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Commissioner LeVine shares important information about returning to work as employers seek to bring back their staff

4/29/2020

OLYMPIA – Employment Security Department Commissioner, Suzi LeVine, released the following statement on Tuesday:

“While all of us at the Employment Security Department have been, and continue to be, focused on getting benefits out to the hundreds of thousands of Washingtonians who have lost their jobs in this crisis, we also know that many workers and employers are contemplating returning to work or are receiving offers to return to work.

“There are unprecedented complexities around what returning to work will look like in the coming weeks and months, and our agency is here to help businesses and workers navigate that. One of the complexities we are starting to see pertains to employees being called back to work by their employers even as the crisis is ongoing. Whether it is because a business is reopening – as it is with some in the construction industry per the Governor’s recent order – or because a business has received a Payment Protection Program loan through the federal stimulus and are putting staff back on the payroll, it is important Washingtonians understand the impacts to them should an offer of work be extended and refused.

“Fundamentally, you must have a good cause reason for refusing an offer of work to remain eligible for unemployment benefits, including the additional $600 per week made available under the federal CARES Act. If you do not have a good reason to refuse an offer of work, you are likely no longer eligible for unemployment. That said, if you cannot go back to work for certain reasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic, like you need to care for a child in your household that is unable to attend school or daycare because the facility has been closed, you may be eligible for expanded benefits. It is important to read the information on the website so you know what may be available to you and what steps to take.

“Now is a great time for both employers and workers to get informed about returning to work, even if your industry has not yet re-opened, so you are prepared and ready to go once it does.”

More questions and answers about returning to work can be found at esd.wa.gov/newsroom/covid-19.

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