Can I negotiate pay with employer who pays into my unemployment insurance?
I’d think you’d find your answer somewhere here: http://www.employment.oregon.gov/EMPLOY/UI/index.shtml They may also have a phone hotline. I don’t know Oregon law. I know that in Vermont you need to accept (X-7)*90% or lose benefits and after (a month I think) you need to accept (X-7)*80%. Both cases assuming you were offered comparable work. Bottom line: if I were your former employer, offered you your job back at the same rate of pay you had been working for, and you refused – I’d definitely challenge your taking benefits (which increases the tax rate I need to pay). Now, it may be that you were underpaid and they now realize that they want you back. If that is the case, you may be able to negotiate something better. But it should be based on the actual value you can sell to them, don’t use the unemployment benefits to hold out for trading up.
