On Friday, May 1, our Director of Business Services, Darcy Hoffman, participated in a webinar for Southwest Washington Contractors Association (SWCA) members to help them get back to work as they implement Gov. Jay Inslee’s Phase 1 Construction Restart COVID-19 Job Site Requirements.
SWCA Executive Director Nelson Holmberg moderated the panel that also included Chuck Green of Vancouver-based Otak and Logan Kysar of Battle Ground-based Tapani Inc. The discussion was designed to help contractors develop tools and safety plans to resume work on existing construction projects.
Darcy provided guidance on what it means to bring back temporarily laid-off workers and some of the challenges that may come with this.
A few highlights from Darcy’s presentation:
- All individuals that filed for Unemployment Insurance (UI) were automatically placed on Standby status, for UI purposes, during the Governor’s “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order.
- If an employer provides a return to work offer to an employee, they must have a good cause reason not to accept suitable work to continue receiving unemployment benefits or Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) under the federal CARES Act.
- If an employee does not feel safe returning to a worksite, eligibility for unemployment or PUA benefits is determined on a case-by-case basis and may require fact-finding with both the employee and employer.
View the Workforce presentation.
To view the other presentations and access a link to a recording of the webinar, visit the SWCA COVID-19 resources page.
If your business has questions about how to return employees to work, contact Darcy at dhoffman@workforcesw.org or 360.608.4949.
Other Workforce Development Opportunities
How has your business been impacted by COVID-19 and what resources might you need to reopen and restore your workforce? Let us know by taking a brief survey.
Be heard by participating in our “Workforce Development Recovery + Resiliency” virtual conversation on May 5. We want to ensure the voice of business is prioritized as we coordinate our regional workforce development response. Register here.
Visit the resources page on our website for businesses and individuals impacted by COVID-19.
