What Does it Mean To Be Furloughed in Florida?
According to Section 110.107(11) of the Florida Statutes, “Furlough” means a temporary reduction in the regular hours of employment in a pay period, or temporary leave without pay for one or more pay periods, with a commensurate reduction in pay, which is necessitated by a projected deficit in any fund that supports salary and benefit appropriations. It is typically up to the individual employer to decide on the benefits or lack thereof that the employee will continue to receive during the time that he or she is furloughed.
Is It Better For The Employee to Be Furloughed Or Laid Off?
One of the obvious benefits for an employee of being furloughed as opposed to being laid off is that the employee continues to have job security. A furloughed employee remains an employee of his or her company/organization and often continues to receive many benefits that come with it. Being furloughed may be a temporary leave from the job with no pay, but it is usually only temporary. By contrast, a laid off employee is left in a position with no job to come back to in the future at all.
Am I Eligible For State and Federal Benefits After I Have Been Furloughed?
Yes. The CARE Act signed into law in the Spring of 2020 created a stimulus package due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This Act is a stimulus package that expands unemployment benefits to everyone who has been either furloughed or laid off. Both categories are treated the same way in respect to the benefits an individual may apply for. An interesting point is that even if the individual furloughed is still receiving benefits from his employer, he is nonetheless eligible for unemployment benefits under this package.
Around 10 million Americans filed for unemployment in the first two weeks of April, 2020. This $2 trillion stimulus package is the largest rescue package in modern American history. During the Great Recession, the federal unemployment increase was just $25 per week. Today, it has been $600 per week in addition to state unemployment benefits and employer’s benefits for furloughed employees.
What Benefits Can I Receive in Florida If I Have Been Furloughed?
In Florida, the benefits that a furloughed employee can receive is called “Reemployment Assistance” and can be found at https://covid19.floridajobs.org/. The FPUC (Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation) is a $600 check distributed weekly in addition to the Florida State Reemployment Assistance benefits. This is all done under the authority of the CARES Act.
