According to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), over 38.6 million Americans have filed for unemployment in the last nine weeks, with 2.4 million more having filed in the last week alone. The weekly number of workers filing for unemployment has begun to decrease, as states start to reopen for business. As Pennsylvania inches its way toward the yellow phase, employees and employers alike will be confronted with plenty of reopening challenges. Questions surrounding worker safety, unemployment, use of sick leave and paycheck protection can leave one scratching their head for answers. Fortunately, there are a number of valuable resources for businesses as they gear up for the economy to start back up. Sadly, there are not quite as many resources for employees who may have trepidation about returning to work because of the undeniable risks of COVID-19. Here are some helpful tips to consider.

Unemployment Compensation

As a result of COVID-19, the U.S. Congress significantly improved benefits and eligibility for unemployment insurance available to unemployed and underemployed workers. New laws uniformly increased the amount of unemployment insurance paid to each claimant by a flat $600 per week for a period of up to four months of unemployment or under employment and increases the period during which a person may receive unemployment insurance benefits by up to 13 weeks, in addition to the amount the state currently offers (up to 26 weeks, in Pennsylvania).