A Guide to Your Rights & Responsibilities When Claiming Unemployment Benefits in Connecticut

Transcription

1 A Guide to Your Rights & Responsibilities When Claiming Unemployment Benefits in Connecticut DISPONIBLE EN ESPAÑOL Llame a la Línea de TeleBenefits o visite Su officina local del Departamento de Trabajo You are responsible for understanding the information in this booklet. Please read this information carefully to learn procedures for filing claims, eligibility requirements for benefits and the appeals process. Job Search Assistance - Page 1 Visit our Web site

2 To the Unemployment Insurance Claimant Thank you for calling the Connecticut Department of Labor Unemployment Insurance TeleBenefits Line or filing for benefits on our Web site. We are sending you this booklet to provide you with information concerning your Unemployment Insurance claim. It is your responsibility to read this booklet carefully as it explains your benefit rights. This booklet will give you a better understanding of procedures for filing claims, for determining eligibility for benefits, and for filing appeals. We want to be as helpful as possible in seeing that every eligible person receives full benefits and is paid promptly. The automated initial claims process and weekly claims system will allow you to: file your claim from the privacy of your home telephone file your claim at your convenience save time by not having to travel to file in person save time by not having to stand or wait in lines You are invited to visit our CTWorks Career Centers for assistance in finding a job. In addition, you maybe contacted to report to a Career Center in order to review your eligibility for benefits. For more information on services available in Career Centers, see page 1 in this booklet, or you may access our Web site at: We have every expectation that you will find our automated filing system to be a convenient and efficient experience. The Unemployment Insurance TeleBenefits Line is separate from the Career Centers. Its purpose is to accept and complete new and reopened claims for benefits filed by telephone, process weekly telephone claims and answer any questions regarding unemployment benefits. UC-288 (Rev. 11/09)

3 TABLE OF CONTENTS CTWorks CAREER CENTERS UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE Basic Eligibility Requirements Who is Protected by Unemployment Insurance? Your Legal Right to File a Claim How to Apply for Unemployment Insurance Your Reason for Being Unemployed - Are Benefits Allowable? Availability for Work Reasonable Efforts to Find Work Enhanced Re-employment Services Reasons Your Weekly Benefits may be Reduced or Denied Self-Employment Educational Employment/Professional Athletes What If Your Eligibility for Benefits Is Questioned? Appeal Rights Overpayment Qualifying For a Second Benefit Year Benefits are Taxable Federal Earned Income Tax Credit Quality Control Combined Wage Claim - Work in More than One State Moving from Connecticut Ex-Federal Employees (UCFE) State and Municipal Employees Ex-Military (UCX) Trade Adjustment Assistance for Workers Non-U.S. Citizens Dislocated Workers GUIDE TO USING THE TELEBENEFITS LINE Filing Your Weekly Continued Claim Who May Use the TeleBenefits Line? When to Call How to Access the TeleBenefits Line If You Change Your Address If a Check is Lost/Stolen/Damaged When You Return to Full-Time Work What About Part-Time Work? Five Choices (Options) Available on the TeleBenefits Line OFFICES OF THE APPEALS DIVISION TELEBENEFITS TELEPHONE NUMBERS Back Cover

4 CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF LABOR CT WORKS Career Center PHONE MAILING ADDRESS bridgeport (203) lafayette square 2 lafayette SQUARE BRIDGEPORT, ct danbury (203) LIBERTY st 4 LIBERTY ST DANBURY, ct danielson (860) westcott rd 95 westcott RD DANIELSON, ct enfield (860) enfield st 620 enfield ST ENFIELD, CT hamden (203) marne st 37 marne ST HAMDEN, ct hartford (860) main st 3580 main ST HARTFORD, ct meriden (203) West Main St 85 West Main ST MERIDEN, ct middletown (860) south main st 645 south main ST MIDDLETOWN, ct new britain (860) lafayette st 260 lafayette ST NEW britain, ct new london (860) SHAW s cove six shaw s cove SIX NEW london, ct norwich (860) NORTH building, suite Salem turnpike NORWICH, ct torrington (860) main st kmart plaza kmart plaza TORRINGTON, ct waterbury (203) thomaston ave 249 thomaston ave. WATERBURY, ct willimantic (860) main st 1320 main ST WILLIMANTIC, ct

5 Visit the Department of Labor at your local CTWorks Career Center CTWorks Career Centers At a Department of Labor office located at your local CTWorks Center, job seekers can learn to create a résumé, brush up on interview and networking skills, develop an education program to launch a new career, find solid job leads, and get the tools, information and support they need to conduct their own job search or make a career change. With offices statewide, we bring job seekers together with potential employers through easy access to a wide variety of job and career information services. We register individuals for employment by gathering important information about skills, education, background and employment history. Counseling, testing or job training may be appropriate before referral to jobs. We also have representatives who assist military veterans, persons with disabilities, youth, older workers and others with special needs. The Federal Bonding program may be able to assist ex-offenders and individuals with other problems who may have difficulty in finding a job because employers will not or cannot hire without some assurance or protection against possible loss. The CTWorks Career Centers feature these services: Self Service and Career Resource Areas Job Listings Newspapers Phones, fax, copier Computers Internet access, word processing Resource information, books, videos Information on education and skills training Information and referral to other support services Information on employment, wage and economic trends 1.

6 Workshops Include: Job Search Skills Networking Résumé Writing Skills Identification Internet Job Search Career Exploration Interviewing Techniques Overcoming Age Barriers Schedules and registration for workshops are available on our Web site at or contact the center nearest you. Department of Labor Web Site Our Web site, offers a wealth of information and services to assist in the job search. Some of the highlights include Connecticut s CT JobCentral, Job & Career ConneCTion and Labor Market Information. CT JobCentral CT JobCentral is a state labor exchange in alliance with JobCentral national labor exchange powered by Direct Employer. This self-service job bank provides a wide range of employment services, which includes job listing distribution to and from state employment websites as well as participation in the national labor exchange with other states. Job seekers can search jobs representing all types of work, from professional and technical to blue collar. There is also an electronic résumé service for job seekers and employers. Job seekers enter their résumés online and employers search the résumés for qualified candidates. Features include: Career and job search information Hot links to other job-related Web sites Standardized résumé format Security and confidentiality of information Links to other local services and information Job Search Agents - automatically notifies you by whenever a job that matches your skills is listed on CT JobCentral 2.

