The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act provides an additional $600 per week for those receiving unemployment insurance benefits due to COVID-19. According to the Iowa Workforce Development (IWD), "The first week a claimant can be compensated on this benefit is the week beginning March 29, 2020 and the last week is the week ending July 25, 2020."
If an employee refuses to return to work after dental offices reopen in order to continue claiming unemployment
, that could be considered fraud. Specifically, the IWD includes the following warning on its
website
as it relates to the CARES Act benefits:
Important note
: None of the benefits described above, nor unemployment benefits of any kind, are available to employees who quit their job, refuse to return to work, or refuse to receive full-time pay. Attempts to collect payments after quitting a job could be viewed as fraudulent and will be further investigated. The CARES Act specifically provides for serious consequences for fraudulent cases including fines, confinement, and an inability to receive future unemployment benefits until all fraudulent claims and fines have been repaid.
Should you have an employee considering not returning to work when offered, IDA encourages the employee be directed to the
IWD website.
