Category: Unemployment Claims

No matter what industry you’re in, if you have employees, it’s almost guaranteed that you’ll have to deal with unemployment claims at some point.

If you’ve ever dealt with an unemployment, claim you know that the process has many steps, takes up a lot of time, and can get complicated very quickly. You have to formally respond in very specific ways, and if you make a single mistake it can cost you large sums of money in unemployment costs.

There are definitely legitimate claims that are paid out each year, but sadly there are also many erroneous unemployment claims that are also paid out as well. There are various reasons for this, but it’s often because companies make mistakes or don’t know how to properly respond to a claim.

Have you been handling your unemployment insurance claims properly? Do you have a strategy in place when it comes to auditing your own process?

In this guide, we’ll give you a clearer, better understanding of how you should be handling your unemployment claims, and some sound strategies to protect your business moving forward.

Unemployment Claims Management

When you think of unemployment claims, you might not think of insurance right away. However, unemployment insurance (commonly abbreviated at UI), is a program that is handled through a joint effort between the state and federal government.

This program has been around since the Great Depression, but unemployment laws and regulations have had to shift and evolve as the years have passed. With the passing of The Social Security Act of 1935, all for-profit employers were required to provide as much as 26 weeks of unemployment benefits and compensation to qualifying employees.

There are state-run unemployment programs that have a pool of funds and distribute these benefits to those employees who are eligible. The funds come from collecting payroll tax from employers.

The employer payroll tax rate is unique to each business. It takes into account things like how many layoffs have previously occurred and other factors that have to do with the economy at a state and national level.

Basically, when an employee is laid off from working for a company, they might be eligible to collect unemployment benefits. It’s important to note that every employee who separates from a company has a right to claim unemployment, but not every claim automatically qualifies for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits.

Unemployment claims are handled at a state level – employees who have separated from your business submit their claim to the state in which they were employed. Once this claim is filed, it’s your responsibility to manage it – and this is the tough part for most businesses.

Your options are typically to accept the unemployment claim or contest it. Importantly, if you don’t reply, the state considers a failure to respond as “acceptance”.

You can see that handling unemployment claims in an organized, correct, and efficient manner has a direct effect on your company’s bottom line. Mismanaged claims can be a source of needlessly lost revenue.

The cost of each claim is unique because it’s based on how many weeks the former employee qualified to collect benefits, however, most claims cost (on average) between $4,000 and $10,000 dollars or more. As you can see, this can cause your unemployment costs to jump up quickly if you’re dealing with multiple claims.

Plus, when you accept unemployment claims, it will cause a rise in your company’s unemployment tax rate in the future.

There are many laws, procedural rules, guidelines, and best practices when it comes to handling your unemployment insurance claims and unemployment taxes.

Furthermore, consider that there might be times where these claims can pile up and create a backlog that can be difficult to reasonably manage. For example, if you’re forced into sizable layoffs due to outside factors (as we saw with the COVID-19 pandemic).

Many companies choose to handle their unemployment insurance claims using spreadsheets, paper files, and other dated methods that are not only tedious, but also ripe for human error. Additionally, if this data isn’t stored properly it can be lost or compromised and become essentially useless.

Other companies use more modern platforms and unemployment claims management services (such as Quentelle) to manage their unemployment insurance claims. This saves companies money and time, and is much more secure.

We’ll go into more detail later in this article about how to manage your unemployment claims, but for now, let’s walk through the steps of how unemployment claims work for businesses like yours.

How Unemployment Insurance Claims Work for Businesses

Use this guide to help your company navigate unemployment claims. It will walk you through what to expect step by step, and give you advice on how to best proceed.

Step 1: You’ll Get a Notification from the State

For many companies, the moment they begin to educate themselves on how to handle an unemployment claim is right after the moment they receive a notice that someone has made claim. That may be you and that’s okay – as long as you act quickly.

When an employee who is no longer with you files an unemployment claim, you’ll receive a formal notification from the state. When you receive the notification it will have all of the information that the employee who filed included when they filled out the application to receive benefits.

Note that if you see something inaccurate on the report at this phase, that doesn’t mean the state has accepted it as fact – it just means this is what the employee is claiming what happened.

In many cases, this notification will include forms (such as a questionnaire) that requests information from your company. The information you provide is what the state uses to decide if a former employee is eligible or not and if their claim will be accepted. (The combined information you provide is sometimes known as a separation report.)

There are some situations where the state’s unemployment commission will invite a representative from your company to take part in an unemployment hearing. These are typically scheduled as conference calls that allow the commissioner who is handling your case to gather more details and decide if a claim should be accepted or denied.

Step 2: The Unemployment Claim Needs to Be Verified

As we mentioned earlier, the state doesn’t immediately take the details that your former employee provided as facts. When you’re filling out your separation repot, you’ll have the opportunity to verify any details or provide any alternate details needed to bring clarity to the situation. Your goal here is to be fair, but also accurate.

When you’re going over your notice, the first thing you’ll want to do is make sure that this person was actually an employee of your company. It may sound basic, but formally verify that the person who is filing the unemployment claim was actually employed at your organization. Remember that people who work for you as contractors or staffing agencies don’t count in this verification – they can’t claim unemployment.

The next thing you’ll want to do is verify all of the factual details and data. Specifically, verify everything that isn’t open to interpretation or is subjective. This includes things like:

• Date range of the person’s employment
• Wages
• Severance or vacation payouts
• Any other factual details

Once you’ve verified the non-negotiable “data”, now it’s time to verify the claimant’s report of the situation. What did they say happened? And how  are they saying it happened? On the notification you received, the claimant provided their account of how and why they left the company.

If you disagree with anything that was claimed, remain professional and do your best to gather facts that prove your side of the story. Things like timecard reports, emails, incident reports, and other records can be key when supporting the details of how you claim things occurred.

Step 3: Decide If You Will Appeal

After you’ve read the details, if you feel that the claim is unjustly being filed, you have the opportunity to appeal it. This will typically result in a fact-finding hearing that will be conduced by your state’s unemployment commission.

In what instances should you appeal? Well, bear in mind that your employee may not be eligible for unemployment benefits for various reasons. Here some questions to ask yourself as you make the decision to appeal a claim or not:

Did this employee leave his or her job voluntarily? 