7 Job & Career ConneCTion Provides the most comprehensive source of local information on jobs and careers in Connecticut. Features include: Local wages, number of job openings and projected growth rate of occupations Descriptions of over 800 occupations including education, training and licensing requirements Detailed information on over 140,000 Connecticut employers, including maps to their locations Search for local services: child care, transportation, health care and housing Connecticut education, training and financial aid information Visit for more information on: Workshops Recruitments in our centers Labor Market Information Job and Career Fairs Connecticut Labor Market AT-A-Glance Employment services Tips on Finding Jobs Résumé Writing Interviewing Techniques Dislocated Worker Services Veterans programs Youth Employment Site Links to state and federal job announcements Wage and Workplace Standards Apprenticeship Unemployment Insurance Benefits Public computers are available at our centers and libraries statewide. Our goal is to assist you in obtaining employment as soon as possible. U.S. Military Veterans are provided priority in all of the US DOL funded employment and training programs, which are available through the CT Works Career Centers. Additionally, Veterans Specialists are available in the Bridgeport, Hamden, Hartford, New Britain, New London and Waterbury offices to provide one-on-one services to disabled, combat, recently separated and other veterans who would benefit from intensive services. For more information go to or call one of the CT Works Centers listed below. Office for Veteran s Workforce Development Locations: Bridgeport 2 Lafayette Sq New Britain 260 Lafayette St Hamden 37 Marne St New London Shaw s Cove Six Hartford 3580 Main St Waterbury 249 Thomaston Ave

8 UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE What is it? Unemployment Insurance is temporary income for workers who are unemployed through no fault of their own and who are either looking for new jobs, in approved training, or awaiting recall to employment. The funding for unemployment insurance benefits comes from taxes paid by employers. Workers do not pay any of the costs. To qualify for unemployment benefits, you must have earned sufficient wages during a specified time (monetary eligibility). To collect those benefits, you must meet certain legal eligibility requirements. BASIC ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS To qualify for benefits, BASIC ELIGIBILITY you must: REQUIREMENTS Be fully or partially unemployed. Be unemployed through no fault of your own; the law imposes disqualifications for certain types of separations from employment Be physically and mentally able to work and available for work as defined by law. Be registered with the Career Center. Be actively seeking work by making reasonable efforts to find employment each week (or be excused from this requirement because of your participation in approved training). Participate in selected reemployment services IF you are identified as a dislocated worker bythe enhanced reemployment services system. File your weekly claims as directed. These requirements are fully explained within this booklet and on our Web site: All statutes and regulations governing eligibility are available for inspection at your local Career Center. WHO IS PROTECTED BY UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE? Most workers are covered by the Unemployment Insurance system. However, there are some major categories of employment that are not: Types of Employment Not Covered Among the major categories of employment not covered by the law are: 4.

9 Newspaper carriers under age 18 who deliver to customers. Insurance agents (other than industrial life insurance agents). Real estate persons paid only by commission. Sole proprietors and partners. Children under 21 employed by a parent and anyone employed by his or her spouse. Certain religious or church related employment. Work in Connecticut covered under the unemployment compensation law of another state. Railroad workers (railroads are self-insured). Outside sales representatives of a for-profit travel agency. YOUR LEGAL RIGHT TO FILE A CLAIM Protection of Individual Rights Under the Unemployment Compensation Act You have a legal right to file a claim for unemployment benefits or to testify on behalf of a co-worker or anyone else filing a claim for benefits. It is illegal for an employer to discharge, discipline, penalize or discriminate against you because you filed a claim for benefits, testified in an Unemployment Compensation hearing or exercised any right afforded by the Unemployment Compensation Act. Any person who believes he or she has been discharged, disciplined, penalized or discriminated against in retaliation for exercising rights under the Unemployment Compensation Act may file a written complaint to the Labor Commissioner, who is authorized to conduct hearings and award appropriate relief if the complaint is valid. All complaints should be mailed to the following address: Connecticut Department of Labor 200 Folly Brook Boulevard Wethersfield, Connecticut Attn: Office of Program Policy HOW TO APPLY FOR UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE Starting a Basic New Claim To apply for Unemployment Insurance, you must complete an initial (or new) claim by telephone or over the Internet. A claim should be filed with the Connecticut Department of Labor (CTDOL) TeleBenefits Line as soon as you are separated from employment. The TeleBenefits telephone numbers are listed on the back cover of this booklet. The web site for filing over the Internet is A claim for benefits is effective (begins) with the Sunday of the week in which you call in your claim. 5.

