Kansas offers unemployment benefits to furloughed workers
The Kansas Department of Labor says federal employees who are furloughed during the partial government shutdown can seek unemployment benefits.
The Salina Journal reports that federal workers in Kansas can apply for unemployment benefits by calling the department’s Unemployment Contact Center. The state says federal employees who are still working full-time without pay during the shutdown won’t be eligible.
Kansas labor officials say federal workers should be prepared to provide wage verification because the agency may be unable to reach their employers as the five-week old stalemate over President Donald Trump’s demand for border wall funding endures.
Workers will have to repay unemployment benefits if they receive back pay once the government is reopened. Trump signed legislation last week to guarantee back pay to federal employees once the shutdown ends.
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