TAA or UE -- THE WORKONE/WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT OFFICES - DO NOT UNDERSTAND MQ MT EMPLOYEE STATUS and how sa

For the typical WorkOne/Workforce Development staffer, being an employee means working 80 hours biweekly and being paid a FIXED hourly rate for those 80 hours.  This is because most people on traditional unemployment (UE), and those receiving TAA, worked 80 hours biweekly and were paid a fixed hourly rate for those 80 hours. That is not how MQ MT pay works.  MTs earn income based on production which is based on work availability or the number of jobs available during 8-hour shift. MTs earn income from production and are paid on an hourly basis if and only if submitting PTO. If you have no PTO remaining, then you do not earn an hourly wage. (For myself, my PTO hourly wage just dropped to minimum wage for my state.) You have to explain how you receive your MT income. Yes, we are considered a full-time MQ employee, but MQ MTs receive income based on production.  So, the Workforce Development staffer thinks immediately that if you are not already laid off, then you are still a full-time employee earning a FIXED hourly wage.  Even though MQ MTs are still designated as a full-time employee (80 hours biweekly), our pay is not based on receiving a fixed rate multiplied by 80 hours. What was confusing for my worker was the fact MQ stated I was still a full-time employee, but failed to explain how the income works for me as an MQ MT.  To reiterate, yes MQ will state you are considered a full-time employee, but no explanation is provided about the production required to earn salary.  MQ MT SALARY IS NOT BASED ON A FIXED HOURLY RATE.  Salary is based on production so if NJA then no work then no income.  Also, if NJA unable to earn PTO time. 

 I explained in detail how my MT pay works. My worker had to be told like reciting the ABC's how MT pay works. Once she understood how having NO JOBS AVAILABLE (NJA) meant me not working, and being unable to earn income during my shift, she had a complete 100% turnaround. It was up to me to completely inform the worker about my MT pay situation. I explained that if MQ states I am a full-time employee, that this does not mean MQ automatically pays a fixed hourly rate for 80 hours.  It is critical to explain what the NJA means to MT income.  If If NJA then then MTs do not work, receive no income, unless using PTO.  The confusion could be quickly resolved for every state if MQ would send letter to Department of Labor explaining MT pay is based on production which is contingent upon number of jobs available during shift.  I also explained that MQ now outsources 80% of the work after being bought by CBAY -- reason for NJA and reason for lower income. I told her how to find this information online.

I am not paid a fixed HOURLY rate during my 80 hour shift unless I have earned and then use PTO.  You cannot earn PTO if you are not working because no jobs are available. MQ MT pay is production contingent, production is contingent on work being available during shift.  MQ will confirm MT as being a full-time employee, but not bother to explain how MQ MT pay works – we are not paid a fixed hourly rate like traditional workers applying for assistance. MQ MTs may be still classified as a full-time employee, but MQ is not paying the full-time MT a fixed hourly rate as an employee.  THIS IS UNLIKE TRADITIONAL EMPLOYEES who work 80 hours biweekly receive pay based on a fixed hourly rate each pay period.  You have to explain this in detail to Workforce Development staff because they mean well, but are COMPLETELY UNINFORMED about our unique pay situation as MQ MTs.  MQ is not helping the situation by saying we are STILL full-time employees, yet failing to explain what that truly means in terms of us not earning income because of NJA due to outsourcing.