“I have a medical condition that has left me immunocompromised, but my boss won’t let me continue working from home when our office reopens next month. If I quit my job because of health concerns, am I eligible for unemployment benefits?”The bottom lineThe Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act Act, passed in March, specifically allows people with compromised immune systems to collect unemployment insurance (UI) if they left their jobs because of a high risk to their health. The benefit is available under the program called Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA). However, UI is administered by states, and receiving approval for PUA can be challenging depending on your state, said Michele Evermore, a senior policy analyst at the National Employment Law Project. The detailsAccording to the Labor Department, PUA is available to “an individual whose immune system is compromised by virtue of a serious health condition and is therefore advised by a health care provider to self- quarantine in order to avoid the greater-than-average health risks that the individual might face if he or she were to become infected by the coronavirus.”

Source: Wall Street Journal August 22, 2020 12:56 UTC