Employees who don’t return to work due to coronavirus fears could lose unemployment benefits
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — State officials on Thursday warned that men and women who refuse to return to work when their employer calls them back may lose their unemployment benefits.
It’s a dilemma more than 580,000 people who have filed for unemployment in the last six weeks may be facing: my health or my paycheck.
Gov. Eric Holcomb and state health officials were pressed about the issue Thursday during the governor’s daily briefing.
“Not returning to work when there’s available work could be considered a refusal to work,” said Department of Workforce Development Commissioner Fred Payne.
For the state of Indiana that would mean a refusal to pay unemployment benefits.
Payne’s words send a similar message to other states like Iowa which have stated if workers don’t return without a valid excuse, they will be considered to have quit their jobs voluntarily.
“Claimants who have been placed on a temporary layoff because of COVID-19 must return to work if called back to remain eligible,” Payne said.
While Iowa, which is reopening Friday, said being sick with the virus or not having child care available are among the valid excuses; Indiana has not provided a list of excuses.
Payne says investigators will take up every case individually on its merits.
“All of them will be evaluated on the backdrop of is a person unemployed due to no reason of their own. Generalized fear of the virus itself would likely result in benefits being denied as a work refusal.”
Payne adds his agency does not regulate workplaces and procedures, but that will be taken into account.
When News 8 asked for the governor’s message to men and women forced to choose between their health and a paycheck, his answer was workers should be contacting their bosses and trying to work it out.
“You got to go to your employer and you got to say, ‘Here’s why I can’t work,’” Gov. Holcomb said. “If we need to get involved as a state, we can look into that.”
But much of his answer focused on the high-paying jobs he says will be available once the pandemic is over.
“We are going to get through this. We are making progress,” said Gov. Holcomb. “When we get to the other side, there’s going to be some new jobs.”
The governor has not released details surrounding the expiration of his stay-at-home order, which is set for Friday. It is unclear if it will be extended or if modifications will be made.
WISH-TV will carry Friday’s 2:30 p.m. press conference on air and online at WISHTV.com.