Governor Brian Kemp and the Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) today outlined how unemployment will be handled under the state’s ‘soft reopening’ of businesses.
Under the emergency rule adopted on March 26, Georgians may make $300 a week without reducing their weekly benefit amount. This allows employees to work reduced hours and still qualify for state weekly benefits and the federal $600 weekly supplement.
“As we take measured steps to reopen sectors of our state’s economy, it is vital that we continue to support Georgians trying to re-enter the workforce,” says Kemp.
Employer-filed partial claims account for 75 percent of the state’s 1.1 million claims since March 14, according to the governor’s office. “If a business opens back up slowly and their employees are returning to work with reduced hours, employers can continue to file employer-filed partial claims on behalf of their employees,” says Commissioner Mark Butler. These employer-filed partial claims can include full-time and part-time employees.
Many workers have publicly voiced their concerns that the governor’s push to reopen businesses starting April 24 is aimed at cutting unemployment rolls. Butler insists that that’s not so. He says “returning to work does not automatically eliminate an individual’s state unemployment eligibility. In fact, we designed this provision to encourage employers to continue to file while returning employees to work to take advantage of the CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) benefits.”
Income over $300 will be deducted from weekly benefits. Anyone awarded at least $1 in state benefits is eligible to receive the $600 weekly Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) payment.
If an employee quits their job, they may file an individual claim, but there’s no guarantee it will be accepted. The GDOL determines eligibility based on certain criteria and the facts presented in each case.
Employees who are worried about returning to their jobs should communicate with their employers on plans to safely return to work. “We are all working together on getting Georgians back to work in a safe and stable environment,” Butler says.
For more information, visit www.gdol.ga.gov.
