NC Dept of Commerce Employment Security Unemployment COVID-19 Information

Raleigh -- North Carolina Department of Commerce Employment Security provides information needed during COVID-19:

The Department of Commerce Division of Employment Security (DES) is providing the following information for individuals and employers about how returning to work may impact unemployment benefits.

Refusing to return to work when your employer calls you back typically makes you ineligible to receive unemployment benefits. When you return to work, you should stop filing your Weekly Certifications for unemployment.  

DES will consider that you have good cause to refuse to return to work, and may continue to be eligible for unemployment benefits, if you refuse due to one of these COVID-19 related reasons:

You have been diagnosed with COVID-19 or are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 and have been advised by a medical professional to not attend work.

A member of your household has been diagnosed with COVID-19 or you are providing care for a family member or a member of your household who has been diagnosed with COVID-19.
You are at high risk of severe illness from COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines a high-risk individual as a person 65 years of age or older, or a person of any age, who has serious underlying medical conditions including being immunocompromised, or has chronic lung disease, moderate-to-severe asthma, serious heart conditions, severe obesity, diabetes, chronic kidney disease and undergoing dialysis, or liver disease.
You are the primary caregiver of a child or person in your household who is unable to attend school or another facility that is closed as a direct result of the COVID-19 public  health emergency, and the school or facility is required for you to work.
You are unable to reach your place of employment because of a quarantine imposed as a direct result of the COVID-19 public health emergency or you have been advised by a health care provider to self-quarantine due to concerns related to COVID-19. 
In order to comply with any governmental order regarding travel, business operations and mass gatherings, you must refuse a recall to your former employment or an offer of suitable work.
You reasonably believe there is a valid degree of risk to your health and safety due to a significant risk of exposure or infection to COVID-19 at your employer’s place of business due to a failure of the employer to comply with guidelines as set out by the CDC, other governmental authorities or industry groups as may be found in CDC guidance, the Governor’*Executive Orders, or other binding authority; or due to objective reasons that the employer’s facility is not safe for the claimant to return to work.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 

I have been getting unemployment benefits, but I am returning to work. What should I do?I have been getting unemployment benefits, but I am returning to work. What should I do?
If you return to work, stop filing your Weekly Certifications to discontinue your benefits. You do not need to report to DES that you’ve gone back to work.

If you continue to receive benefits for weeks after you return to work, you may be required to pay back the benefits you were overpaid.

*Answers to the questions below can be found at the link bottom of page

What should I do if I’m returning to work, but I’ll be working reduced hours?My employer has called me back to work. What happens if I choose not to return?What happens when I exhaust my 12 weeks of state unemployment benefits?I feel unsafe returning to work because I am 65 or older and/or have a medical condition that makes me at higher risk for severe illness if I contract COVID-19. Can I refuse to return to work?I am not 65 or older or a high-risk individual for severe illness if I contract COVID-19. 

However, I have reasonable concerns that my work environment is unsafe. Can I choose not to return to work and remain eligible for benefits?

I can make more money collecting unemployment benefits than I can returning to work. Can I refuse an offer to return to work because I will earn less and remain eligible for benefits?What if I disagree with the decision that is made about my benefits?
My employees are returning to work. What do I need to do with regard to unemployment claims?

What if I have an employee who has refused to return or quit when I called them back to work?I have an employee who does not want to return to work because they feel unsafe. Can they quit and receive unemployment benefits?

I have made some changes in the way we do business due to the current environment. Can an employee refuse to return to work due to the changes and get benefits?What if I disagree with the decision made about an employee’s eligibility for benefits?

https://des.nc.gov/need-help/covid-19-information/returning-work