If you’ve had to lay-off staff because of the COVID-19 public-pause, there’s some help available for your former employees. North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper issued a March 17th Executive Order that makes it easier to qualify for unemployment benefits. You can read the full order here, but some of the changes the Order creates:

• It removes the one-week waiting period to apply for unemployment payment for those workers who lose their jobs;
• It removes the requirement that a person must be actively looking for another job during this time when many potential employers are closed and social distancing guidelines are in effect;
• It allows employees who lose their jobs or, in certain cases have their hours reduced due to Covid-19 to apply for unemployment benefits;
• It directs that employers will not be held responsible for benefits paid as a direct result of these COVID-19 claims.
• It waives the requirement that people must apply for benefits in person; workers can apply for benefits online or by phone.

Unemployment benefits are administered by the North Carolina Department of Commerce’s Employment Security Commission. They say the fastest way to get unemployment benefits is to apply online.

Before you apply…

read through this Q&A on the ESC website. You can also call the ESC customer call center at 888-737-0259 – but as you might expect, they are experiencing call overload.

To Apply

Here’s a link to the application

We’re Here To Serve

If you have good information or updates to add to this page, or if you have questions the Chamber can help you answer, please email Interim Executive Director Lisa V. Gray today. Stay safe please!