10 Information about you, your dependents and your work history is recorded and used by the CTDOL to establish your claim. It is very important that the information provided is accurate. All correspondence, including benefit checks, is mailed to the address that you provide. There are penalties for making false statements to obtain benefits. The information you provide is subject to verification. Your benefit amounts are based on your earnings in covered employment in a base period which consists of the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters prior to the date of your claim. Commencing with benefit years effective on or after January 5, 2003, individuals who cannot establish monetary eligibility using wages in the previously described base period will use an alternate base period. The alternate base period consists of the four calendar quarters immediately preceding the quarter in which the claim is filed. Your WEEKLY BENEFIT RATE is 1/26 of the average of the two highest quarters during the base period, but cannot exceed the maximum benefit rate established by law. For construction workers, the weekly benefit rate is 1/26 of the highest quarter in the base period. In either case, your total base period earnings must equal at least 40 times your weekly benefit rate in order to qualify for benefits. A dependency allowance for an eligible dependent is $15.00 each week. Total dependency allowances cannot be paid for more than five dependents ($75), and may never exceed your weekly benefit rate. Besides having sufficient wages in your base period to establish a weekly benefit rate, another key element in determining your eligibility for benefits is your reason for being unemployed. All employers are legally required to provide a form UC-61 Unemployment Notice, commonly known as a pink slip and an attached packet Application for Unemployment Benefits, whenever a worker becomes unemployed for any reason. The pink slip contains the employer s stated reason for your unemployment (for example, laid off for lack of work, voluntarily left, discharged). The application packet contains information about how to file a new claim by telephone, the questions you will be asked and any special information you should have available when you call. The application packet (English and Spanish) is available to download from the Web site. Do not delay filing your claim if your employer has not or will not issue you such a notice. YOU SHOULD CALL TO FILE YOUR CLAIM IMMEDIATELY. Benefits will not be paid retroactively for weeks preceding the filing of your claim unless it is established through a hearing process that good cause for late filing exists. The information provided to the Connecticut Department of Labor for the purpose of establishing a claim for Unemployment Compensation Benefits, including your Social Security Number, may be subject to verification 6.

11 through computer matching programs, according to agreements with other Federal, State, or Local government agencies. Filing Your Weekly Continued Claim For information on filing weekly claims for benefits, by telephone or over the Internet, please see page 30. YOUR REASON FOR BEING UNEMPLOYED - ARE BENEFITS ALLOWABLE? If your employer has indicated on your unemployment notice that you were laid off for lack of work or your job was eliminated due to a work force reduction, you will normally be determined eligible for benefits without the need for a hearing of any type. However, if your employer has indicated on the notice that you quit or were discharged for misconduct or some other reason, a hearing will normally be scheduled with an adjudications specialist at the Career Center nearest you within ten to fourteen days from the date you first file. Your employer will be mailed a notice of this hearing and will be asked to provide a statement in person, by telephone, or in writing regarding your job separation. At the hearing, you will be asked questions about the circumstances under which you became unemployed. You should answer these questions directly and honestly. The hearing is informal. You have the right to present any evidence, documents or witnesses you wish, as does your employer. You may furnish a written statement if you desire. You will be given a questionnaire to guide you regarding the types of questions likely to be asked. You have the right to be represented by anyone you choose. If you discover during the hearing that you need additional evidence, documents or witnesses to present your case fully, you may request that the hearing be continued and rescheduled for a later date to be determined by the adjudications specialist. Following the hearing, the adjudicator will make a decision as to whether your reason for becoming unemployed is or is not disqualifying under Connecticut Compensation Law. If you are disqualified, you will receive a letter explaining the legal reason for the disqualification, usually within a few days. You may appeal this decision to an Employment Security Appeals Referee. (See Appeal Rights Page 20) If you are found eligible, you will be mailed a check for each week you have claimed to date. Your former employer may appeal a decision awarding you benefits. In general, the Connecticut Unemployment Compensation Act is intended to provide benefits to workers who are out of work through no fault of their 7.

12 own. When a worker quits a job, benefits may be awarded only when the worker has shown good cause attributable to the employer for quitting. When a worker is fired, benefits will be awarded unless the conduct that caused the discharge is disqualifying under the law. Any separations from employment must be reported including any separations from part-time work that occur while filing for benefits. If You Quit Your Job The general rule is that a person who voluntarily leaves suitable work without good cause attributable to the employer is not eligible for benefits until he or she has returned to work and earned ten times his or her weekly benefit rate. For good cause to be attributable to the employer, it must somehow relate to the wages, hours or working conditions of the job you voluntarily left. A change in conditions created by your employer or a breach of your employment agreement which is substantial and adversely affects you might be good cause for leaving attributable to the employer. In addition, good cause attributable to the employer may exist if the job itself adversely affects your health or aggravates or worsens a medical condition. Regardless of the cause for leaving, in most cases, good cause attributable to the employer may only be found if you took reasonable steps to inform your employer of your dissatisfaction and sought to remedy the problem before you left. Since you are the one who quit the job, it is your burden to prove that there was good cause for leaving. Reasons that are not considered good cause attributable to the employer, that will result in disqualification from benefits under current law include: quitting for a better job and quitting to relocate with your family. There are, however, nine reasons that are not specifically connected with the work, but the law says are proper reasons for approving a quit. Benefits may be awarded if you are otherwise eligible. These are: 1. if you have left work to care for a spouse, child or parent with an illness or disability; 2. if you have left work because your means of transportation to and from work (other than your personally owned vehicle) has been discontinued, provided no reasonable alternative transportation is available; 3. if you accepted other employment while on a layoff from your regular work and then left that other employment when you were recalled to your former job; 8.

13 4. if you left work that was outside your regular apprentice able trade to return to work in your regular apprentice able trade; 5. if you left work solely because of governmental regulation or statute; 6. if you left part time work to accept full time work. 7. if you left work to protect yourself or a child, spouse or parent from becoming or remaining a victim of domestic violence, provided you made reasonable efforts to preserve your employment. 8. if you left your job to accompany a spouse who is required to relocate while on active duty with the United States Armed forces. 9. If you left your job on or after April 15, 2009 to accompany a spouse to a place from which it is impractical to commute due to a change in location of your spouse s employment If You Quit Part-time Work The law provides for a limited disqualification when an individual voluntarily quits a part time job. When a disqualifying voluntary leaving of part time work precedes a non disqualifying separation from full time work, the wages earned from that part time employer must be removed from the Base Period and cannot be used in determining Monetary Eligibility. In such cases, Monetary Eligibility will be determined based on any wages that remain in the Base Period. The removal of the part time wages may result in no change to the Weekly Benefit Rate, a lowered rate or the elimination of the rate. Whenever such a disqualification is imposed, you will be notified by letter and a new Monetary Determination will be issued to you showing which wage credits were used and the Weekly Benefit Rate that resulted. In addition, if you quit a part time job without sufficient cause after a compensable (approvable) separation from full time employment, you may still be eligible for benefits, but the amount will be reduced by two thirds of the gross wages you were being paid on that part time job. If You Were Discharged If you have been fired or suspended, you may be disqualified from benefits until you have earned ten times your weekly benefit rate and are otherwise eligible if your employer proves that the reason he fired or suspended you was one of the following: 1. Wilful misconduct in the course of your employment. The term wilful misconduct means deliberate misconduct in wilful disregard of the employer s interest, or a single knowing violation of a reasonable 9.

