NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Officials in Tennessee are investigating people who are claiming unemployment benefits but are refusing to accept suitable job offers.
The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development has a form on its website where employers can report applicants who refused to accept a job offer. Additionally, employers can call 1-833-319-1255.
Employers will also need to report if they provided personal protective equipment for employees.
Spanish Version: Tennessee investiga a personas que solicitan beneficios por desempleo y se niegan a trabajar
There is also a form for employers to fill out if they had to lay off employees during the pandemic, but are trying to contact those employees to return to work.
If those former employees refuse to answer the call, the department can investigate and could eventually deem those people ineligible to continue to receive unemployment benefits. That form can be found by clicking here.
The form is more detailed than its generic version. Employers will need to report the employee's title when the business closed, and whether they are recalling employees for the same position. They will also need to report whether the employee was full-time or part-time, as well as the number of hours they worked per week before the business closed.
Employers will need to tell the department how many hours they offered employees when recalling them, as well as the pay offered at recall. They will also need to report a date when they would return to work.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced Tuesday that Tennessee would stop participating in federally funded COVID-19 pandemic unemployment compensation programs by July 3, including a program that provides an additional $300 in unemployment benefits per week.