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Currently, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Whistleblowing Unit is flooded with employee claims of whistleblower-wrongful termination based on employees refusing to return to work because of the coronavirus. At the same time, many employees realize that to come back is to lose $600 per week in federal unemployment benefits on top of the benefits they are receiving through Connecticut unemployment compensation benefits.

In this 60-minute webinar, we will address the issues in returning (or not returning) employees to work. In particular, we will address the growing problem of employees who say, “I’m afraid to come back” and the actions that may increase or minimize the company’s legal risks.

We will cover OSHA’s Section 11(c) whistleblower statute. We explain the law, where employers win and lose in 11(c) cases, and the enforcement process in the New England region.

We will also explain what constitutes a valid “offer of suitable work” under Connecticut’s unemployment compensation law and the implications of an employee’s refusal of suitable work on the employee’s unemployment compensation benefits and furlough status. We review the steps the employer can and should take to inform the state of an employee’s refusing a “suitable offer of work.”

Among the topics we will cover are:

• Pitfalls in the Who-to-Call-Back Decision;
• From Furlough to Layoff-What’s at Stake in Refusing Work;
• Offers of Employment and Their Impact on the PPP
• Making the Return to Work Offer-Mistakes to Avoid, Techniques to Use;
• “I’m Afraid to Come Back”-Is the Employee Legally Protected?
• OSHA’s Whistleblower Law: When You Fire the Employee Who Refuses to Return;
• The Two Types of OSHA Notices to the Company on Violations under 11 (c);
• What the Courts Say Is, and Is Not, Whistleblowing;
• Unemployment Compensation: What Steps You Should Take in Dealing with Employee Refusals to Return; Notifying the State;
• COBRA, Furloughs and Layoffs;
• WARN Documentation and the Mass Layoff Notice Problem.

Please click here to reserve your spot for the webinar.