Labor expands jobless aid for workers who reject employers skirting COVID-19 rules

The Labor Department on Thursday expanded eligibility for unemployment benefits to those who refused to return to work or declined a job offer because the worksite was not following coronavirus safety protocols.

Under the new guidance, jobless individuals can receive Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) if they turn down an offer from a business “not in compliance with local, state, or national health and safety standards directly related to COVID-19.” Those protocols include wearing face masks, maintaining social distance and providing personal protective equipment.

PUA was created by the CARES Act...