Did this person abandon their job? If so, they may not be eligible for unemployment benefits. There are some nuances here, however. For example, you can’t give your employee an ultimatum to “leave or be fired.” That’s considered a forced resignation. Additionally, if the employee was subjected to illegal acts (like discrimination) that isn’t treated as leaving voluntarily. There are some situations where an employee might resign because they’re relocating or due to a disability – depending on the circumstances that might be considered them having “quit with good cause.”

Did this employee show “willful misconduct” that caused them to lose their job?

There are certain unsavory behaviors that are considered as willful misconduct. Here are some examples of when this might be the case.

• Being late or missing work excessively. Also called “excessive tardiness” and “excessive absenteeism”. Essentially, being late for work or missing work on a regular basis can be considered misconduct. Your company rules must have a clear attendance policy for this to make sense. Another key factor to this is that there can’t be good causes for the absences (such as disability and illness).
• Violation of company rules. Every company has policies and rules. If you can prove that a policy formally exists, and that this employee knew about it and willfully disobeyed it, you might have a case for denial. The key is that they must have broken the rule intentionally while having knowledge of it.
• Failure to follow instructions. If you can prove that you provided specific instructions to an employee and that they didn’t follow them, it could be considered misconduct. This won’t work if the unemployment commission deems that the employee’s decision was justified or if it deems that your instructions were “unreasonable”.
• Poor professional behavior. Some behaviors are considered to be unprofessional whether they’re in your company policies or not. This includes behavior such as physical fighting, lying, stealing, sleeping on the job, using discriminatory or offensive language, being intoxicated at work, testing positive for illegal substances, etc. Even if these things aren’t in you company policy, many unemployment commissions will automatically deem them misconduct.

When should you accept a claim without an appeal?

As a general rule of thumb, if your employee either lost their job or had their work hours restricted, limited, or reduced for any reason that isn’t their fault, you should accept the claim. For example, if you laid someone off or cut their hours drastically because there was not enough work available for them, you generally shouldn’t appeal the claim unless there are other circumstances that would deem it fair and reasonable.

Step 4: Support Your Viewpoint with Evidence

If you have followed the above guidelines and you feel that the employee doesn’t have a fair right to receive unemployment benefits, you need to prove it with evidence. You must present any data, details, and facts that show the unemployment commission that the claim shouldn’t be accepted.

For this evidence to be sound and admissible, the best options are written documents or consensual recordings from company phones systems, security cameras, etc.

For written proof, things like signed disciplinary slips addressing attendance or policy violations, email correspondence or letters asking for a reduction of hours, and formal attendance records can help greatly.

When it comes to audio or video proof, any recordings of misconduct or knowingly breaking company policy, or recordings of customer complaints about an employee might work. In some cases, security camera footage of an employee engaging in misconduct might also help your case.

Copies of anything you believe will help give a better picture of your side of the occurrence needs to be provided to your case’s assigned unemployment officer. They will need to review this information prior to your unemployment hearing.

NOTE: If you do decide to appeal, your separation report, evidence, and confirmation you will be attending your hearing should be submitted to your state’s unemployment office.

Step 5: The Unemployment Hearing

The unemployment hearing will be a meeting between a representative from your company, the assigned unemployment officer, and former employee who filed the unemployment claim. Many states have a specific format for these meetings and there are rigorous guidelines of who can speak and when.

Your unemployment officer is in charge of the hearing so it’s best that whoever attends on behalf of your organization listens to them carefully and follows all instructions. Remember that there is a specific amount of time allotted for these hearings, so don’t be late and be ready.

You should also prepare for this hearing and show up with your own copies of your evidence. Look over the details of the unemployment claim and the data you have gathered just before the hearing so it is fresh in your mind.

It can be easy to get emotional during these hearings – especially if you believe your former employee to be misrepresenting the truth or being unfair. Remember that your former employee may be emotional as well – this is potential income of theirs on the line. Don’t fall into the trap of making personal attacks, arguing, or being unprofessional. State facts, and be fair, professional, and cordial.

If you’re honest, reasonable, and conduct yourself well, it won’t be lost on most unemployment officers. Remember that whoever is in the hearing is representing your entire company and should conduct themselves accordingly.

Step 6: What Happens After the Hearing?

Once your hearing is over, you’ll typically be given a timeline by your unemployment officer of when you should expect to hear the outcome of the case. Then, you wait until you receive the verdict of your hearing.

If you receive the outcome of the hearing and the unemployment agency has ruled in favor of your former employee who filed the claim, that isn’t the end of it. There will also be instructions on how you can formally appeal the decision.

In most cases, if the unemployment office of your state ends up granting your former employee benefits, they’ll let you know the reasons. It’s wise to review these reasons to help you decide if an appeal is worth your time, effort, and resources.

As you can see, the process of denying a claim is not a quick or an easy one, which is why so many organizations now opt to use other solutions. Let’s talk more about how unemployment claims management services can help you and your business.

Unemployment Claims Compliance and Record-Keeping

If it wasn’t challenging enough to have to manage unemployment claims yourself, there are two other layers – compliance and bookkeeping. You’ll see how proper record-keeping and adherence to the rules go hand in hand when it comes to having a sound unemployment claims process that works.

Unemployment Claims Bookkeeping

The proper keeping of records and details about all of your current and past employees is critical to protecting your business. We’re sorry to report that there are unemployment insurance benefits that are paid out in error – these are known as improper benefits.

Can you guess what the #1 cause for improper benefits being paid out is? If you guessed inaccurate information from an employer or claimant, you’re right. When it comes to the claimant submitting inaccurate information (whether maliciously or accidental) you don’t have any control over it. However, you do have control over the information you submit in response to claims filed against you.

When it comes to record-keeping, here’s one simple – but invaluable – piece of advice that can save your company untold sums of money: document everything.

If you have to submit information due to an unemployment claim dispute, having the proper details documented can be the single thing that causes the state unemployment agency to rule in your favor. This is a game changer when it comes to optimal unemployment claims management.

What should you document, specifically? Here are some guidelines:

Your company’s policies. Many companies don’t have all of their policies written out clearly in one document. It is important to put them together in an accessible and easy-to-understand way.

Any changes to your company’s policies. You may be surprised to learn that many companies have a set of written policies that don’t match the way they actually operate. This can cause issues when it comes to unemployment claims. Take the time to update your company policies so they reflect the way you truly operate.

Disciplinary actions taken against employees. It’s important to document any disciplinary action taken against your employees and have them sign it. Often called “write-ups”, these documented cases of an employee breaking company policies can go a long way in an unemployment dispute.

