CBIA Comments on DOL Unemployment Insurance Regulations

Connecticut’s Department of Labor recently put out for notice and comment a set of regulations needed to implement the new electronic Unemployment Insurance State Information Data Exchange System.
The program, once fully operational, will allow speedier communications between employers and the labor department related to unemployment claims.
The comment period opened May 24th and closed on June 27th.
CBIA commented on behalf of member companies in support of the department’s addition of a “good cause provision” for employers’ untimely responses to notices of predetermination hearings.
However, CBIA suggested the language used by the department was too narrow, and did not incorporate certain instances where a late response was due to agency error or circumstances beyond an employer’s control—like the closure of highways during snow storms.
The department also shortened the employer’s response time by up to a half a day.
On July 19, the labor department notified the Secretary of the State that, in response to CBIA’s comments, they would be modifying part of the revised regulation to incorporate CBIA’s language pertaining to the good cause provision.
Unfortunately, technical limitations of the state’s new data exchange system prevented the department from adopting CBIA’s recommendations regarding the response time period.
The revised regulation will need to be approved by the state legislature’s Regulations Review Committee.

For more information, contact CBIA’s Eric Gjede (860.244.1931) | @egjede