By Dave Caldwell
When a natural disaster disrupts operations, companies can often anticipate UI claim activity to increase for several weeks or months afterwards. Having workflow processes and training completed in advance is ideal, but in the event disaster strikes before you have those protocols in place, there are a few things to remember:
Unemployment claims that occur because of and during a Major Disaster Declaration made by the President of the United States may be processed under the Disaster Unemployment Assistance program, if the claim falls within the Disaster Assistance Period (DAP) and the employee is not otherwise eligible for regular UI.
In some states, employers become eligible for unemployment benefits charge relief when a Major Disaster is declared.
If a displaced worker IS eligible for regular UI, a regular UI claim should be filed, but it is important to note that during a Disaster Assistance Period (DAP), some employers become eligible for unemployment benefits charge relief, though not all states offer it. For example, North Carolina provides for employer account charge relief, New York does not.
So when a natural disaster affects your workforce, the following adjustments should be made to the unemployment claims management process:
For more information about how Equifax can help your organization with unemployment cost management, contact Pete Krieshok at 314.214.7325 or pete.krieshok@Equifax.com.