Job descriptions, offer letters, contracts, etc. Each employee should have a properly documented job description that clearly states what their primary duties are. Offer letters should also be used when hiring employees so their exact salary and position is clearly defined in writing.

Termination and resignation letters. If someone resigns, you should consider requiring a written notice from them that clearly states they are leaving (and if possible the reasons why, if any). You should also type your own termination letters when letting someone go. The letter should document the date they left and the reasons why.

Any other work-related statements or job changes. When possible, have anything pertaining to a change in an employee’s job responsibilities put in writing. For example, if an employee requests a reduction of hours, don’t accept this request verbally – instead require them to send an email or give you a letter. This is to protect yourself and give you proof if they file an unemployment claim because you reduced their hours.

Be Proactive with Your Record-Keeping

In addition to all of the above bookkeeping, there are also a handful of other clerical duties you can perform to get optimal results from any unemployment insurance claims.

For example, be sure to report every new person hired to the State Directory of New Hires, a required part of your hiring process. By reporting each person you hire accurately and quickly, it can help prevent the payment of ineligible unemployment claims once a person has returned to the workforce. (Remember that this date should reflect the date the person actually began working, not the date they were formally hired.)

Unemployment Claims Compliance

You share the responsibility with the state to ensure that the unemployment insurance program works effectively and functions as it should. Think of it like this: it’s the state’s job to be certain that each individual who files a claim is truly eligible for unemployment benefits, but it is your company’s job to provide them with as much information as possible to make the best decision.

To be compliant with the state as they attempt to administer unemployment benefits to deserving individuals, you must communicate quickly and accurately with them (and in the bookkeeping section below, we’ll talk about how proactive communication can help save you from improper paying of unemployment claims).

In the past, employers were only required to to respond to unemployment claims they were contesting or that they felt weren’t accurate. Things have changed with unemployment claims management, however, and now every employer is required to respond to all claims. If you fail to reply to all claims, you are not considered to be compliant with state regulations (and you can also cost your company unnecessary expenses in unemployment costs due to claims that shouldn’t have been paid).

While employers used to respond only to those unemployment claims that were considered inaccurate, they are now required to respond to all claims in order to remain com­pliant with state regulations and minimize financial exposure.

How to Be Proactive With Your Unemployment Claims Management compliance

1) Train your employees properly. It’s important that anyone in your organization who handles hiring or termination is aware of the unemployment system words, and what is required of them. If you educate your team, managing unemployment claims will be more efficient and successful.

2) Have all employees sign off on your company rules and regulations. Don’t just assume people know what is expected of them. Be certain to provide all employees with a written copy of your company’s regulations and rules, with a signed copy added to their personnel file as proof they agreed to abide by them.

3) Try not to terminate employees suddenly or without warning. Sometimes you’ll need to fire someone quickly due to a serious violation of your policies, but unless it’s absolutely necessary, we don’t reccommend doing this. If possible, issue a written warning that the employee signs so there is evidence that they are aware continued behavior like this will result in fair termination.

4) Stick to the SIDES. SIDES is an abbreviation for the State Information Data Exchange System, and is an electronic tool that was developed by state unemployment agencies and the U.S. Department of Labor. By using this tool you can react to unemployment insurance matters accurately, quickly, and securely.

5) Don’t go it alone. Many companies eventually realize that by processing unemployment claims themselves, they’re actually spending far too many hours and countless internal resources. Speaking frankly, the very best way to be proactive with your unemployment claims management compliance is to partner with an industry leader like Quentelle to handle it for you.

Remember, if your company is non-compliant you can suffer from payouts for erroneous claims, increases in your unemployment tax rates, and in some cases, even penalties and fines. Taking the time to be proactive, compliant, and keep great records is a strong strategy to overcome any unemployment claim challenges you may encounter.

Quentelle Is the Industry Leader in Unemployment Claims Management Services

When it comes to handling unemployment claims and unemployment cost management, there’s compliance, and then there’s optimization.

Unemployment claims management is a complex, time-consuming processv– which is why having a partner like Quentelle can help your company keep unemployment costs as low as possible. If all of this seems like a lot, that’s because it is. Managing unemployment claims can feel like an endless, time-draining treadmill with no end in sight.

Not only is it time-consuming and tedious, but when an organization handles their own unemployment insurance claims management, it’s often a very reactionary process. When you work with us here at Quentelle, we strive for proactive management solutions for your UI claims.

This includes things like acceptance and denial of claims, a consistent auditing and tracking of your UI claims history, and actively working to keep the overall number of unemployment insurance claims and benefit charges as low as possible.

Let us interact with the multiple state unemployment agencies so you don’t have to use your valuable in-house talent and resources. This gives your team the freedom to increase their productivity and focus on their core business functions.

Additionally, we’ll take the time to vigilantly perform tax rate verification to be sure that your state tax rate calculations are correct and that you meet all of the rigid timelines that are imposed by state agencies.

Another major benefit of using Quentelle and our partners for your unemployment claims management is that you’re reducing your chances of making a costly mistake. Don’t risk human error. You can rest assured that our team of experienced professionals are highly trained and specialize in handling these responsibilities.

You don’t have to try to navigate the maze of unemployment laws and procedures by yourself. Let our team of experienced professionals focus on unemployment cost control so you can focus on running your business.

What many companies don’t consider is that their in-house solution very typically results in frequent errors – which causes higher tax rates and increased unemployment costs.

If you’re ready to experience lower tax costs and a greater potential for tax savings, Quentelle is here to help.

Give us a call at 888-565-5515 or schedule a demo online, and we’ll show you why we’re the smart and simple way to handle all of your unemployment claims easily and optimally.

No matter your company’s size, your niche, or your location, it’s inevitable that at one time or another you’ll likely have let an employee go. This is rarely an easy decision to make– and the process of executing is often much harder than that.

No matter your reason for letting your employee go, there are some very important things you need to keep in mind when a former team member officially becomes “unemployed.” In many cases, your now-former employee is entitled to certain unemployment benefits. There are many resources at their fingertips to help them file a claim, and potentially begin drawing unemployment revenue.

But what about you, the business? It’s never your intention to willfully put someone in a bad position, but if letting someone go is necessary, you should also know your rights, responsibilities, and what the process is for you as a company.

