Seeking Work Waivers for Unemployment
It’s that time of year again: layoff season. This may mean that many of your employees will be seeking unemployment benefits to compensate them during their temporary layoff. Since seeking work is a requirement of those collecting unemployment benefits, it also means that you may lose a few key employees during this time due to them finding another job. Fortunately, there are steps that you can take as the employer to help prevent this.
Employers have the option to request a Registration and Seeking Work (RSW) waiver from the unemployment agency to be applied to all of their employees while temporarily laid off. Under this waiver, eligible employees are allowed to collect benefits while not being required to seek work, complete weekly work searches, register for work, or be available for work while temporarily unemployed, making it much less likely for them to be actively pursued by another business.
In order to establish a waiver, there are certain criteria that must be met. For example:
- The reason for separation must be a layoff due to lack of work.
- The layoff will be temporary, meaning the employees will be expected to return to work within 45 days of their last day worked.
- The request for the waiver must be received by the agency before the employees are actually laid off.
In certain circumstances, employers may be able to request an extension of this waiver if the layoff continues beyond the initial 45 days. However, keep in mind, that there will be additional criteria that must be met to qualify for the extension as well.
If your employees are about to be laid off due to lack of work, contact the HR Department at UAP today. We will assist you in navigating the best approach to requesting a Registration and Seeking Work waiver to help you retain your valuable employees.