14 and uniformly enforced rule or policy of the employer, when reasonably applied, provided such violation is not a result of the employee s incompetence. In the case of absence from work, wilful misconduct means an employee must be absent without notice or good cause for three separate instances within an 12-month period. 2. Conduct which is a felony under Connecticut law or federal law and occurred in the course of your employment. 3. Conduct which constitutes larceny of property or service whose value exceeds 25 dollars in the course of your employment. Also conduct which constitutes larceny of cash regardless of the amount of such currency. 4. Participation in a strike which is illegal under federal or state law or applied, provided such violation is not a result of the employee s incompetence. In the case of absence from work, wilful misconduct means an employee must be absent without notice or good cause for three separate instances within an 12-month period. 5. You were sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 30 days or longer and had begun serving that sentence. 6. You were discharged or suspended because you were disqualified under state or federal law from performing the work for which you were hired as a result of a drug or alcohol testing program mandated by and conducted in accordance with such law. If You Retired A worker who voluntarily retires from a job is ineligible for benefits until he or she has again been paid wages equaling 40 times his/her weekly benefit rate and is otherwise eligible. Generally, retirement is defined as an individual s withdrawal from the labor market. The fact that a person receives a pension upon termination of his employment does not always mean that he/she has retired. To determine if a person has retired, we must assess the person s intent at the time he/she left the job. However, if the reason for the retirement is because the job has become unsuitable in light of the worker s physical condition and the degree of risk to health and safety, the worker may still be eligible for benefits, provided he/she requested other work from the employer which was suitable and the employer did not offer him/her such work. A worker whose retirement was not voluntary is normally eligible for benefits, provided he or she is able and available for work as defined by law. In addition, in certain instances, a worker s retirement will be treated as involuntary if the retirement was induced by the employer in an effort to close a facility or eliminate the worker s position, or if the worker reasonably believed the employment would be severed if he/she rejected the employer s inducement to retire. The portion of your pension benefit that relates to your employer s contribution is deducted from your weekly benefit rate. 10.

15 If You Are Involved in a Labor Dispute You will be ineligible for benefits during any week in which your unemployment is due to the existence of a labor dispute other than a lockout at the factory, premises or other establishment at which you have been employed. You may be found eligible for benefits even if your un employment is the result of a labor dispute if you can show either: 1. You are not participating in, financing or directly interested in the labor dispute which caused your unemployment and you do not belong to the trade, class or organization whose members worked on the premises immediately before the labor dispute began and are participating in, financing or directly interested in the dispute, or 2. Your unemployment is due to a lockout. A lockout exists when an employer: (a) fails to provide employment to workers with whom it is engaged in a labor dispute either by physically closing the plant or informing the workers there will be no work until the labor dispute has terminated; or (b) announces that work will be available after a contract has expired only under terms and conditions less favorable than the last terms and conditions of employment. In each of the above situations, for a lockout to exist, the workers union or representative has to inform the employer that the workers involved in the dispute are willing to work under those last terms and conditions pending negotiation of a new contract. Leave of Absence If you are on a leave of absence from your employment, a hearing will be held to determine whether you are able and available for full time work. If the reason for your leave is medical you are physically unable to perform your normal job and your employer has no other suitable work for you you may be eligible for benefits if you are physically capable of performing some other type of work and are looking for work in that field. If your leave of absence is for a definite time period, you must, at a minimum be available for temporary employment. Depending on your circumstances, we may advise you regarding any more specific work search obligations. If your leave of absence was essentially voluntary in nature and your regular job or some other suitable work is available to you, and you are capable of performing it, then the adjudications specialist will probably find that you are not eligible for benefits since you are not available for suitable work in this case, your regular job. 11.

16 Educational Employees Employees of public and nonprofit educational institutions may not be paid benefits based on services performed for such institutions between academic years or terms and during vacation and holiday recesses if they have a contract or reasonable assurance of returning to work in the same or similar capacity when classes resume. If you are an employee of an educational institution who is filing for benefits between academic years or terms or during a recess, you should identify yourself as an educational employee when you first file, so that you can be provided with more detailed information regarding this provision of the law and how it applies to you. (See EDUCATIONAL EMPLOYMENT/ PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES Page 18) If You Are a Professional Athlete If substantially all of the services you performed in your base period consist of participation in sports or athletic events or training or preparation for such participation, you will not be paid benefits between sports seasons if you have a reasonable assurance of performing the same type of services in the ensuing sports season. (See EDUCATIONAL EMPLOYMENT/ PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES Page 18) AVAILABILITY FOR WORK You must be physically and mentally able to work during each week for which you claim benefits. You must be available for work during each week for which you are claiming benefits. This means you must be ready, willing and able to accept any suitable work. If you place unreasonable restrictions on the type of work you are willing to accept or how far you are willing to travel to a job to such an extent that you are no longer genuinely exposed to your normal labor market, you may be denied benefits on the grounds that you are not available for work within the meaning of the law. For example, if your entire work experience is as a skilled carpenter, you are still physically capable of working as a carpenter, you have no other marketable skills and carpentry jobs exist in your area, then your unwillingness to accept any employment as a carpenter would probably result in a determination that you are not available for work because you have seriously reduced your prospects for finding suitable work. Generally, an individual must be available for and seeking full-time work. Under certain conditions, a person who has a disability may be able to limit his or her availability for work to part time only. A claimant can qualify for unemployment compensation by: (1) providing documentation from a licensed physician which establishes that (a) he or she has a physical or mental impairment that is chronic or expected to be long-term or permanent, and (b) the impairment leaves him or her unable to work full-time, and (2) demonstrating that the impairment does not effectively remove him or her from the labor force. 12.