In this guide, we’re going to walk you through some key information when it comes to unemployment insurance claims, and how to navigate rising unemployment insurance rates.

No matter what your human resources tech stack and platform is, Quentell will help you learn what questions you should be asking.

What Happens When a Former Employee Makes an Unemployment Claim?

Typically, when you let an employee go, one of the first things they’re going to do is file an unemployment claim. We’ll go into detail about exactly what happens when a former employee files a claim, but first, let’s cover some important, foundational basics. From an employer’s perspective, here are a few things that you should know about unemployment claims management.

Unemployment Claims 101

Firstly, when it comes to actually paying out unemployment claims, this is only supposed to occur when an employee loses their job for reasons that are beyond what they can control. This is commonly due to things like being laid off or cut due to downsizing, being relieved after seasonal work, or when a company goes out of business entirely.

When an employee files to get unemployment benefits, that’s when unemployment insurance– often abbreviated to UI– comes in. UI is what helps to pay these people while they seek their next steps. UI helps people stay afloat with some financial help, but what does it mean for you, and how much does it cost?

Typically your UI payments are going to be calculated by taking an individual employee’s income and then taking a percentage of it over the course of 52 weeks.

As that percentage accrues, if that employee is let go, claims can be made against the total amount for a specified amount of time (typically around 6 months or so after the employee is no longer with the company). Unemployment benefits also typically cease once the former employee finds new full-time employment.

So Who Makes UI Rules and What Are They?

This is a great question, and the answer might seem a little complicated at first– but stick with us, and we’ll guide you through everything.

Now the tricky part is that FUTA is actually controlled jointly by both the federal and state government. So this means that in addition to the national federal rules, it’s very possible that your territory, district, and or state has its own set of regulations and rules.

What in the World is FUTA?

Firstly, the general guidelines and regulations for how unemployment insurance is handled is dictated by the Federal Unemployment Tax Act (commonly abbreviated as FUTA).

At the federal level, the government chooses to collect unemployment money using the following mathematic formula:

FUTA = 6% of the first $7,000 paid annually to each individual employee

In addition to that amount of tax, your business also needs to fill out and submit Form 940 and submit it to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) every year.

Okay, So Now What in the World is SUTA?

Secondly, the general guidelines and regulations for how unemployment insurance is handled by each state can vary. But no matter the rate, each state collects its unemployment funds through the State Unemployment Tax Act (commonly abbreviated as SUTA).

Note that SUTA is also sometimes called state unemployment insurance

When it comes to the amount that you need to pay for SUTA, each state tends to determine that for themselves. So depending on where you’re located, your rate is likely going to be different. In some states, the regulations state that employees have to pay toward state unemployment taxes, in other states they do not.

Who Pays Unemployment Taxes?

That is a great question. Commonly, unemployment taxes are made up of the funds collected through the Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA) and the State Unemployment Tax Act (SUTA), which are almost exclusively paid by companies/employers. There are some exceptions to this, and some states require employees to contribute to their unemployment taxes as well.

UI Claims Can Be a Costly and Complicated Landscape

If all of the FUTA and SUTA math sounds like a lot to keep track of, know that you’re right, and it is. Also, know that here at Quentelle, we can help you navigate UI situations expertly… but more on that later. Let’s continue to learn more about how you can equip your business to handle claims.

What Happens After an Employee Files a Claim?

Typically when a former employee files for unemployment, when their claim goes through you’ll receive something called a “Notice of Unemployment Insurance Claim Filed.”

This notice is a letter from the state where your business is located in. Remember that this notice isn’t an automatic ruling in favor of the person filing unemployment– it’s just your formal notification they are filing in the event you disagree with the claim.

At this point, you have the option to either accept or contest the unemployment claim. Read on for more details on what that means, and what you need to do either way.

Accepting Unemployment Claims

If a claim is legitimate, we recommend that you accept it, and don’t contest it in any way. If you’re wanting to be sure that a claim is above board and valid, there are a few things to keep an eye out for.

First, was this person let go for reasons outside of their control? Or did you let this person go because of financial issues within the company? (That is a telltale sign.) On that same note, did you lay this person off because there just wasn’t enough work to go around? Finally, there are some cases where employees may lose their jobs because of an error that you or the company made– in that case, they’re typically entitled to unemployment.

If a claim is accepted by you, the state will come to its formal decision on whether or not they deem the person eligible for unemployment benefits.

Contesting Unemployment Claims

So what happens if you receive your “Notice of Unemployment Insurance Claim Filed” letter, and ask yourself the questions in the above ‘Accepting Unemployment Claims’ section. But your answers lead you to the conclusion that the claimant has no right to unemployment benefits? You still have options. Here are some other things to ask yourself.

Did you have to terminate the employee for any sort of misconduct or violations of policy? Was this person an independent contractor? Did the employee quit for another employment opportunity that didn’t pan out? Was anything on the unemployment claim untrue?

If you answered yes to any of those questions, you likely have a solid, justified reason to contest this person’s unemployment claim.

How Do I Contest a Claim?

It’s typical that all unemployment claims will be handled by your state’s unemployment department. To formally contest any unemployment claims, you need to contact them for the next steps.

They will typically ask you for the specifics of the situation. When you contact your state’s unemployment department about an unemployment claim, you should have the following information about your former employee ready:

• Why is the individual is no longer with the company?
• What was their pay rate/compensation plan?
• What was their job title?
• Other details about their role, and your company

Note that the unemployment department takes claims very seriously, and follows a specific and rigorous unemployment claims process. You will need to provide clear, specific, and in-depth information on any unemployment claims you wish to contest.

Note that each state handles its unemployment claims processing differently. The most typical method they prefer for contesting a claim is a letter. If your state agency does prefer a letter, it’s important that you send it within the timeframe that’s mentioned on the initial “Notice of Unemployment Insurance Claims Filed.”

If you don’t respond to the unfit claim within the timeframe on the notice, you will potentially have your unemployment tax rate increased, and in some cases other penalties as well.

Where Do Furloughed Employees Fall?

This may seem like a gray area since it’s typical that any furloughed employees often retain all benefits and are able to transition easily back into their existing roles. However, even though they are technically not terminated, furloughed employees are often eligible for unemployment claims benefits. Don’t automatically contest the unemployment claims that have been filed by employees who are furloughed, and instead look into the details of the matter more deeply before you make a decision.

What Happens Next?

