An Act Authorizing Waiver of the One Week Waiting Period For Unemployment Benefits
Governor Baker signed emergency legislation on Wednesday, March 18, 2020, waiving the one-week waiting period for any individual claiming unemployment benefits because they have been separated from work as a result of “any circumstance relating to or resulting from” the COVID-19 outbreak or the effects of the declaration of a state of emergency. The legislation appears to authorize the Department of Unemployment Assistance to issue benefits to any individual who becomes unemployed because business shutdowns in response to the outbreak, or any individual who must remain at home to care for a sick or quarantined family member or care for a child if the child’s school or care provider has closed or is unavailable due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
