UI.
Anybody else had this happen to them?
@bczu, That's really good new and exciting news thanks for sharing all that. Where can I sign up for it?
With the COVID stimulus, it is the most UI pay you will ever get! Lowest ever interest rates mean the highest lump sum ever. Perfect timing to leave the job with tons of cash,
You Can Receive Unemployment Benefits Alongside Your Chevron Severance Package
What many employees receive from Chevron is considered a "conditional severance." In addition to payout, pension considerations, and more, the design of this severance package also yields a significant benefit that many professionals at Chevron often miss. To receive your severance, many companies require you to sign off and waive them from any hardship liability. By doing so, you then become eligible to apply for unemployment benefits. In wake of the recent Coronavirus pandemic, these benefits are substantially higher than in previous years and include higher weekly compensation, pay starting as early as the first week after employment, and an extension of unemployment benefits by 13 weeks.
Found this on google from a law firm. So you should understand what you are signing and what you need to tell texas unemployment office. HR should give better guidance.
You were misinformed. They just want to scare you.
@awq, WRONG. The Unemployment office can get all of your information from the IRS if pressed. They did to me. It's just a matter of if they have a need to or not. Why in God's name do you think they couldn't? That's completely laughable, like most of the misinformation peddled here. It is a joint State/Federal program subject to regulations and requirements related to your income.
The UI office can not get any info from the IRS except we it relates to state income tax. There is nine in Texas so no info is shared from the IRS to the state. Nice try.
When I was laid off a few years ago, I reported No Severance and wasn’t asked another question. First UI check came the 2nd Friday and continued for all 6 months. TWC is over worked and under resourced. They will accept any credible answer you give them.
Go ahead and report whatever you like and end up wrongfully being denied.
Any kind of compensation or payment in any shape, manner or form is "reportable", all the taxable and non-taxable pay info reported to the IRS is available for the UI office to check. Have fun trying to concoct new imaginary names and categories for your compensation. The only exception to what they know is illegal cash payments. This entire thread is hilarious. I don't know a single laid off CVX employee who had any problems getting Unemployment and had to lie on the form by saying that they were not or would not be receiving a severance. And we all received a nice fat severance.
Have a nice day.
The bonus is not pay for work done after you were laid off and it is not ongoing severance paid according to your original employment contract nor in lieu of notice. Therefore, it is not reportable in Texas.
What Texas wants to know is if you are actually working and being paid or if you are continuing to get Your paychecks under an arrangement with your employer. In those cases you can’t get UI. All lump sums, bonuses, one time payments, of any sort, don’t count. If you report them you will confuse TWC, so don’t do it.
What an acceptable definition for the (CIP) bonus that unemployed CVX employees received?
If you lied on the form and tried to call your severance something other than a severance in order to expedite your benefits, then no wonder you were denied. Everyone who was honest on the form and did not lie came out fine, in fact most came out like me, smellin' like a rose, lol!
Nice try, Popcorn. You sure amuse yourself making up all this nonsense. Only you could be stupid enough to miss out on both the UI and the lump sum. Haha.
I, too, was denied by TWC - even though I argued the payment was not a severance but a payment for release of potential legal claims (which Texas law states is not technically severance). I went through two appeal reviews and was still denied. My attorney stated that I was correct but it really depends on the person that does your review. He stated it was quite common for TWC to rule different ways under the exact same circumstances. My only resort now is to sue in a court of law which would cost me more than I can collect in unemployment. Just hope everyone else is luckier than me on this.
I can't believe that there are people who are having so much trouble getting their Unemployment that they are having to resort to lying on the form, saying that they did not receive a severance when they actually did, etc. etc. That's some sad news. The severance is some pretty good money this go round. Sorry to hear all this.
I received my legal severance and lump sum as well. There are plenty of id–ts posting here who do not know the technical and legal definition of severance, or insist on lying, you are correct, it is abundantly clear. I had no problem with Unemployment, I didn't have to lie on the form or search for some alternate inapplicable definition of the term severance or different forms of payments, the severance payment which everyone at Chevron receives when laid off or EOI/retired last year.
The "incentive money" in that link is not the SEVERANCE that Chevron pays, you received a severance. Nice try. you're wrong Get over it.
I'm sure that there are many other legal payment terms that you can find on the books to try to weasel your way out of lying on the UI form. It makes no difference. You received a severance. period.
I’m surprised and delighted with the UI and added Cobra because I was retiring anyhow. The extra $3k per month UI goes in the “fun” kitty for a little roadster this summer.