When the state reaches its final decision as to whether or not a person will receive unemployment benefits they’ll send another letter– this is a letter of determination– to you and the former employee who filed the unemployment claim.

If the state rules during the unemployment claim’s processing period that the employee you let go is eligible for unemployment benefits, there’s little you have to do. Once this ruling is passed, the funds will start coming from your business’s unemployment tax account.

If for any reason the state denies the unemployment claim, the person filing (known as the claimant) has the right to appeal this decision.

Your UI Insurance Rates May Increase

Note that in some cases, once you accept one or more former employees’ unemployment claims, your unemployment tax rate may increase. This is an unfortunate side effect of an unfortunate situation, but again, we encourage you to accept any legitimate claim, even if it means an increase in your taxes.

Employment Verification in this Complicated Landscape

A note for hiring managers and HR departments to consider. As unemployment numbers increase, people are more willing to bend the truth when it comes to their resumes. Applicants can’t typically survive on an unemployment wage alone and are willing to become very competitive to get a position.

You also don’t want to hire someone who won’t be a long-term asset to your company, and who is just looking to land something because they’re desperate. Employment verification systems allow you to get accurate, specific information about people before you hire them.

When you look at someone’s actual job history you’ll be able to see employment gaps, specific dates and roles, and other details that will help you make an educated decision on every person who joins your team.

From Paper to Digital: How the UI Claims Processed Has Evolved Over the Years

Unemployment insurance is likely older than you think. Let’s take a look at some of its history to truly observe its roots, and how it is meant to be used.

The Old Way: The Birth of Unemployment Claims

In truth, the true genesis of unemployment insurance was born out of the Great Depression. In 1929, the nation saw an intense economic depression which led to many people being unemployed. In fact, it got so bad that many people were considered “permanently unemployed”– and while the terms weren’t always literal, they might as well have been.

The economic downturn saw many moving transiently from job to job, sometimes with an especially long period in between. In many cases, the job market was so saturated and competitive that there were literally no jobs left, but millions still needed employment.

Over time as the nation began to rise again to some sort of financial normalcy, the general public and the Federal Government alike came to realize that there was a very real issue called “unemployment” and they began to take action.

During the depression, the Federal Government spent around $7,000,000,000 on work relief programs, with local and State governments pitching in about $1,500,000,000.

This unemployment relief began to make a difference, though it was a primary reason for many government deficits at that time. Thus the concept of unemployment was born and enacted in its infancy.

Over time, the nuances of unemployment insurance have changed– arguably every year since its creation. Various State laws and Federal requirements have shifted consistently to grow and change with the needs of our current economy.

In the past 50 years alone there has been much experimentation at the state level to try to find new methods of running the unemployment insurance system.

Over time, the growing pressures and higher costs have strained the unemployment insurance system– especially during times of uncharacteristically high unemployment levels.

During these times, high benefit payouts have encouraged states to raise their taxes above the Federal level– even with the Federal amount now being $7,000 (this was the last increase, which happened in 1985).

UI Claims In An Analog Time

Until not too long ago, all unemployment claims management was done using cumbersome, analog methods. As late as the mid-2000’s people who wanted to file for unemployment needed to drive to an Unemployment Office in person and speak to an officer for assistance.

From there much of the process was handled on paper, with those who were unemployed calling into a phone system to get and receive updates.

The same clunky, analog methods were used for handling unemployment claims for businesses. The whole process for any business owner or HR Department was time-consuming, not entirely reliable, and moved at a glacial pace.

Whether you were an employee or an employer, handling unemployment claims was a known pain that no one looked forward to.

UI Claims Enter the Digital Era

We’ve officially entered a new era when it comes to the secure, fast, digital capabilities of handling unemployment insurance claims in the digital era of today.

Handling your UI claims digitally has never been simpler and more automated. However, it’s important that you choose a provider carefully.

You need to be certain that your digital UI partner can provide you with simplified unemployment claims management that’s powered by data, uses the very best in class technology, and has unparalleled expertise when it comes to UI claims.

Here at Quentelle, we offer all of those things and more. We would love to show you how we can help simplify your unemployment claims management process and bring you into the modern era safely and securely. We also want to warn you against technical debt…

Technical Debt From Legacy Systems

Sadly, even with the incredible advances in secure, simple UI technology, many companies are still handling their unemployment claims like it’s 2007. Many companies are stuck doing things “the way they’ve always done them,” and sadly are missing out on worlds of security, speed, and accuracy.

Some of these companies who are in “technical debt” because they refuse to move away from legacy systems feel the pain of this decision with the multiple unemployment claims they have to deal with manually.

In fact, if we take a good hard look, the way that some companies handle their unemployment claims process is the oldest and least updated aspect of their business. It’s akin to sticking with a fax machine in the world of the internet. And yet, many still choose to do so.

If this sounds familiar, we want to let you know that it doesn’t have to be this way.

The Current Landscape of Digital HR – Platforms Employment Verification and Tax Impacts

While handling your unemployment claims is a major benefit of using a digital HR platform like Quentelle, that is only one of the key benefits that you can experience.

Digital HR Means Data to Analyze

In the current landscape of digital human resources tools, when you use modern tools, you’re going to take your old processes and make them faster and more secure… but that isn’t all.

Speed and security are important, but another invaluable aspect of taking your HR suite digital is the ability to access powerful analytics. Gone are the days of paper forms, photocopies, and print-outs. When you work using analog systems you can’t see valuable patterns in your HR data.

When you use a turnkey HR suite like Quentelle, you’ll be able to take a look at your HR’s analytics and metrics from a 50 thousand foot view, but also dive in as deeply and specifically as you want. With this flexible method of looking at your data, you can feel confident and empowered in your business decisions, and ultimately save time and money.

Stop guessing, and live in a world where you have easy access to data-driven insights.

Employment Verification

When you use our accurate, robust employment verification tools, you’ll save time and reduce staffing costs by automating requests.

We put a strong focus on data privacy and security with every request. We use proactive threat screening and at-rest encryption for added safety measures on top of our FCRA compliance and SOC I & II certifications.

Tax Credits and Impacts

We have a partnership with Walton, a top provider when it comes to employment tax credits. Their data integrates seamlessly with our platform which gives you a simple, streamlined solution that screens all of your employees for Work Opportunity Tax Credits (WOTC).

We’ll leave no stone unturned when it comes to finding you any other tax credits you’ll qualify for, including federal, local, and state tax credits that your company may qualify for.

