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Refusing To Return: Small Business Owner's Employees Not Coming Back To Work

ROSEVILLE (CBS13) — Small business owners are running into problems as they slowly start reopening. Some workers currently on unemployment are now saying they aren't coming back.

Mindy Le, owner of A Classic Touch Salon in Roseville, is running into this problem. She says some of her employees are refusing to come back to work after being on unemployment for months.

"Two, three of them. They don't want to come back to work," she explained.

Now, she's working extra hard to keep up with the demand for haircuts now that salons are back open again.

"I'm scared, I don't make enough money to cover everything, you know," Le said.

"Usually she has almost all the chairs with the hairdressers and somebody at the nail part," said customer Estella Garcia.

READ: Coronavirus Unemployment: Inside EDD's $11.1 Million Call Center Contract As Calls Go Unanswered

It's situations like Mindy's that are starting to play out across several small businesses. Some workers are afraid of getting sick while others simply say they're making more money on unemployment, due to an extra $600 a week from the federal government under the CARES Act.

But can employees refuse to go back to work? According to EDD, people who are at greater risk for contracting coronavirus, such as those who are older than 65, or have a weakened immune system can refuse to return to work. Others can lose their unemployment if they refuse to accept a fitting job offer.

Mindy has been spending the past few weeks getting ready for the safety changes in her shop including plastic barriers, temperature checks, masks and disinfecting. She wants to fill her work stations again.

"If they don't come back to work, I have only two hands. I cannot help all the clients," she said.

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