Q: Would unemployment side with me if my work place is defying the governors no indoor dining order, & asking me to work?
I work in a very large bar/restaurant. My work place shut down last week, and they were following the rules at first, but now in defiance they are re opening and asking me to return a mere 4 days later, after I already (now pointlessly) started my unemployment process. Not only do I not think this is unsafe, but I have asthma and live with people who have serious underlying health conditions. For personal reasons, I'm not lying when I say that I would like to permanently leave the job, but collect my unemployment somehow while I look for something new, I know that is probably not possible. But I'm wondering if my medical history and any laws be on my side for this? And at least buy me some time if I can't permanently quit? Thank you.
A: In some states, an individual can establish they have "good cause" for refusing to return to work from an unemployment standpoint (thereby rendering them eligible for unemployment benefits) if they can prove they are at a higher risk of severe illness if exposed to COVID-19 and the employer has a documented history of not adhering to CDC guidelines.
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