Not only is our process simple (you’ll use a proven, short questionnaire during your employee onboarding or hiring process), but we can also electronically file for any credits to ensure you make the deadlines to qualify.

Smart and Simple Redefined

We specialize in working with companies like yours to deliver the smart you want, and the simple you need. No matter which of our solutions you’ll need the most, you’ll find that we are one suite of proven solutions that work together seamlessly.

When you work using our platform, you’ll experience:

• One platform: A single, award-winning platform gives you a simple user experience.
• One contract: we use a simple, single service agreement.
• One data source: Goodby multiple payroll files, hello leveraging a single file for all services.

Quentelle: The Best in Unemployment Claims Management

When it comes to an all-in-one, turnkey HR platform, Quentell is the gold standard and the industry leader. We understand that no matter what size or type of business you are in, you’ll inevitably have to deal with unemployment claims.

And as you deal with those unemployment claims, you’ll also find that it can be tiresome and challenging to devote the necessary time and effort to them. Your HR team is having to your state’s specific requirements under tight deadlines, which takes up their valuable time and attention.

And if you’re like most companies, you’re doing your best to implement and maintain consistent separation policies to try to drive unemployment claims costs down.

Additionally, most companies don’t have a single, centralized method of unemployment claims correspondence, so it’s inevitable that some claims will slip through the cracks. And what does that mean? increased unemployment tax rates and inflated annual tax costs.

Through our trusted partnership with ValU NSN, our team here at Quentelle is able to provide the absolute best-in-class Unemployment Claims Management Program to companies of all sizes.

So what sets our comprehensive solution apart from the competition? Here are just a few key elements.

Electronic Transmission

By using the State Information Data Exchange (SIDES), we’re able to electronically transfer all unemployment claims documents electronically. Since we can transmit any information quickly and securely, you’ll no longer be at the mercy of the deadlines and speed of the US postal service.

This flexibility grants our clients almost a full additional week to gather important documents and respond to claims. When you can gather the right information and deliver it with a quicker response time, you’ll not only transfer your data quickly and safely, but you’ll also be able to secure future appeals rights as well.

Simple Claims Handling in One Place

Our system will let you review each claim that comes in carefully. This allows you to determine if a claim is eligible– and if so– the amount and the benefit period of the claim as well.

Our system allows you to receive all claims directly from the state, and right within our platform. When you have your claims in one clearly organized location, you’ll also be equipped to dispute questionable claims more easily. And whether a claim is approved or you contest it, you can deliver responses to inquiries quickly to get ahead of state deadlines.

By handling your claims this way, your HR team can have a unified, organized approach to handling all unemployment claims, which means a more efficient workflow, and better use of their time.

Our system also easily allows your team to investigate separations so that you can get the best possible outcomes– which will reduce costs.

Professional Hearing Representation

If you do have a claim that results in a hearing, you won’t have to handle it on your own. When you’re partnered with Quentelle, any claims that result in a hearing will be administered by our highly-trained, dedicated staff.

Our staff averages 20 years of unemployment proceedings experience, which we use on your behalf to get the best possible outcomes. When we handle your hearings we’ll ensure that every witness is fully prepared before the hearing, every document and decision that pertains to the hearing is reviewed with a fine-tooth comb, and all appeals are submitted as warranted.

When we handle your unemployment claims hearings, you can be certain that we’ll get the absolute best outcome possible.

Detailed Education, Training, and Support

We’re proud that we don’t just offer a suite of industry-leading software tools– we offer our team to deliver details education, training, and support that is custom-tailored to each unique situation.

We believe in an interactive approach that will help the right members of your staff learn key information and skills in various areas that will help your business.

As we train your team, you’ll see what we’ve learned that the first line of defense when it comes to controlling (and potentially lowering) unemployment costs is having strong HR policies in place.

Our experts will educate your team on the following procedures and practices:

• Documenting unemployment claims properly and thoroughly
• Adhering to all state and federal compliance
• Acquiring strong win ratios using proven principles
• In-depth problem prevention to stop unemployment claims issues before they occur
• Performance management overall

Proven Solutions Powered By Advanced Technology

That’s our motto here at Quentelle. Because we truly believe in putting proven solutions powered by advanced technology at your fingertips.

When it comes to staying on the cutting edge of unemployment claims management services, we’ll deliver tomorrow’s technology today.

Let us show you why here at Quentelle, our motto is smart and simple. Schedule a demo now and let’s talk about how our state-of-the-art unemployment claims management technology can change the way you do business, and drive down costs.

Let’s talk today.

Unemployment Insurance (UI), otherwise known as unemployment benefits, refers to an insurance provided by the state to make weekly monetary payments to eligible individuals if they have lost their job. Someone who voluntarily quits the job or gets fired because of a justified reason may not be eligible to claim UI benefits.

Although unemployment claims insurance operates under federal law, states have the mandate to administer their own respective UI programs. The state governments have the primary responsibility to pay the unemployment insurance benefits, which they finance through the collection of certain payroll taxes.

Determining Eligibility

The person who wants to claim UI benefits should be eligible according to the guidelines set by their state. In general, you are eligible for unemployment insurance benefits if you:

Lost your job without any fault of your own

This typically means that you were separated from the job because of the unavailability of work.

Meet the requirements of work and wage

You should be able to meet the state requirements for the time worked or wages earned during the base period (the established time period of employment). In most states, the base period is generally the first four completed calendar quarters out of the last five prior quarters to the time you filed the UI claim.

Meet additional requirements imposed by the state

You must find out the specific additional requirements that may be included in your state’s UI program.

End-to-End UI Claims Process from an Employer’s Perspective

As an employer, your responsibility in the unemployment claims process begins from the moment you hire an employee, not from the time they leave the job. After hiring new employees, you must report this information to the state. You are required to pay state and federal unemployment taxes for every employee working for you. The UI program of your state is funded from these taxes.

State Unemployment Tax Act or SUTA is usually an employee-only tax, but employee contributions may also be required under some state UI programs. Federal Unemployment Tax Act or FUTA is at present an employee-only tax. Each state will determine its own wage base and the tax rates will also differ for each state.

Employers are not required to pay an unemployment tax on the payments made to independent contractors because they are not qualified to claim unemployment benefits.

What is Required of the Employer When a UI Claim is Filed?

