Information About Georgia Unemployment Services and Covid-19
Effective immediately, the Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) has temporarily suspended in-person requirements for unemployment services. GDOL encourages individuals and employers to conduct GDOL-related business online to protect customers and staff from potential exposure to COVID-19. A complete list of available online services can be viewed at https://dol.georgia.gov/online-services.
In response to the COVID-19 emergency, GDOL has issued emergency regulations and issued new guidance affecting unemployment, partial claims, and reemployment services. GDOL guidance emphasizes:
Employers are required to file partial claims on behalf of their employees whenever it is necessary to temporarily reduce work hours or there is no work available for a short period. Any employer found to be in violation of this rule will be required to reimburse GDOL for the full amount of unemployment insurance benefits paid to the employee.
The Georgia Commissioner of Labor promulgated Emergency Rule 300-2-4-0.4 affecting registration of claimants for possible referrals to job openings on March 16, 2020. Under the emergency rule, work search requirements mandated by state law are waived for all claims filed on or after March 14, 2020. The emergency rule is in effect until the Public Health State of Emergency issued by Governor Kemp is declared over or 120 days from the date of adoption of the emergency rule.
Additionally, the Georgia Commissioner of Labor promulgated Emergency Rule 300-2-4-0.5 regarding partial unemployment. For partial claim weeks beginning on or after March 15, 2020:
- all partial claims must be filed online
- an employer must file partial claims with respect to any week during which an employee works less than full-time due to a partial or total company shutdown caused by the COVID-19 emergency
- an employer found in violation of this emergency rule shall pay the Commissioner for the unemployment fund the full amount of benefits paid to the employee.
For additional information on recent guidance by the GDOL, please see the following links: