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If COVID-19 is keeping you from work, you can now file for unemployment benefits, thanks to a change in the rules announced Monday by the Alabama Department of Labor.

The change is based on guidance from the U.S. Department of Labor and allows works to file a claim if they meet any of the following criteria:

• They are quarantined by a medical professional or government agency;

• They were laid off or sent home without pay for an extended period by their employer due to COVID-19 concerns;

• They were diagnosed with COVID-19; and/or

• They are caring for an immediately family member who is diagnosed with COVID-19.

“The requirement that a laid-off worker be ‘able and available’ to work while receiving unemployment compensation benefits has been modified for claimants who are affected by COVID-19 in any of the situations listed above,” said a release from ADOL.

Claimants are also free from having to search for other work while receiving benefits, “provided they take reasonable steps to preserve their ability to come back to that job” after the quarantine or illness, the release said. The waiting week, usually the first week of benefits, will also be waived.

Claims can be filed starting Monday, March 23. Workers can file at www.labor.alabama.gov or by calling 1-866-234-5382, though online filing is preferred.

Criteria, rules and exceptions are subject to change. People who are paid to work from home or are receiving paid sick or vacation leave are not eligible.

“We understand that we are entering a difficult time for workers and employers,” ADOL Secretary Fitzgerald Washington said. “We want to help those who may be temporarily financially impacted by helping them to replace some of their lost income while being unable to work.”

ADOL advised employers who decide to shut down for reasons related to COVID-19 to treat it as a temporary layoff.