Biden order allows people who quit jobs where they thought they could catch coronavirus to collect unemployment

Continuing a wave of executive action, President Biden on Friday signed an order calling on the Labor Department to allow workers to collect unemployment benefits if they quit a job they fear exposing them to COVID- 19.

Referring to a Gallup poll that found 43% of Americans live in a household where at least one member has a pre-existing condition, the White House wrote in a statement: “The president asks the Department of Labor to consider clarifying that Workers have the federally guaranteed right to refuse a job that will jeopardize their health and if they do, they will still be eligible for unemployment insurance.

As a rule, workers can only receive unemployment if they are made redundant or made redundant in certain cases. In some cases, workers who leave their jobs for a “good cause” may receive benefits. Good causes include unsafe working conditions, discrimination in the workplace, harassment, non-payment or job modification.

As part of Biden’s $ 1.9 trillion coronavirus relief proposal, federal unemployment would be raised to $ 400 per week for unemployed Americans, from the $ 300 per week that lawmakers approved in December.

ANOTHER 900,000 AMERICANS DEPOSITED FOR UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS LAST WEEK

Over time, Biden would phase out the higher unemployment benefits, depending on health and economic conditions – seeking to avoid a so-called “tax cliff” that could deal a serious blow to American families who depend on it. help. It would extend income support, which is expected to end in March, for about six months until September 2021.

900,000 more Americans applied for unemployment benefits for the first time last week.

WHAT IS BIDEN’S $ 1.9T RELIEF PROPOSAL?

The number is nearly four times the pre-crisis level, but is well below the peak of nearly 7 million that was reached when the Home Orders were first issued in March. Nearly 70 million Americans, or about 40% of the workforce, have applied for unemployment benefits during the pandemic.

The number of people who continue to receive unemployment benefits fell to 5.054 million, a decrease of about 127,000 from the previous week.

Other Americans are receiving unemployment assistance from two federal programs that Congress put in place with the passage of the CARES Act in March: one extends assistance to the self-employed, construction workers, and to others who are generally not eligible for benefits, and the other provides assistance to those who have exhausted their state allowances.

Meghan Henney of FOX Business contributed to this report.