The Louisiana Workforce Commission says employers can report employees who refuse to return to work, because they rather claim unemployment benefits. LWC Assistant Secretary Robert Wooley says it is a simple process, just go to LAworks.net and there is a link on the front page.
“Click on that, and you fill out the form. That will help save some steps for our people when they start looking at this claim,” said Wooley.
Typically, someone would only be eligible for $247 in unemployment benefits each week, but an extra $600 in federal money makes it hard for some employers to compete, creating issues in luring staff back. Wooley says once a report is filed, the commission has to adjudicate each one of those claims.
“We then have to call the employee to see if the story of the employer and employee match up or to see if maybe even the employee may qualify for a federal program called PUA,” said Wooley.
PUA, or Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, may be available if a worker fits the criteria of eligibility.
Wooley says they’ve already received several hundred reports.
“It hasn’t been an overwhelming number that we’ve received, but we have gotten some,” said Wooley.
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