17 If you have a reasonably certain date of recall by your former employer or a definite starting date with a new employer, you must be available for suitable temporary work during the time before you are scheduled to return to work in order to comply with the law regarding availability. During the weeks immediately after you first become unemployed, you may limit your work search to employment that is equivalent to your highest previous wage and skill level. However, after a reasonable period, if you have not found new employment, you will be expected to broaden your availability to other types of work and to jobs which may pay less than your highest previous wage. You may be interviewed periodically by Career Center staff, who will advise you regarding what you must do to insure that you comply with the legal requirement of availability for work. Registration for Employment Services At the time you file a new claim, you will also be registered for employment services to help you return to work as soon as possible. You must maintain an active employment registration as long as you continue to file weekly claims for unemployment compensation. Visit your Career Center for job seeking assistance. (See page 1 CTWorks Center.) Unless you have a definite date to return to work with your former employer in the immediate future, your registration will result in consideration for referrals to appropriate employment-related services, as well as direct referrals to employers for job openings. You may be notified of employment opportunities either by telephone or by a notice sent in the mail. In either case, you must respond and follow through immediately. Failure to report immediately to the Career Center if sent a call-in notice or to an employer if given a job referral could result in your being disqualified from benefits until such time as you have returned to work and earned six times your benefit rate. Refusal of Suitable Work In determining whether you had sufficient cause for refusing a job or a referral to a job, the Career Center will consider whether the job you were offered or referred to was suitable for you. Factors to be taken into account are whether the job is in your usual occupation or if it is work for which you are reasonably fitted, whether the job is within a reasonable distance of your home, your prior training, experience and skills, your previous wage level and how long you have been unemployed, and whether the job poses any unreasonable risks to your health or safety. In addition, CTDOL staff will also consider whether the wages, hours and working conditions of the work offered or referred to are substantially less favorable than those prevailing for similar work in the same area. 13.

18 In some cases, an offer of temporary work may be an offer of suitable employment when the factors which determine suitability are considered. A temporary employee of a temporary help service who refuses to accept suitable employment when it is offered by such service upon completion of an assignment may be disqualified. It is important that you respond to a call in notice from the Career Center to learn about the job. If you are uncertain about whether the job described is suitable for you, then you should accept the referral and report to the employer to learn more about it. Remember, if the job is found to be suitable under the law, you may be disqualified from benefits for either failing to accept the job offer itself or for failure to apply for the job when referred by the CTDOL staff. In addition, whenever it is reported to the CTDOL that you have refused any offer of employment, a hearing must be conducted to establish whether or not you refused the job and whether the work offered was suitable under the guidelines which have been described. Benefits may be delayed for up to five working days pending a final decision. If it is determined that you refused suitable work, you will be disqualified from benefits effective with the week you refused the job. (See WHAT IF ELIGIBILITY FOR BENEFITS IS QUESTIONED? Page 19 and REGISTRATION FOR EMPLOYMENT SERVICES Page 13) Attendance at a School, College or University If you are separated from employment, become eligible for benefits and then decide to begin attending a school, college or university as a regularly enrolled student, you may continue to collect benefits, provided you are available for and seeking full time work which does not conflict with classes. (If you quit your job in order to attend school, on the other hand, you will be disqualified from receiving benefits). If you were a full time student anytime during the two years prior to your separation from employment, you must also have been a full time employee during that same two year period in order to receive this consideration. Otherwise, you must be willing and able to change classes or drop out of school if you find a job which conflicts with your classes. Eligibility for Benefits While Enrolled in an Approved Training Course If, after you have been determined eligible for benefits, you enroll in a job training course, you may be exempted from the requirements of being available for work, making efforts to find work and having to accept referrals to and offers of work, provided the CTDOL determines that: 1. The training will help you develop the skills or abilities needed to find a 14.

19 job, and there are or will be future employment opportunities for that type of work in the area in which you intend to seek work; 2. Reasonable employment opportunities do not exist or have substantially diminished in your labor market for that type of work you are best fitted to perform at your highest skill level; and 3. The training facility or sponsor has determined that you are qualified to complete the training course. Any training under the Workforce Investment Act falls within these guidelines as approved training. If you are about to enroll in any training course, you should call the TeleBenefits Line immediately so it can be determined if you can collect the benefits available to you while in training. Unemployment Insurance is not extended because you are in training except through Trade Act approval. Even if you are paying for the training yourself, it may be considered approved training by the CTDOL. Pregnancy And New Mothers In order to be eligible for unemployment benefits, each claimant must be physically able to work, looking for work and available for work at the hours that are usual for the claimant s occupation. These rules hold for pregnant women as well as new mothers. Your benefits cannot be denied solely because of pregnancy or being a mother, provided you are otherwise eligible. You will not be required to undergo an informal hearing simply because of pregnancy. You may not be asked if you are pregnant unless it is physically obvious. At that point, you may be required to provide a medical certificate indicating the expected date of delivery and the last day on which you will be able to work. After giving birth, you may qualify for benefits as soon as you are physically able to work, looking for work and otherwise eligible, and file a claim. If you file within four weeks of childbirth, your eligibility for benefits will be evaluated at a hearing. You may not be asked about breast-feeding. As with all claimants, you will be asked to name the person who will provide child care while you work. Once that question is answered, you may not be asked anything further about child care arrangements. If your employment was terminated because of pregnancy, you may be eligible for benefits provided you are physically able to work, looking for a job and meet all other requirements. If you left work or are on a leave of 15.

