Friday, February 13, 2009
The Economy Opryland Ownership Named in WaPo Story on Employers Challenging Unemployment Bennies
Posted by PJ Tobia on Fri, Feb 13, 2009 at 10:03 AM
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This story in yesterday's Washington Post brings disturbing news for legions of laid-off workers. A record level of employers are disputing claims for unemployment made by terminated workers.
Apparently the owners of Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center are among them. The story details how an electrician working for the company was fired and began collecting $380 a week in unemployment. Soon after, Gaylord took the man, Kenneth M. Brown, to court to dispute his right to the money. They alleged that Brown was fired for "being deceptive with a supervisor," and therefore not entitled to unemployment money.
"A big corporation like that. . ." Brown told The Post. "It was hard enough to be terminated. But for them to try to take away the unemployment benefits -- I just thought that was heartless."
But this story has a happy ending for Brown. Find out how, after the jump.
From The Post:
After a Post reporter turned up at the hearing, the hotel's representative withdrew the appeal and declined to comment. A hotel spokesperson later said the company does not comment on legal matters. Brown will continue to collect benefits...Successful unemployment claims raise costs for companies. Employers should have the right to challenge benefits if they think shenanigans are afoot. But when a lawyer turns tail and runs just because a reporter shows up, I start thinking that Gaylord didn't have much of a case and was more interested in nickel-and-diming a former employee than righting a perceived wrong. And in an economy like this, where a man who works with his hands needs all the help he can get, that just strikes me as very, very, wrong.
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