When an ex-employee files an unemployment benefits claim, the state will send you a notice. This “Notice of UI Claim Filed” is only sent to the most recent employer of the said employee. As an employer, you will indirectly pay for your former employee’s unemployment insurance claim through your payment of SUTA and FUTA taxes.

The state will charge these benefit payments to your employer taxation account. The higher the volume of approved unemployment claims in your state, the higher your contribution to unemployment taxes will be. However, exceptions may be made in special circumstances. For instance, in some states, any mass layoffs resulting from the Covid-19 crisis may not impact SUTA tax accounts. Details of pandemic-related mass layoff limits may vary for each state.

What Steps Employers Can Take in Response to UI Claims

As an employer, you should be prepared to take necessary action after you receive a notice from the state for an unemployment claim. Your response will vary depending on whether or not you plan to contest the unemployment claim. Here is an overview of the employer’s responsibility for contesting or accepting UI claims and the reasons for such action.

Employer Decides to Accept the Unemployment Claim

While filing an unemployment claim, your former employee will provide the relevant information regarding the claim. If the UI claim is legitimate and the information provided by the person is factually correct, you might decide against contesting the claim. Your decision to accept an unemployment insurance claim usually means that no further action is required from your end.

Common reasons for accepting unemployment claims are:

• You removed the employee because of lack of work.
• You removed the employee due to financial difficulties.
• The employee quit or was terminated because of your wrong action.

When you accept an unemployment claim, it does not automatically mean that the claimant will receive the benefits. The state will make the final decision. If the ex-employee’s application is unfit, the state could deny the claim.

The state will send you a determination letter, which informs the reasons for their decision on the claim, and any charges it will make towards your account. If the state has denied the claimant’s unemployment insurance claim, they will have the right to appeal this decision.

Employer Decides to Contest the Unemployment Claim

Depending on the situation, you may choose to contest an unemployment benefits claim. If you win, it can save you on the unemployment tax rates. Common reasons contesting unemployment claims include:

• You removed the employee due to their misconduct.
• The employee voluntarily quit to take up a new job that did not materialize.
• The claim form of the employee contains false information.
• The claimant was an independent contractor.
• It is an instance of unemployment fraud.

When you contest an employment benefits claim, you must respond to the unemployment department in your state. Your ability to contest may be forfeited if you fail to respond within the time limit mentioned in the notice.

It is best to support your decision with the maximum possible evidence, which you must submit to the state. Include information related to the reasons for terminating the employee, their period of employment, job title, compensation, and information about the nature of your business. Maintaining payroll and employment records is important even after a worker leaves so that you can provide the necessary information to the state in these situations.

You may be required to attend an unemployment insurance hearing when you contest a UI claim. You may also receive a request from the state for additional information. Once the state makes its final decision, it will be communicated through a determination letter. If you disagree with it, you can appeal the decision within a certain time frame.

Employee Misclassification and Unemployment Claims

The UI claim process may sometimes lead to the issue of worker misclassification. While independent contractors are not qualified to receive unemployment benefits, the classification of a worker as an employee or independent contractor must be followed according to the law in your state. If you misclassify someone as an independent contractor when according to the legal definition of their duties performed they should have been classified as a worker, from the legal perspective:

• You denied the worker the opportunity to enroll in employee benefit programs, such as retirement plans and health insurance.
• You denied the worker their right to receive overtime wages.
• You failed to contribute the required payroll taxes.

Worker misclassification may lead to the imposition of penalties, back taxes, and interest. Your state will demand back payments for workers’ comp premiums and unemployment insurance. Considering these consequences, it is vital to accurately classify your employees from the moment they are hired.

Types of Unemployment Claims

Different types of temporary payments are provided under the unemployment insurance program to eligible individuals as follows:

State Unemployment Insurance

The unemployment insurance program of the state offers unemployment benefits to individuals who became unemployed for no fault of their own (in accordance with the state law) and fulfills other eligibility conditions imposed by the state.

Disaster Unemployment Assistance

Individuals who suffered a job loss or an interruption to their job as a direct consequence of a disaster declared by the US President may be eligible for financial assistance under the Disaster Unemployment Assistance program.

Federal Employee Unemployment Compensation

Former federal employees in civilian jobs who are unemployed may qualify for unemployment compensation under this program if they fulfill all the eligibility requirements.

Ex-Service Members Unemployment Compensation

Eligible former members of the US military can receive benefits under the Ex-Service Members Unemployment Compensation program.

Trade Readjustment Allowances

These benefits provide income support to individuals whose jobs were impacted because of imports from foreign countries and who have already exhausted their eligible unemployment compensation.

Self-Employment Assistance

This program provides an opportunity for dislocated workers to become self-employed through self-employment assistance. The program’s goal is to provide early re-employment.

Unemployment Insurance Extended Benefits

Employees may be eligible for extended benefits after they have exhausted their standard unemployment benefits during conditions of high unemployment.

Pandemic Unemployment Claims

In addition to the regular unemployment benefits, the CARES Act created provisions for additional relief to workers in the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic. Under the new law, additional unemployment benefits were offered as part of the FPUC (Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation) program. The exact benefits would vary according to how each state decided to implement the provisions of the CARES Act.

Employers should be aware that if one or more of their employees quit because they preferred to benefit from the unemployment compensation offered under the CARES Act, they would usually be considered ineligible for regular unemployment benefits or Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA).

Unemployment Claims Management Services, Automation, and Your Business

A key challenge for employers with regard to unemployment insurance claims is that not only do the regulations vary for each state, but the compliance requirements related to UI continue to change frequently as well. When employers choose to hire the expertise of a dedicated UI claims management services provider, they get the benefits of their focused knowledge, experience, and cutting-edge technology.

The expertise of a resourceful unemployment claims management solutions firm and their automation capabilities will save time and costs, and will minimize the risk of errors while processing unemployment claims. Most importantly, the service provider’s updated knowledge of each state’s UI laws and regulations, and their ability to handle hearings efficiently can help employers remain compliant and minimize their costs of unemployment claims, claims processing costs, and unemployment taxes.

Resolving Claim Challenges Quickly and Proactively

Handling unemployment insurance claims on your own can be complicated for any employer, irrespective of the size or scale of your business. Whether it is one claimant or several, the stakes are always high for the businesses. This is where a highly rated UI claims management expert like Quentelle can save a significant amount of time and money for your business.

