![]() ![]() “Fear is not a legitimate reason to refuse to return,” says Justine Phillips, an employment attorney with the law firm Sheppard Mullin, “and state unemployment agencies can disqualify the individual for benefits if they refuse to accept suitable employment when offered.” If you quit your job because of a general worry about the virus, you won't be able to access unemployment benefits. "That’s the universe that workers are going back to work in, which is incredibly scary." "There's nothing that says everybody has to be 6 feet apart and you have to wear a mask, unless you're in certain states where the governor has put out executive orders," Berkowitz says. Some states require employers to provide safeguards, but the federal government hasn't issued a similar mandate, says Debbie Berkowitz, worker health and safety program director for NELP. "We've never had a pandemic since unemployment insurance has been in play, so we have to really be thinking about what the new rules for a pandemic are,'' says Michele Evermore, senior researcher and policy analyst with the National Employment Law Project (NELP). "So much of this is on the back of the claimant rather than the employer. We really need to think about how do we get information to workers about how to stay safe.’’ Fear of COVID-19 not necessarily grounds for quittingĬOVID-19 cases continue to rise in the USA, and deaths passed 110,000 as of Monday, even as barbershops, restaurants and other businesses start to welcome back customers. It will be up to workers to make their case. Millions more are out of work: 2.1M more Americans file for unemployment, bringing 10-week total to more than 40 million amid coronavirusĬoronavirus store closings: Pier 1 Imports to shutter all stores in bankruptcy, liquidation underway But some employees are wary of returning to work as the COVID-19 pandemic lingers.Ĭan they refuse to go back? If they quit, are they eligible to receive unemployment benefits? remote work from home."Īfter grinding to a near halt to slow the spread of the coronavirus, the nation's economy is sputtering back to life as stay-at-home orders lift and businesses reopen their doors. and you get sick, what happens to my kids?" says Angela, who didn't want to use her last name and risk difficulties with prospective employers who disagree with her decision. "I’m actively looking online for. ![]() ![]() She decided to quit. "You go out and expose yourself. "I’ve never had to choose between employment and life,” says Angela, who suffers from asthma and feared her job visiting the homes of families on the brink of homelessness could expose her to the coronavirus and jeopardize her health. The Pittsburgh mother of two agonized about whether she should return. Watch Video: Can you refuse to go back to work and still claim unemployment?įurloughed in mid-March, three days after starting her new job, Angela got the call to come back to work this month. ![]()
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