Georgia Department of Labor Emergency Rule for Employers Reducing Employee Hours in Response to COVID-19

In response to Governor Kemp’s recommendation, the Georgia Department of Labor has promulgated Emergency Rule 300-2-4-0.5 pertaining to Partial Claims, effective March 16, 2020. The rule mandates that all Georgia employers file partial claims online on behalf of their employees for any week during which an employee (full-time/part-time) works less than full-time (i.e. less than 30 hours) due to a partial or total company shutdown caused by the COVID-19 public health emergency. 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. To file claims properly, download the How Employers File Partial Claims Desk-Aid found on the GDOL Alert Page and follow the step-by-step instructions.

Filing partial claims results in your employees receiving unemployment insurance (UI) benefit payments faster, usually within 48 hours for claims filed electronically. Employees for whom you file a partial claim are NOT required to report to a Georgia Department of Labor career center, register for employment services, or look for other work. Career centers are currently closed and

Please continue to monitor gdol.ga.gov for any updates to these guidelines.

For more information and resources, click here.

I am advising clients daily on how to manage employment law obligations in light of the public health emergency we are facing. If you have questions, please feel free to reach out by email or phone.