We, the undersigned Floridians urge you to take immediate and comprehensive action to improve Florida’s Unemployment Insurance program to ensure unemployed Floridians and our communities get the kind of monetary relief they need immediately without unnecessary bureaucracy and red tape. Specifically, we urge you to:

Waive work-search, availability, work registration, and the one-week waiting period requirements.

Increase the weekly benefit cap and expand the maximum number of weeks for eligibility to 26 weeks as a base, before additional provisions from the Federal Government.

Institute the Alternative Base period, allowing workers to count their last quarter of work to meet eligibility requirements.

Increase staff resources for facilitating online, telephone, and in-person applications submitted at CareerSource centers and for processing claims.

Issue guidance clarifying that workers who cannot work due to layoffs or have been asked to take unpaid leave as a result of COVID-19 should be eligible to receive unemployment benefits.

Issue guidance clarifying that voluntary separations due to quarantine, unsafe working conditions and other necessary actions related to COVID-19 do not disqualify a worker from receiving unemployment benefits.

Upon an employer appeal, shift the burden of proof from the employee to the employer.

These measures would ensure that Florida workers and our communities receive the vital financial help they need, when they need it, during this critical time. Thank you.