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The SC Department of Employment and Workforce (SCDEW) has announced the creation of a “Recall Taskforce” to help employers understand the different federal funding programs available to their workforce. This help includes eligibility requirements of each program and navigating situations when an employee refuses an offer of work. The Recall Taskforce wants businesses that are reopening to know their employees cannot refuse an offer for work without good cause and remain on unemployment insurance. If an individual refuses to return to work or refuses an offer of employment, businesses should contact SCDEW. Employers can: • Notify DEW through the employer self-service portal OR • Complete and submit the Offer of Work Form (UCB-261) Employers who have ten or more employees refusing to return to work should contact SCDEW at [email protected]. The agency will be able to provide an Offer of Work spreadsheet that allows you to submit the required information in a convenient, user-friendly format. The agency also released updated unemployment numbers for week ending May 2, 2020: • For the week ending May 2, 46,747 people filed an initial claim. • This is a decrease of 18,412 initial claims from the week prior. • This is the third decrease recorded since mid-March. • In the last seven weeks, the total number of initial claims received is 453,636. The agency has paid more than $831 million in a combination of state unemployment insurance benefits and CARES Act programs.