I got laid off back in September and I thought they said they were going to mail me a box so that I could mail my screens and laptop back to them but I never received anything. Did everyone return their stuff or are they just saying “fu-k it” and leaving everyone with their tech stuff?
Also, just a heads up to everyone who may get laid off, here and a few things to note:
- CA taxes on severance are 46% so just be aware that the money you receive will not be nearly as much as they initially tell you. (Severance is 2 weeks pay for every year you have been with Host. The taxes on mine were about $3000)
- They will email you a copy of the severance package late in the day or the morning after you get laid off. Sign it as soon as possible. You have seven days to sign it, and even though they won’t sign it until after the seven days is up, get your portion done to avoid delays.
- Apply for unemployment ASAP, preferably the same day you get laid off because there are some delays with getting approved and receiving your first payment. (You can do everything online, you don’t have to respond to the copies they mail you, and you will receive your money faster if you sign up for direct deposit)
- If you received more than $450 the week of or the week before getting laid off you will be disqualified from unemployment for 2 weeks. The problem is Host pays you your severance package the next pay period which is usually after another two or three weeks, so you will get disqualified from receiving unemployment again because you “made too much” so it takes about a month to get unemployment and food stamps.
- My Unemployment was paused and put under review because the unemployment office tried to confirm with Host that I was laid off and they never responded so they thought I was lying and stopped paying me unemployment for a month. So always check the portal and ensure that you are being paid properly and on time (every 2 weeks).
- Right now, unemployment is about $450 a week ($400 after federal taxes if you withhold the taxes now)
- Unemployment is taxed at the state level as well, so come April, just be aware that you will have to pay some back.
- The information that you need when applying for unemployment in CA is in the severance email you receive so make sure look for that.
- Also apply for food stamps (if you qualify) the same day you get laid off because the delay to receive money for food stamps is longer than the delays with unemployment. If you worked more than two days out of the month, you will usually have made too much money to qualify that month and will have to wait until next month to begin receiving any food stamps. But still apply the day you get laid off so that you automatically begin receiving food stamps as soon as you qualify.
- If you go into the office, you can pick up your food stamps debit card day of because they often get lost or delayed in the mail.
- You can apply for Medi-Cal during the same application as your food stamp application and the benefits are way better than the health benefits Host offers (COBRA) and Medi-Cal is free. Cobra is extremely expensive and not worth it. (With my new Medi-Cal insurance, I kept all the same doctors I already had through Host except now it costs me nothing to go to the doctor and all my prescriptions are free)
- If you get approved for food stamps, apply for the CARE Program with SDG&E, you will automatically qualify to receive a 30% discount on your bill every month.
- Medical Solutions partners with Challenger Grey, a company that will reach out to you after you get laid off and offer to help you with your résumé and finding a job. I’m not saying you should rely on this, but just so you are aware.