20 absence because of pregnancy but are able to do another type of work and are otherwise eligible, you may collect benefits while pregnant. It is emphasized, however, that you must be otherwise eligible. You will not be required to accept unsuitable work nor be denied job referrals to potential employment solely because of pregnancy. REASONABLE EFFORTS TO FIND WORK The Unemployment Compensation law says that an unemployed worker must make reasonable efforts to find employment each week. This means that you should look for and apply for jobs that you are qualified to do. You should apply for suitable employment by whatever means is most likely to bring your skills to the attention of a prospective employer and increase your chances of getting hired. Usually, the best method of job search is to apply in person. However, for certain types of employment, application by résumé is customary and may be more appropriate. Generally, in person contacts should be made whenever they increase the possibility of your being hired. As a general rule, telephoning prospective employers (as opposed to in person contacts) is not a reasonable method of searching for work unless the employer specifically encourages telephone contact. While the law does not specify what number of efforts to find work you must make each week, courts have generally said that an unemployed person who makes at least three employer contacts in a week has made reasonable efforts to obtain work during that week. Of course, it is necessary that those efforts be directed toward work which you are qualified to do and that you apply through the means best suited to securing the job you are seeking. In general, repeat contacts are not considered to be reasonable unless there is a definite reason to believe returning to the same employer would create favorable prospects for securing employment. There may be some instances in which one or two employer contacts in a given week would be considered reasonable efforts; for example, if you accept an offer of employment to start the following week after making only one contact. Although you will not necessarily be questioned about your efforts every week, the Career Center will check your efforts periodically and has the right to question and verify your employer contacts in any week. Therefore, you should keep a list of those employers with whom you have applied, the type of work you sought, the date of the contact, the employer s response and the name or title of the person you contacted. If you travel out of state to look for work during a one or two week period for which you wish to claim benefits, keep a detailed list of job search contacts. Upon your return to the area, contact the TeleBenefits Line to schedule a review of your availability for work, specifically your job search activities while you were out of state. 16.

21 Finally, if you have a confirmed return to work date, contact the Tele- Benefits Line for advice on your work search obligation. Keeping a record of weekly employer contacts is important not only for periodic determinations by the Career Center, but also because some people who file for benefits are randomly selected for an audit of their unemployment claims by the CTDOL s Quality Control Unit. You should be able to provide the auditor information regarding your employer contacts for the week being reviewed and the dates the contacts were made. Failure to provide this information could result in a retroactive denial of benefits for that week, and you would be liable to repay the benefits you received. ENHANCED RE-EMPLOYMENT SERVICE The Enhanced Re-employment Services program identifies customers who are likely to exhaust their unemployment benefits before returning to the same or similar employment. This program provides additional services to these job-seeking customers to help them get back to work more quickly. If you are selected to participate, you will be given an orientation and overview of the program. Your participation is required as a condition of eligibility. Failure to participate in any re-employment services to which you are referred may result in a disqualification for unemployment benefits. After an assessment of your re-employment needs, a service plan will be created to meet those needs. Based on your needs, you may be referred to a variety of services including, but not limited to: Career counseling Labor Market Information Job search seminars/ Resume writing Employment referrals Interviewing assistance REASONS YOUR WEEKLY BENEFITS MAY BE REDUCED OR DENIED Your weekly benefit check can be reduced if you receive certain types of income or payments that arise out of past or present employment. You must report to the TeleBenefits Line receipt of any of the following 17.

22 payments when received or when you are informed that you will be receiving such payment. Part-time wages or wages for any work performed, including tips, (Must be reported WHEN EARNED NOT WHEN PAID). Two-thirds of the amount of your weekly gross earnings is deductible from your weeklybenefit rate. Remuneration from self-employment Vacation pay Severance pay or wages in lieu of notice Holiday pay Retention Bonus Workers Compensation Employer-sponsored disability payments Employer-sponsored Pensions Unemployment Insurance under other state or federal law Back pay awards Bonus payments for prior work Child support obligations A reduction in benefits for vacation pay or severance pay may not always be necessary, especially if you are required to sign a release of claims agreement in order to receive severance pay. SELF-EMPLOYMENT If you are engaged in self-employment on a part-time basis (while maintaining your availability and work search as defined by law), you may be eligible for partial benefits. Two-thirds of the amount of any remuneration received for self-employment is also deductible from your weekly benefit rate. You must immediately report your self-employment activity to the TeleBenefits Line whether or not you expect remuneration for such work. EDUCATIONAL EMPLOYMENT/PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES Under certain conditions and during certain time periods (See Educational Employees Page 12), former employees of educational institutions may find their Weekly Benefit Rate reduced or eliminated because wages earned from such employers are removed from the Base Period as a result of disqualification. When such a disqualification is in effect, only Base Period wage credits from non educational employers and/or educational employers not involved in the disqualification can be utilized to establish monetary 18.

23 eligibility. The first Monetary Determination received by educational employees will always reflect all Base Period wage credits before disqualification. When wage credits from those educational employers involved in disqualification are removed from Base Period use, one of three things can occur: 1. There is no change to the Weekly Benefit Rate because there are sufficient wage credits from other employers remaining in the Base Period and the average of the two highest quarters of wages remains unchanged. 2. The Weekly Benefit Rate is reduced because, while there are still sufficient wage credits from other employers to establish monetary entitlement, the highest quarters of wages has changed as a result of the removal. 3. The Weekly Benefit Rate is eliminated because there are not enough wage credits remaining from other (non disqualifying) employers upon which to establish monetary entitlement. Whenever wage credits are removed because of such disqualification, a second Monetary Determination will be issued to you showing which wage credits remain and what, if any, Weekly Benefit Rate is in effect. This type of disqualification is only in effect during certain periods of time (between school or academic years, between semesters, during holiday, vacation, or recess periods); thus, it is possible that an unemployed educational employee could receive a lower benefit rate during disqualifying periods and the full rate during other periods. If you intend to file for benefits during one of the periods listed above, you must advise a Tele-Benefits Line representative. This type of disqualification also applies to professional athletes during certain periods. During such time periods only wages earned from other than non professional sports participation can be used to determine eligibility. (See If You Are a Professional Athlete, Page 12.) See also If You Quit Part-Time Work, Page 9. WHAT IF YOUR ELIGIBILITY FOR BENEFITS IS QUESTIONED? Once you have been determined initially eligible for benefits, your right to benefits in future weeks will not be terminated without a hearing and decision by an adjudicator. Should a legitimate question be raised about your availability for work, your efforts to find work or whether you 19.

