As parts of Minnesota’s economy start re-opening, some employees are wondering: What are my rights if I’m concerned about returning to work for health reasons, or because of child care needs? State Employment and Economic Development Commissioner Steve Grove says, “Anybody who has to stay home to take care of a kid because of the pandemic can continue to do so and collect U-I [unemployment insurance]. Anybody that has underlying condition or is in an at-risk population can do so. If you’ve been exposed or have a relative who has, and you’re taking care of them or need to be in quarantine, all those things now qualify you for unemployment insurance.”
Grove says if there’s a disagreement between and employer and employee, there’s a long-standing process for adjudicating those claims. Grove says he’s hoping that in a vast majority of cases, businesses and workers will “come to the right and generous place.”