New Unemployment Benefits Under the CARES Act

The recently enacted Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, known as the CARES Act, 包括三个新的联邦资助项目，为工人提供额外的失业补偿.  While the federal government is providing the funding, 这些项目将由各州管理，作为其失业保险制度的一部分. What follows is a brief summary of each program.

PANDEMIC UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE

《现金网官网》为因COVID-19而失业的个人创建了大流行失业援助(PUA)计划.  It is a temporary federal program covering the timeframe between January 27, 2020 and December 31, 2020.

The PUA program provides unemployment benefits, referred to as Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), 那些已经用尽了他们的福利的工人和那些传统上不在失业保险范围内的工人, such as the self-employed, independent contractors, gig workers, members of the clergy, individuals seeking part-time work, and those with insufficient work history.  The program gives eligible workers up to 39 weeks of benefits.  39周的限制包括根据任何联邦或州法律获得失业或延长福利的任何周.

PUA不适用于远程工作或带薪休假的个人, unless their pay or leave benefits are less than they are customarily paid.  In order to qualify for PUA, 个人必须自我证明他或她在其他方面能够工作并且可以工作, but are either (a) unemployed, (b) partially unemployed, 或(c)由于下列原因之一而不能工作或无法工作:

1. 已被诊断患有COVID-19或正在出现COVID-19症状并正在寻求医疗诊断. This includes individuals who have come into contact with someone who has COVID-19 and, as a result, is advised to resign from his or her job and quarantine.
2. A member of the individual’s household has been diagnosed with COVID-19.
3. 该个人正在为被诊断患有COVID-19的家庭成员或其家庭成员提供护理.
4. 由个人承担主要照顾责任的家庭中的儿童或其他人无法上学或因COVID-19突发公共卫生事件而直接关闭的其他设施，而个人需要此类学校或设施照顾才能工作. 这包括那些可以远程办公但由于持续的照顾而无法做到的人.
5. 由于COVID-19突发公共卫生事件直接导致的隔离，该个人无法到达工作地点.
6. 由于担心与COVID-19有关，卫生保健提供者建议该个人进行自我隔离，因此该个人无法到达工作地点. 这包括与被诊断为COVID-19的人有直接接触的人，以及患有损害免疫系统健康状况的人.
7. 该个人原定开始就业，但由于COVID-19突发公共卫生事件直接导致没有工作或无法到达工作岗位.
8. 由于户主直接死于COVID-19，个人成为家庭的经济支柱或主要支柱.
9. The individual must quit his or her job as a direct result of COVID-19. 一个例子是，某人已经从COVID-19中康复，但仍在经历由疾病引起的健康状况，使其无法工作.
10. 由于COVID-19突发公共卫生事件的直接后果，该个人的工作地点被关闭.
11. 个人符合劳工部长根据本节规定的失业援助的任何其他标准. 部长已经决定，如果独立承包商和零工工人失业，他们可能有资格获得PUA福利, partially unemployed, 或由于COVID-19突发卫生事件严重限制了他们的工作能力而无法工作或无法工作.

如果个人能够带薪远程办公，或者正在享受某种形式的带薪休假，他们就没有资格获得PUA.

ADDITIONAL INCREASED BENEFITS

In addition to PUA, 《现金网官网》还包括增加失业救济金数额的条款.  Unlike PUA, 有资格获得增加福利的个人不必证明他们因COVID-19大流行而失业.

Specifically, the CARES Act allows states to be reimbursed for the following:

1. 从4月5日起，政府将每周额外支付600美元给有资格领取失业救济金的个人, 2020 and July 31, 2020 (Federal Pandemic Employment Compensation);
2. An additional 13 weeks of benefits, ending on December 31, 2020, for those who have exhausted state benefits and who are able, available, and actively seeking work; and
3. Compensation equal to the first week of unemployment benefits, 旨在激励那些需要一周等待期才能获得福利的州放弃这一要求.

在此期间，获得额外13周福利的个人也有资格获得每周600美元的新增长.

SHORT-TIME COMPENSATION

《现金网官网》还为制定短期补偿(STC)计划的州提供资金，以便为裁员提供替代方案.  Virginia created such a program in 2014, but it was repealed in 2016 when necessary federal funding was not received.  These programs apply to workers whose employer has reduced their hours by more than 10%, but not more than 60%, in lieu of layoffs.  雇员可以根据他们在充分就业的情况下获得的失业补偿，按比例领取失业补偿.  As with the PUA, the STC ends on December 31, 2020.  While the CARES Act incentivizes states to create STC programs, 弗吉尼亚州不太可能从这部分立法中受益，因为它没有这样的计划，而且2020年的立法会议已经结束.

Jeff Wilson is a Pender & Coward attorney focusing his practice on employment law matters, including counseling and business litigation.