Unemployment options amid coronavirus pandemic

JACKSON, Tenn. — Many people are concerned about losing their jobs or being laid-off due to the coronavirus pandemic.

As more cases of COVID-19 are reported across the state, many businesses are temporarily closing, including bars, restaurants, and small businesses.

“And there are employees out of work, that is a typical lack of work claim here in Tennessee and if they meet all the eligibility requirements here in Tennessee they would be eligible for unemployment benefits here in the state,” said Chris Cannon, Assistant Administrator of Communication at Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

Currently, residents must be available for immediate work and must have lost their job through no fault of their own.

“Governor Bill Lee is in the process of signing and changing an executive order that would change little bit of the unemployment law here in Tennessee,” Cannon said. “Currently if you are sick you can’t collect unemployment because you are not able to work. This new executive order if the governor signs it will change that. The new executive order when the governor signs it will allow anyone who was quarantined by a medical professional or medical authority to be eligible for unemployment her win the state.”

Cannon says business owners can also file for their employees.

“If an employer files a mass claim layoff list, they can do so by providing information about their employees ahead of time and the state has that information, so once we have that information the employee comes online and files the claim. Well the computer matches up that information and pushes the process much faster to approve that claim,” Cannon said.