As Ohio continues to reopen, employers need their employees to return to work. Small nosiness owners across the state are taking the steps to follow protocols and keep their employees and customers safe. With Governor DeWine’s latest executive order, individuals refusing to return to work without ‘good cause’ risk forfeiting their unemployment benefits.
Governor DeWine signed an executive order that expands the definition of good cause throughout the COVID-19 State of Emergency. Good Cause now includes the following situations:
- A medical professional recommends that an individual not return to work because that person falls into a category that is considered high-risk for catching COVID-19 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and their employee cannot offer teleworking options.
- The employee is 65 years of age or older.
- There is tangible evidence of a health and safety violation by the employer that does not allow the employee to practice social distancing, hygiene, and wearing personal protective equipment.
- The individual has been potentially exposed to COVID-19 and subject to a quarantine period as prescribed by a medical or health professional.
- The individual must stay home to care for a family member who is suffering from COVID-19 or subject to a prescribed quarantine period by a medical or health professional.
The entire executive order by Governor DeWine Can be found here: Signed Executive Order 2020-24D
The Columbus Dispatch also covered this story: https://www.dispatch.com/news/20200618/ohio-to-start-denying-unemployment-to-those-who-dont-meet-covid-19-exceptions
