FAQ

Check the box indicating you did not employ the person and return it.

Since your worker filed for benefits, Employment Security has to assess whether he is eligible. There are circumstances under which part-time workers can qualify for partial unemployment benefits, but they must be seeking full-time work and must report their weekly hours and earnings when they file their weekly claim.

If the person worked for you at all in her “base year,” those hours worked may be considered in the determination of whether the worker qualifies for benefits. If the worker does qualify, you also may be charged proportionately for those benefits (e.g., if the worker worked most of her hours at a different company, that company will be charged for the bulk of the benefits she receives).

Even though you aren’t the worker’s most-recent employer, the hours he worked at your business and the circumstances that led him to leave your business may be factors in determining if he is eligible for benefits and the amount of benefits he might receive.

If the worker was receiving benefits, stopped claiming and then started claiming again, the information must be updated to ensure this worker is still eligible for benefits.

Yes. However, if it has been more than 30 days since the decision to pay benefits to your worker, ES may not be able to change the decision but you will have the right to appeal.

When there is a discrepancy between what the employee says she earned and what you reported on your quarterly taxes, the Office of Special Investigations sends you a Wage Verification Notice, which you must return within ten days. Make sure to enter the weekly pay, not the monthly pay.

Claimants need to actively pursue suitable work to continue collecting unemployment benefits and must report any job refusal while collecting benefits. Suitable work is defined as work that is consistent with an individual's prior experience, education and training, along with other considerations such as distance of travel to available work. If the refusal was for a suitable job, then benefits may be denied.

Possibly. Workers whose hours are cut may qualify for partial unemployment benefits. Employment Security uses an earning deduction chart to determine a part-time worker’s benefit amount.

In most cases, no.  However, there are 12 limited exceptions to this general rule that constitute “good cause” to quit a job.  In some cases, the benefits charges will be spread out among all taxable employers.

A claimant's benefits are usually based on work history during the first four of the previous five completed quarters. For example, a claim filed in February 2011 would be based on wages earned from October 2009 through September 2010. All employers for which the claimant worked during that period are charged a proportionate share of benefits paid to the worker.

During normal times, claimants can receive benefits of up to 26 weeks of benefits. However, when the unemployment rate is high, there are federal and state programs that may provide additional weeks of benefits. For example, during the recent recession, up to 99 weeks of benefits were available to claimants because the emergency unemployment compensation and extended benefits programs were activated. These benefits are paid entirely by the federal government.