Some business owners fear that despite taking precautions, opening it is still dangerous. And workers whose employers are still closed are entitled to unemployment, said Kersha Cartwright, spokeswoman for the labor ministry.
“It is not our decision whether a store will reopen or not,” she said. “We only take care of employees who are laid off or whose working hours have been reduced.”
When workers return to part-time work, they may still be eligible for benefits as the DOL has increased the amount an employee can earn without giving up unemployment benefits.
That exemption has increased from $ 55 to $ 300 per week. So if an employee is entitled to benefits and goes back to working part-time but doesn’t make more than $ 300, he or she is still receiving benefits, Cartwright said.
Kemp’s decision to allow some openings has been praised by some corporate groups. However, a sample of small businesses this week showed that some have conflicted, worried about paying rent and staying in business, but are unsure about safety.
Some also said they heard from their customers who felt it was too early to open again. However, some will reopen and require staff to return.
In a joint statement with Kemp, Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said he hoped employers could work with workers “to establish a successful return to work plan”.
But if their employer reopens and insists they go back to work – even if the worker doesn’t feel safe – the law won’t consider them unemployed, said Amanda Farahany, an Atlanta labor attorney. “If there is work available and they refuse to go to work, they are not entitled to unemployment.”
These workers will have tough choices, said Alex Camardelle, a senior policy analyst with the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute.
“No worker should be forced to choose between their health and their ability to bring food to the table,” he said.
On Wednesday, 21 representatives from the Democratic state of Butler sent a letter asking him to provide information on how the department is protecting the health of workers who are forced to return to work.
About 1.1 million Georgians applied for unemployment benefits last month, which overwhelmed the Labor Department’s systems and resulted in weeks of delays in paying out payments.
Raeanne Reddick from Atlanta was fired from her position as event coordinator at the Hotel Clermont in mid-March. She applied for unemployment benefits on March 20 and was waiting for payment, she said.
“Since then, I’ve emailed the Department of Labor two to four times a week and left messages without responding,” Reddick said. “I sent them my documents over and over again, still without a reply.”
In addition to the flood of lawsuits, there were applications from contract, gig and self-employed who were not previously insured, but who were added by federal law at the end of March. The Georgia Department of Labor only started processing applications from these workers this week.
Anyone who is entitled to benefits and is still waiting for payments will be paid for their time off work, even if they return to a job before the payment, according to the Ministry of Labor.
Staff writer Bill Rankin contributed to this story
Effect of job vacancies on unemployment benefits
If the employer opens, insists on the workers returning and they don’t: they would no longer be considered unemployed and lose their benefits.
If the employer does not open: Employees still entitled.
If the employer opens but dismisses employees: You are still entitled.
If the employer opens and employees work part-time: They will not lose benefits unless they earn more than $ 300 a week.
Source: Georgia Department of Labor
