2008 Employer Seminars Intro to: ECORE - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Presentation Transcript

2008 Employer SeminarsIntro to: ECORE

Roger Holmes – Benefits Bureau Chief

Roger.Holmes@labor.idaho.gov

332-3577 ext 3233

Craig Soelberg – Wage & Hour Compliance Office

Craig.Soelberg@labor.idaho.gov

332-3570 ext 3922

John Taylor, Operations Manager

John.Taylor@labor.idaho.gov

332-3576 ext 3258

Robert Courval, ECORE Project Manager

Robert.Courval@labor.idaho.gov

Unemployment Insurance Division

unemployment insurance facts calendar year 2007

134.4M US covered workers +2.3%

654,000 Idaho covered workers +5.5%

7.62 million employers were subject +2%

51,000 +2%

16.9 million initial claims filed +3%

95,412 +15%

7.6 million received a first benefit check +7%

45,360 received a first benefit check +10%

$32.4 billion paid in benefits +7%

$123,992,000 +9%

$287.71 average weekly benefit amount +4%

$254.97 +5%

15.3 weeks - average duration +1%

11.6 +3%

Unemployment Insurance Facts Calendar Year 2007

Idaho Department of Labor

Our 25 Local Offices serve Business and Job Seeker Customers!

Recruiting Employees for Business

Referring Workers to Jobs and Training

Workforce Services

For Business Customers

Online posting of job openings

Referral of qualified candidates

Knowledgeable staff to assist with recruiting

Office space for hiring events

Business development workshops

Local employer committees offering education & networking sessions

No fees

Workforce Services

For Job Seeker Customers

Access Job Listings

Career Guidance

Job Search Workshops

Computers, faxes, and copies for job search purposes

Services for Veterans

Youth Services

Layoff assistance

Workforce Services

Labor Market Information

www.lmi.idaho.gov

Workforce Services

Labor Market Information

Unemployment rate information

Workforce trends

Wage Data

Demographic information

Industry Statistics

Workforce Services

Employee Training

Workforce Development Training Fund

Workforce Investment Act Funds

www.labor.idaho.gov

Workforce Services

Calendar of Eventswww.labor.idaho.gov

Visit one of our 25 local offices statewide

For more information…

Unemployment Insurance Benefit Payment Systems

Unemployment Insurance

Benefits Bureau

Roger Holmes, Bureau Chief

Roger.Holmes@labor.idaho.gov

First four of the last five completed quarters.

(Current quarter and the most recently completed quarter have not been reported.)

What is a Base Period?

Chargeability and Liability

Two Kinds of Employers:

Cost Reimbursement, and
Experience Rated

Determine

The Base Period

The Major Base Experience Rated Employer (MBE)

The cause of the final separation from the MBE

How is Chargeability Decided?

For profit entities

Tax rate based on employer’s experience

Can be relieved of charges

Experience Rated Employers

Experience-rated employer

Paid the most wages during the base period

Not always the most recent employer

What is the Major Base Employer (MBE)?

Non-profit organizations

(501c3)

Government Agencies

schools, hospitals, cities and counties, etc

Do not pay a quarterly tax

Reimburse the fund for benefits paid

ALWAYS liable

Cost Reimbursement Employers

CURRENT BASE PERIOD

TOTAL

BP

WAGES

EMPLOYER

NAME Jan-Mar 06

Wages Apr-Jun 06

Wages Jul-Sept 06

Wages

Oct-Dec 06

Wages

ABC

(Exp Rated)

MBE

3,000

5,000

18,000

GHI

(Exp Rated)

2,200

5,000

17,200

TOTAL QTRLY WAGES

5,200

10,000

35,200

Claimant files a claim via

Internet

Idaho Department of Labor office

Employer Notification letter sent (Quit, Discharge, or Lack of Work)

Local office staff follow-up

Phone call within 7 business days

Filing and Notification

Discharge

Employer is the moving party

Employer must prove misconduct

Employer has the Burden of Proof

Quit

Claimant is the moving party

Claimant must show good cause

Claimant has the Burden of Proof

Burden of Proof

Reason for quitting was employment connected

Quit was for good cause

Attempt was made to remedy the situation before quitting

To be eligible the claimant must show:

Quit Issues

Willful disregard of employer’s interest

Deliberate violation of reasonable rules

Disregard for standard of behavior

Discharge Issues

Determining misconduct

Reason for discharge must be:

If the claimant is separated for reasons other than lack of work, let us know.

Issue a handbook or policy statement to each employee

Issue written warnings signed by employee & have witnesses

Have consistent methods for conveying policy changes

Protect Your Account

Deal with problems the same way for all employees

Tell IDOL about the last incident causing a discharge

Respond to IDOL requests for information in a timely manner – 48 hour response deadline

Protect Your Account

Copies of relevant written policies

Signed acknowledgement forms

Warnings, verbal & written

First person witness statements

Supporting documents

timecards, attendance records, medical reports, etc.