The previous poster is spot-on correct. I couldn’t have explained it more concisely.
There are a lot of id–ts responding here so I'll help you out. The payoff we receive is NOT severance. It is a payment for waiver/release of legal liability.
https://www.twc.texas.gov/news/efte/release_waiver_agreements.html
Please see above. If it's not too late for you, call them back and make the proper argument. We received no severance but was only paid to sign a release waiver agreement.
That is a cool story but not as cool as the guy who's annuity payment comes normally, monthly as scheduled, but is like 4 times as much as it's supposed to be per the calculation and printout. He claims they just keep paying and he doesn't complain. I think he also said his severance was like 5 times as much as he was supposed to get, as if they confused his entire payroll info with someone else, some upper level person. That's an even cooler story, to me, anyway. I like a fairy tale with a happy ending.
@4sob, Yea you did - tell us your cool story already many times already, bro.
And again, I say... Cool story, bro, could you tell it again please?
I actually received two duplicate severance payments, both on the same day, and they have been paying me double my annuity pension amount since I retired 5 years ago.
I didn't suffer like you did, with the no severance and lump sum, etc. I thought that those who were let go all got a severance, maybe I was wrong. But I do have a well-paying job that I love, so there's that!
Just read the severance definition on the TWC website if you have any doubt, it is very clear that CVX is not paying severance. In fact, CVX specifically mentions they support the UI application. I feel sorry for anyone who didn’t do their homework and missed out on severance and lump sum.
It's a shame that you were laid off and did not receive a severance from Chevron. Most people who were laid off from Chevron that I know received a nice fat severance check and were able to receive Unemployment benefits as well and they didn't have to lie on a federal application (a crime) and claim they didn't receive a severance.
That’s right @1thg. Submit the information correctly by saying “No”, you haven’t received a severance upon leaving. Don’t waste a day after you are laid off to apply online for your UI.
No issues. You just need to submit the info correctly.
I indicated that I was receiving a severance correctly and honestly (not mincing words by trying to falsely label it something else like some on this site) and had no problems receiving benefits. Good luck with your applications.
Getting the legal payoff is not severance.
There is no misinterpretation of the question on the UI form. If you state that you are not receiving a severance , you are lying on a federal document for UI benefits, a joint federal-state program. Do so at your own peril.
I also think this is a troll, but in case it is not you should simply call them back and add that you are no longer receiving any severance. It is not a matter of lying but rather a truth as to how your termination package was legally structured by Chevron. You did not get severance and Chevron will not challenge your application for unemployment. Move on folks, nothing to see the.
The Truth is the Chevron severance is not contractually required per your employment, it is a legal payoff. So the correct answer to The Lady is No, you are not receiving severance under the unemployment definition. If you told her something else, then it is on you, not her. You screwed up. But I don’t believe you because they don’t call like this. And everyone I know is getting the. $3k per month UI every month,
@1svb, you can call it a lie if you choose, I don’t. The way the they posed the question about severance was as asking whether I had already been given the severance, so I answered “no”, which was correct. It’s not my responsibility to interpret what they trying to ask. It’s my responsibility to respond correctly to the question. So, I did that and the result was what I expected. I got my UI benefits without further follow up. When dealing with people, always anticipate what you may be asked and know how to respond. You want your UI benefits without question, just apply for them before you are mailed the waiver and severance documents and answer the question directly.
@1bmc+, so you lied on the Unemployment Insurance benefits form? Not something that I would recommend, that's a criminal offense and not something I would want on my record. Every time I have applied is different, much is dependent on the person reviewing the claim. In general a one time severance payment will only delay your benefits and have no effect on the overall payout. Most times the payments start right away, I've never had any problems getting benefits by being honest on the form.
In 2016 when I was laid off, I applied online at the TWC website for my unemployment benefits. I did this the first day I was officially off the Chevron payroll. When asked whether I got a severance payment, I answered “No”. Technically my answer to the question was correct and honest, because at the time of applying, I had not yet received my waiver and severance documents in the mail from the legal department. My TWC UI application was accepted on the spot after submitting it online. You see, timing is important and technically you are not “lying” on the application regarding the severance question. I’m not a lawyer, but I sure reason like one all the time. BTW, this is a true story.
Reapply when your severance is exhausted.
Honesty is best policy, glad you learned your lesson!
Haha. Welcome back Popcorn trolll! Nobody listens to your nonsense here. This is a layoff site, as you like to remind us every day, so shut up.