"You coming back or you quit?" Buffalo man claims employer is blocking unemployment benefits

"You coming back or you quit?" Buffalo man claims employer is blocking unemployment benefits

ORGANIZERS OF THENIAGARA COUNTY FAIRSTILL HAVE NOTDECIDED WHAT THEIRPLANS ARE FOR THISSUMMER.A MAN WITH A PRE-EXISTING HEALTHCONDITION SAYS HISEMPLOYER IS TRYINGTO GET HIM BACK TOWORK BY BLOCKINGHIS UNEMPLOYMENTBENEFITS.MADISON CARTERTAKES A LOOK AT THEISSUE TO SEE IFPEOPLE IN POWERARE DOING WHAT'SRIGHT.COME BACK TO WORKOR QUIT.THOSE ARE THEOPTIONS MATEOVAZQUEZ SAYS HISBOSS PRESENTED TOHIM WHENDISCUSSING HISMEDICAL LEAVE FROMWORK.HE WAS LIKE WHEN DIDYOU DECIDE ONCOMING BACK?

AND ISAID I"M NOT SURE I'MGOING TO TALK TO MYDOCTOR ABOUT IT ANDHE SAID IT'S NOT UP TOYOUR DOCTOR IT'SUP TO YOU.VAZQUEZ HAS ASHTMABUT WORKED AT AFAST-FOODRESTAURANT INNORTH BUFFALO UNTIMID-APRIL WHEN HISDOCTOR WROTE HIM ALETTERTHIS LETTER STATES ISHOULD NOT BEEMPLOYED AT ALLDURING THISPANDEMIC.SO, HE FILED FORUNEMPLOYMENT.

ANDUNLIKE MANYWESTERN NEWYORKERS WHO HAVECONTACTED US,VASQUEZ QUICKLYRECEIVED ARESPONSE SAYING HISCLAIM WASPROCESSING.

HE ALSORECEIVED A DOLLARAMOUNT FOR WHATBENEFITS HE WOULDRECEIVE.THEY SAID I'D GET ALETTER IN ABOUT 4DAYS AND A CARD INABOUT 5 DAYS SO I'MLIKE ALRIGHT, COOL.SO TWO WEEKS GO ONAND NOTHING.SIX WEEKS LATER --MATEO THINKS HEFOUND OUT THESOURCE OF THEHOLD-UP.HIS BOSS ISDISPUTING HIS FILING.SHE'S DISPUTINGBECAUSE HERINSURANCE AND HERLAWYERS SAID THATTECHNICALLY I'M NOTELIGIBLE FORUNEMPLOYMENT AND ISHOULD JUST GO ONDISABILITY BECAUSEI'M DISABLED.WE REACHED OUT TOHIS EMPLOYER, BUTHAVE NOT RECEIVED ARESPONSE.TEXT MESSAGES HESAYS ARE FROM HISBOSS SHOW HERLAUGHING AT HIMWHILE HE REQUESTSTHE ORIGINALDOCTOR'S NOTE TOFIGHT THE DISPUTEWITH THEUNEMPLOYMENTOFFICE."AINT NO ONEHOLDING YOUR PAPERHOSTAGE BRO, CHILLOUT" ONE TEXTREADS.I KEPT STATING TO HERI'M NOT DISABLED, I'MNOT DISABLED BUT SHEKEPT PUSHING THATYOU'RE DISABLED ANDYOU SHOULD JUST GETDISABILITY.

I'M LIKEHOW AM I DISABLED?

IFTHIS PANDEMIC WASN'THAPPENING I WOULDBE COMPLETELY ABLE.WE REACHED OUT TOTHE STATEDEPARTMENT OFLABOR ABOUTVAZQUEZ'S CASE.

ASPOKESPERSON SAYSTHE DEPARTMENTCAN'T DISCUSSSPECIFIC CASES BUTPROMISED TO REACHOUT TO HIM DIRECTLY.MC, 7EWN