An important question that you, as the employer, must consider when dealing with unemployment benefits is, what can I do to ensure that only those who truly qualify are able to collect benefits?
Unemployment benefits are administered at the state level on a case-by-case basis. Therefore, a situation that may qualify a worker for benefits in one state may not qualify a similarly situated worker for benefits in another state. Even so, it may yield different results for the workers or claimants within the same state.
As the summertime is upon us, you may encounter unique employment situations that do not come up the rest of the year. Many employees, who may work in education, perform work closely associated with a school’s schedule. They have occasional breaks throughout the year and are often off work for the summer. These particular employees typically file for unemployment benefits. In order to assist them with unemployment, you must provide documentation to the state in regards to their last day of work and if they are expected to return to work. By doing so, will not delay the process of determination and may be a critical factor to ensure those who truly qualify are able to receive benefits.
Voluntary terminations usually do not qualify a worker to collect benefits. However, to protect your company from claims from workers who have voluntarily terminated, you should attempt to get signed letters from those who choose to leave. If there is no signed letter of resignation, you can always document the resignations as closely as possible to help your defense in fighting the claim.
On the other hand, involuntary terminations are much more difficult to predict. The records you keep of the disciplinary actions and the final incident that led to the termination is your best defense if the worker files for unemployment benefits.
The more documentation you have regarding the employee leading up to and including the termination, the more likely you are to ensure only those who truly qualify receive unemployment benefits. Regardless of the particular situation with the employee, Tilson is here to help you through the process.
