Labor & Employment Developments Blog

On March 16, Governor DeWine issued Executive Order 2020-02D, lifting certain unemployment compensation benefit restrictions during the Coronavirus outbreak. The Order is applicable only to individuals who do not have access to leave benefits through their employer. 

• Individuals quarantined by a health professional or by their employer are considered ‘unemployed’ and are not required to actively seek work to qualify for unemployment benefits
• Companies that have determined it necessary to temporarily shut down operations are also eligible to seek unemployment
• The one-week waiting period prior to payment has been waived
• The penalty for late reporting and payments for the next quarter will be waived for employers impacted by staff availability

The cost for these additional benefits will be recovered through the state’s Mutualized Account, which is funded in part by the mutualized tax levied on all contributory employers. Employer premiums will not be increased to fund the additional benefits, however, the mutualized tax rate may increase next year depending on the number of expenditures made from the Mutualized Account. 

If you require further detail or guidance, please contact a member of our Labor & Employment Group.