Quentelle can quickly deploy all the required skills, tools, and resources to resolve unemployment claim challenges in the fastest, most efficient, and most cost-effective way possible. As an employer, you can focus on your business, while at the same time, have control over the decisions to accept, contest, or appeal the claims and the follow-up strategy.

Auditing Claims to Minimize Errors

Maintaining unemployment claims history and auditing the records to identify potential mistakes is difficult for most companies unless they have a professional claims management service provider that handles everything efficiently. Inability to audit unemployment claims history can be costly for your business because the state department can make errors in their computation, the employer can make overpayment for a claim, or you could be charged at a higher tax rate than you should be.

Employers typically don’t have the systems, expertise, or a dedicated team to address ongoing UI claims and auditing of the claim charges and taxes. With help from Quentelle, employers can receive dependable auditing services. The unemployment cost management specialists at Quentelle can also help businesses put in place new methods and controls to ensure process rationalization and error minimization.

Automation to Drive Higher Efficiency

Advanced automated systems at an unemployment insurance claim management service provider such as Quentelle are designed to make the claims administration process faster, easier, and cost-effective. The latest software-based solutions allow for careful monitoring and execution of UI claims management at every stage and the necessary tax rate verification. At the same time, Quentelle is equipped to maintain the data in a completely secure and confidential manner, while staying compliant with the state and federal data retention and privacy guidelines.

Schedule a Demo with Quentelle

To learn more about Quentelle’s industry-leading solutions for employers, and to explore a win-win partnership that will help navigate the costly and complicated landscape of unemployment, reach out to us today. You can schedule a demo with our unemployment cost management team at a convenient time. Call us at (888) 565-5515 or simply fill out this online contact form and we will respond shortly.

As an employer, you’ve experienced the frustration of working with a government agency.  You’ve paid federal, state, and local taxes.  You’ve worked through the paperwork for worker’s compensation and unemployment claims.  Some days, you think what could be worse?  

How Does the Unemployment Insurance Claims Process Work?

Unemployment insurance was created as part of the Social Security Act of 1935, and it has remained fundamentally the same for the last 85 years.  Although Congress created the program, its implementation was left to the individual states.  As a result, each state has its own state unemployment office.

Filing a Claim

When people apply for unemployment, they must meet state-specific requirements before they can receive benefits such as:

• They are actively looking for work.
• They have completed a waiting period.
• They were laid off. 

The claims process was originally an in-person, paper-based process.  Although some states transformed their operations, most offices follow the same procedure set out in 1935.  The only difference is the paper has been replaced with electronic copies.  

Reviewing a Claim

The state is responsible for granting or denying an unemployment claim; however, they do inform the claimant’s most recent employer that a claim has been filed.  The employer can contest the claim or let it stand.

• If the claim is legitimate, employers do not need to take further action.  The state will issue a determination letter to employers and claimants, indicating the decision.  
• Employers may contest the claim by responding to the notification letter within the specified timeframe.  Failure to respond may result in a forfeiture of the right to contest.

Contesting a claim requires documentation such as employment start and end dates, compensation, and job title. Payroll records and personnel files may be required.  Once the state has reviewed the information, it will issue a determination letter notifying the employer and claimant of the decision.

Appealing a Decision

Both the employer and claimant have the right to appeal a decision, but the appeal must be filed within a designated period of time. Appeals mean more documentation and additional filings.

Paying a Claim

As an employer, you begin paying for UI claims the moment you hire an employee.  Employer-only taxes are collected at the state and federal level for each employee.  The federal rate is fixed, but states determine an employer’s tax rate based on industry, experience, and the number of employees claiming benefits.  The more claims, the higher the rate.

How Could the Unemployment Claims Process Work?

Transforming the claims process requires a return to the original objectives of the unemployment insurance program.  Its purpose was to deliver financial assistance to the unemployed through prompt payment of benefits.  In-person safeguards were used to reduce fraudulent claims.  Today’s advanced technologies make it possible to expedite claim processing while protecting employers and UI agencies from system abuse.

Filing a Claim

Unemployment agencies use the State Information Data Exchange System (SIDES) to facilitate the electronic transfer of claims and associated documents.  Instead of sending notification letters through snail mail, agencies can deliver filing documentation to the employer electronically.  No time is lost in transit, giving the employer the maximum amount of time to prepare a response.  The computer-to-computer interface not only expedites the initial filing, but it also reduces the number of data-entry errors that can occur.

Reviewing a Claim

With an automated claim processing solution, the digitized information can be evaluated using artificial intelligence and machine learning.  By deploying rule-based technology, automated solutions can perform the following:

• Contest questionable claims
• Respond to inquiries within state-issued deadlines
• Verify claim-provided data

When discrepancies occur, the system can flag the claim for intervention.

For employers with employees in multiple jurisdictions, an automated solution can reduce processing errors.  The system can ensure that:

• No deadlines are missed.
• All information is provided.
• All legal considerations have been addressed.

Without advanced technology, UI staff could be inundated with changes in state-specific requirements.  Something as simple as an address change can derail the entire claim process.

Appealing a Decision

No matter who appeals a decision, employers will need to provide additional information.  A digital solution ensures that all documentation from the notification letter to the appeal request is in one location, making it easy to access.  Employees no longer have to search files, sort emails, or scour directories to find information.

Paying a Claim

Once a claim is approved, many companies consider the process complete and rarely, if ever, revisit a UI claim.  Given the workload associated with the process, it’s no wonder that employees lack the time to check each approved claim.  Yet, it is crucial that payments are monitored on an ongoing basis.  

The state rate (SUTA) varies from one jurisdiction to another, as does the method for calculating what SUTA an employer owes.  In most instances, the more an employer uses the system, the higher the tax rate.  A recent analysis by the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that the SUTA rate can increase nearly 30% after a series of layoffs.

Transforming the Process

At its core, digital transformation is the ability to use technology to change how companies operate and how they add value for their customers, employees, and business partners.  By deploying technology, organizations can become agile and better able to respond to business fluctuations.  With a platform-based solution, an enterprise can pivot and continue to process UI claims without disruption.

Automated solutions make it easier for businesses to realize faster processing times, reduce errors, and lower tax rates.  They also free employees to work on higher-value tasks that encourage collaboration and innovation.  Technology facilitates the growth of a digital culture that can sustain a digital transformation.  If you are looking for a UI claims management solution, contact us to schedule a demo.