24 refused an offer or referral to suitable work, a hearing will be scheduled. You will be given notice of the issue to be decided, and you may have the hearing immediately, or within five working days if you want time to prepare. If you refuse an offer of rehire from your former employer, that employer will be given notice and an opportunity to participate in the hearing. Any decision affecting your right to benefits in any week may be appealed to the Employment Security Appeals Division. APPEAL RIGHTS Whenever a claim is denied, a written decision is sent to you. The reason for, and period of, ineligibility will be explained. Your decision will also give you information concerning your appeal rights. You have twenty-one (21) calendar days from the mailing date of the notification in which to file an appeal. You may file an appeal by: Mailing or faxing your appeal to the Career Center. Your appeal will be timely if it is received within 21 days of the decision denying benefits or if mailed, it bears a legible United States postmark dated within such 21-day period. Using the Internet at: within this 21-day period. Reporting in person to your Career Center as soon as possible. A member of the local staff will assist you in preparing your appeal, and if you wish, provide guidance in how to use various reference materials. While waiting for the referee s decision, you should continue to file claims as scheduled so long as you are unemployed. Your Social Security number should be included on all correspondence. If your appeal is late, the Appeals Referee cannot legally hear your case unless you show good cause for filing the appeal late. Once your appeal is filed or an employer files an appeal from the award of benefits, the Appeals Division will send you A Claimant s Guide to the Appeals Process. This pamphlet tells you everything you need to know about how to prepare for an appeal. Read it carefully. The Appeals Division is an independent body and controls all phases of appeals processing. If there is any change in your status which might affect your eligibility for benefits, you should contact the TeleBenefits Line to determine whether your claim can be reopened. 20.

25 The referee holds an informal hearing to which all interested parties are invited. Again, you may bring documents or witnesses and be represented. You will receive a written decision from the referee. That decision may be appealed to the Board of Review by the claimant, the employer or the Administrator, within twenty-one (21) days of its mailing date. It is very important to attend all hearings and to present all pertinent information. Requests for postponement should be made to the office that issued the notice of hearing and will be granted only for good cause. Instructions for filing such appeals appear following the referee s decision. You should clearly identify the appeal as Appeal to the Board of Review. Do not delay your appeal! If an appeal to the Board of Review is filed, the Board will acknowledge your appeal and provide an opportunity for you to submit a written statement in support of your case. It is important that you tell the Board every reason why you think the referee s decision was wrong. The Board will then review all the material in the case file and listen to the tape recording of the hearing before the referee. A decision will be issued which will affirm (agree with), reverse, or modify the referee s decision. If the Board feels that further information is needed, the case may be remanded (sent back) to the referee for a new hearing. The Board s decision may be appealed within thirty (30) days by an interested party. Instructions for filing such appeals are contained in the Board s decision and must be followed carefully since such appeals are heard by the Superior Court. It is extremely important that your appeal be received or postmarked within the time limit allowed by law. Failure to do so will result in dismissal of the appeal and the decision will stand unless you can show good cause for filing late. If the last day for appeal falls on a day when CTDOL offices are closed, the appeal period is extended to the next business day. Due to Error or Reversal: OVERPAYMENT If, after having been found eligible for benefits, the CTDOL determines that you were paid in error or the Employment Security Appeals Division reverses the original decision to pay benefits, you will be liable to repay benefits that were overpaid. 21.

26 Once the decision which results in your being overpaid becomes final, you will be given the opportunity to have a hearing before an adjudications specialist regarding: the exact amount of the overpayment, how the overpayment should be recouped (for example, offsetting a portion - usually 50 percent - of weekly benefits); and whether recovery of the overpayment can be waived because it would be against equity and good conscience to require payment. If the immediate deduction of your benefits in the benefit year is insufficient to repay the amount you owe and you do not make full repayment, the Department of Labor will establish a repayment plan for you. If you fail to comply with the repayment schedule, the Department of Labor may garnish your wages when you return to work. A court-ordered wage execution can require your employer to deduct money from your wages and pay that amount directly to the Department of Labor. Resulting from Fraud, Wilful Nondisclosure or Wilful Misrepresentation of a Material Fact: It is a crime to misrepresent or fail to disclose facts or to make false statements in order to obtain or increase benefits. A number of techniques, including computerized cross-checking of earnings during weeks of unemployment, are used in Connecticut to detect fraudulent claims. Remember - you must: report all work and gross earnings, including tips; report all facts affecting your availability, such as illness, confinement or self-employment; report if you fail to go to a job referral or if you refuse a job. There are severe penalties for submitting false statements or withholding Information about employment and earnings in order to receive or increase benefits. All work, including self-employment, must be reported when the work is performed, even if you do not receive any payment at the time. Violators are subject to prosecution and, if found guilty, are subject to a jail sentence of one to five years and a maximum fine of $5,000. In addition, they MUST REPAY the amount of benefits overpaid, and may 22.

