When I arrived at work today after an enjoyable long weekend, I learned it was layoff day. Thankfully I was spared and will be trudging back to my desk tomorrow. But seeing coworkers let go did prompt me to review current unemployment benefits for Massachusetts residents.

  • Regular Unemployment Insurance – up to 26 weeks
  • Potentially Federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation – up to 53 weeks
  • Potentially Federal/State Extended Benefits – up to 20 weeks
  • Massachusetts maximum benefit rate is $629 a week
  • Federal Subsidy for COBRA Premiums – former employer pays 65% of COBRA for six months
At first when I realized that my company had waited until 2010 to do this layoff I wondered if dodging having to pay for the COBRA benefit was behind the timing. But it looks like that benefit was extended in mid-December by the Obama administration (it was set to expire on Dec. 31, 2009). The only savings I could guess at for my company would be in vacation time. Since the policy is to use it or lose it in a calendar year, lots of folks had saved their vacation time in 2009 just in case of a layoff. The folks let go today would not have accrued much of anything just two weeks into 2010 to pad their severance.

– Laid Off & Loving It for 2010

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