Immunocompromised afraid to return to work

Q: My place of work has called everyone back to the office. Since I couldn’t work from home during the shutdown, I’ve been receiving unemployment benefits. I’d love to get back on the job, but I’m afraid that I might be at risk of catching the coronavirus because I’m diabetic and my system is immunocompromised. Until there’s a vaccine, or the number of new cases drops to 1 or 2, I’m afraid to go back. My boss says if I don’t return, I will be fired. What can I do?

A: You may be eligible for a continuation of your unemployment benefits. Under Gov. Whitmer’s Executive Order 76, an individual who is “under self-isolation or self-quarantine in response to elevated risk from COVID-19 due to being immunocompromised” is considered to have “left work involuntarily for medical reasons.” If you meet these criteria, you could continue to receive unemployment benefits for several months if you do not return to work.

But you would be out of a job.

The governor’s executive order not only made people who are immunocompromised eligible for benefits, it also extended eligibility for unemployment benefits to 26 weeks (before the pandemic,