Proving Your Case

Provide Documentation:

Must be filed within 14 days of the mail date

State this is a protest

Must be in writing and signed by an interested party

Include your business name, address and phone number, the claimants name and SSN

How To File a Protest

You can:

Hand-deliver

Mail

Fax

the protest to an IDOL office or the Appeals Bureau

How To File a Protest

Employer provided a copy of relevant documents

Advise Appeals Bureau of witnesses

Call in to Conference Connection

Have appropriate parties in attendance

Have questions for claimant prepared

How Does an Appeal Work?

ALWAYS!When Should I Attend a Hearing?

Protest Process

Local Office Determination

Appeals Bureau

Industrial Commission

Idaho Supreme Court

Unemployment Insurance Tax and Benefit Fraud

Unemployment Insurance

Compliance Bureau

Don Arnold, Bureau Chief

Don.Arnold@labor.idaho.gov

John Taylor, Operations Manager

John.Taylor@labor.idaho.gov

We strive to ensure the integrity of the unemployment insurance trust fund.

Employer Compliance

Claimant Compliance

Collections

UI Compliance Bureau

Trust Fund

Create a fair playing field

Educate and Assist

Employer Compliance

Collections

Investigations

Audits

Seminars

Handbooks

Web – labor.idaho.gov

The number of covered employers in Idaho increases:

2.6% in 2003

4.5% in 2004

6.4% in 2005

2.6% in 2006

3.5% In 2007

Currently Idaho has >51,200 covered employers

2007 issues resolved =24,748

Employer Compliance

Trust Fund

Benefits Fraud & Overpayments

Claimant Compliance

Benefit Accuracy Audits

Fraud Investigations

Overpayment Establishments

Recovery

$123,992,000 benefits paid in 2007

$6,695,881 detectable/recoverable overpayments annually

$4,162,788 actually detected in 2007

$3,943,696 recovered in 2007

17th in Nation for Detection

Claimant Compliance

Misrepresenting work search efforts

Misreporting weekly earnings

Failing to report a return to work or subsequent quit

Misrepresenting able and available issues

Employer Coercion/Employee Agreement

Common Benefits Fraud

Online application is administered by Access Idaho

Same system for online services provided by other government agencies

Linked to Idaho Department of Labor’s system

Online Reporting

Benefits to online reporting

Can easily make status changes

Saves reports for three years

Can upload wage files

Will import all employees reported on the previous quarter

Computes excess wages and tax

Option to pay online when filing

Receive a transaction number to confirm successful filing

Online Reporting

Benefits to online reporting

May associate more than one unemployment insurance account to your username

May upload wage data for multiple employers in one file

May pay online separately for each report filed or may make one payment for multiple reports

Online Reporting

Primary purpose is to enforce child support orders on wages

Also used to prevent UI benefits fraud

Location and collection efforts

Mandatory to report new hires within 20 days of hire

If a rehire within 12 months of lay off, then not required to report

Report by: faxing W4 to 332-7411or online athttps://labor.idaho.gov/applications/newhire

New Hire Reporting

Employer Contact and Online REportingECORE

Report employees who are separated

View Statement of Benefit Charges

View current claims

Correspondence Inbox

Links for Appeals, Pay UI tax

ECORE

Administer Third Party Account

Manage Addresses and Locations

ECORE

Report employees who are separated

View claimants who have a claim

Correspondence Inbox

Links for Appeals, Pay UI tax

Administer Third Party Account

Manage Addresses and Locations

ECORE

How do I open an account?ECORE

Wage and Hour What is your Labor IQ?

Administering Idaho’s Labor Laws

Dawn McLees – Area Compliance Officer

Test your Labor Laws I.Q.

Education

Child Labor

Farm Labor Contracting

Discussion

Topics

Educate employers and employees of their obligations and rights under the Wage Payment Laws

Enforce Wage Payment Laws

License Farm Labor Contractors and monitor compliance

Our Purpose

Is this a state or federal Law?

$5.85 an hour, beginning on July 24, 2007

Minimum Wage Law

An employer pays bi-monthly and this payday falls on a Saturday. Can the employer pay on Monday?

Employer X is paying a tipped employee the $3.35 an hour required by state law.

Employer X does not have to pay

any more as long as that person

earns $30 or more in tips per month.

True or False?

Compensatory time is not permissible for covered employees working in the private sector.

True or False?

In Idaho, at termination or resignation, how long does an employer have to pay the employees wages?

A car salesman is paid on 100% commission. In a given pay period this car salesman does not sell any cars.

Is he owed anything?

There is no State or Federal

law requiring breaks, lunch

periods, or rest periods of any

kind, provided the worker is

16 years of age or older.

True or False?

You catch a worker that steals $400 from the till. You fire the individual and turn them into the police. Can you withhold their check to cover your loss?

An employer conducts a mandatory staff meeting after regular work hours. Do employees have to be paid for the time spent in attendance?

An employer requires employees to turn in timesheets every Friday. If an employee does not turn in the time sheet, can you wait until they do turn it in to give them a check?

Employees arrive at the business location load up necessary equipment and head out to the work site. Is the travel time from shop to work site paid time?