On Wednesday, the Alabama Department of Labor (ADOL) announced that federal employees in the state who have been furloughed due to the partial government shutdown can apply for unemployment compensation benefits.
Employees who are not working due to the shutdown can apply online or by calling 1-866-234-5382.
Furloughed employees must meet state eligibility requirements, which can be found on page four of the “Rights & Responsibilities Handbook.”
In Alabama, weekly unemployment compensation benefits range from a minimum of $45 to a maximum of $265 and are available for up to 26 weeks.
“There are thousands of federal employees in Alabama who are expected to be impacted by this shutdown,” Alabama Department of Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington said in a press release. “Should these workers need assistance during this time, I would encourage them to apply for unemployment compensation benefits.”
According to November 2018 data, 53,200 workers were counted as federal employees in Alabama. Since the beginning of the shutdown on December 22, ADOL has received approximately 242 unemployment compensation benefit applications from federal workers, including those affected by the shutdown and those who were laid off for other reasons.
Employees should be prepared to provide verification of their wages, as ADOL may not be able to confirm wages with affected federal agencies. Valid documents include pay stubs or W-2s.
Should the affected employees receive back pay at a later date, any benefits received would need to be repaid to ADOL, as required by law. Payment plans can be arranged by contacting the agency.
More information and frequently asked questions from ADOL on the partial shutdown can be found here.
Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
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