27 forfeit as many as thirty-nine (39) additional weeks of future benefits as an administrative penalty. Future benefits may also be totally offset until all overpaid benefits are recovered. All overpayment determinations made on or after July 1, 2005, which are based on fraud, willful misrepresentation or willful non-disclosure of a material fact will be subject to interest of one (1) percent per month on the remaining balance due. If the immediate deduction of your benefits in the benefit year is insufficient to repay the amount you owe and you do not make full repayment, the Department of Labor will establish a repayment plan for you. If you fail to comply with the repayment schedule, the Department of Labor may garnish your wages when you return to work. A court-ordered wage execution can require your employer to deduct money from your wages and pay that amount directly to the Department of Labor. In addition, other actions permitted by law may be taken. Such actions may include, but not be limited to, criminal prosecution as well as INTERCEPTION OF ANY STATE INCOME TAX REFUND that you would otherwise receive. QUALIFYING FOR A SECOND BENEFIT YEAR If you receive any unemployment benefits during the course of a Benefit Year, and that Benefit Year has expired or is about to expire, benefits cannot be paid in a second Benefit Year unless the following eligibility conditions have been satisfied: You have sufficient wage credits in your new Base Period to establish a new Weekly Benefit Rate. Since establishing your first Benefit Year, you have returned to work and been paid wages of $300 or five times the Weekly Benefit Rate established for your second Benefit Year (whichever is greater). Only wages earned from an employer that is subject to Unemployment Insurance law (any state or federal law) can be considered as meeting the second Benefit Year requirement. If there is any doubt that you have met this requirement, contact the Tele-Benefits Line. 23.

28 BENEFITS ARE TAXABLE Any unemployment benefits you receive are fully taxable by the IRS and the State of Connecticut, provided you are required to file a tax return. You may voluntarily have taxes withheld for federal and Connecticut income taxes. This choice may be made at the time you file your new claim, or during your benefit series, to become effective with the first check paid after your request is processed. Once you choose to have taxes withheld, however, you can change your election only once during your benefit year. For more details on tax withholding, please see pamphlet UC-620, Voluntary Withholding of Income Tax, available in your Career Center. It may be necessary for you to make estimated tax payments. For more information on when you should make estimated tax payments, see: IRS publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax [To order Publication 505, call TAX-FORM ( )] Instructions for IRS Form 1040-ES Instructions for CT Form 1040-ES Address all questions to the Internal Revenue Service and/or the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services. You can find out more about estimated tax and how to pay it by calling or visiting these agencies. IRS toll free number CT Department of Revenue Services (If calling outside the state of Connecticut ) Sufficient Information will be furnished on Form 1099-G to meet your federal, state and personal income tax needs. Benefits paid on interstate claims will be reported by the paying state. 24.

29 Form 1099-G will be provided by January 31st of each calendar year, indicating the dollar amount of benefits received during the preceding year and the amount of federal and state taxes withheld, if any. The Internal Revenue Service and the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services will be given the same information. NOTIFY THE TeleBenefits LINE IF YOU CHANGE YOUR ADDRESS. FEDERAL EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT The Earned Income Tax Credit Program is a refundable federal tax credit for certain low income workers. This program may reduce your federal tax burden. If you qualify for the tax credit it will reduce the amount of federal income tax owed to the IRS. If you owe no federal income tax, you will receive the credit in the form of a refund. If you qualify, in order to receive the credit you must: 1. File a federal income tax return (Form 1040A or Form 1040) and; 2. Complete Schedule EIC and attach it to your return. For free publication 596, Earned Income Tax Credit, call the Internal Revenue Service at For additional information on the Earned Income Tax Credit, call the IRS at QUALITY CONTROL Quality Control is designed to prevent both error and fraud in the Unemployment Compensation program. Claimants who are randomly selected by computer each week are asked to speak with an auditor to review their claim and fill out a detailed questionnaire. The audit makes certain claims have been paid correctly through interviews to examine eligibility, verify payroll records, survey work search contacts and re examine all actions and records of the CTDOL relative to each claim. COMBINED WAGE CLAIM - WORK IN MORE THAN ONE STATE All states currently participate in a federal program entitled, The Interstate Agreement for Wage Combining. Under this program, an individual who has wage credits in more than one state can elect to have those wage credits combined and used in the Base Period of the state of current residence. By doing this, you may be able to establish monetary eligibility that would not be possible otherwise. Wages can also be combined to increase the Weekly Benefit Rate up to the maximum allowable under Connecticut law. 25.

30 You can file a claim under the Wage Combining Program and have Connecticut pay benefits when: You have some wage credits in Connecticut s base period and wages in one or more other states that are also in Connecticut s base period. Combined Wage Claims take longer to process than regular claims as we must correspond with other states and verify wages. Every attempt is made by all states to process these claims as quickly as possible. There are several other important factors common to all states that you should know. Wages from other states that are not paid in Connecticut s base period cannot be used for combining. Once wages from other states are assigned to Connecticut, they are no longer usable as wage credits in the other state. If the wages that are provided to Connecticut from another state do not make you eligible or increase your benefit rate, we will restore them to that state. This may allow their use at a later date. Combined Wage Claims filed in Connecticut, with this state as the paying state, are governed and paid in accordance with Connecticut law. MOVING FROM CONNECTICUT If you move from Connecticut and are unemployed, you may file for benefits from your new residence state by calling or filing over the internet at This type of claim is called an Interstate Claim. If you are eligible, your benefits will be paid by Connecticut and you must meet all the requirements of Connecticut law for receiving unemployment benefits. If you are currently filing for Interstate benefits and intend to move, see page 34 If You Change Your Address. 26.

31 EX-FEDERAL EMPLOYEES (UCFE) If you are a former federal civilian employee, you may receive benefits if your last federal employment was in Connecticut; or you are living in Connecticut, but your last federal employment was outside the 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands. STATE AND MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES Government workers may be eligible for unemployment benefits if they satisfy provisions of the law and were employed in state service or by a town, city or political subdivision of the state. Excluded are elected officials, members of a legislative body or judiciary, some temporary employees and certain other high-level employees of a town, city or political subdivision. EX MILITARY (UCX) Ex military people may receive benefits under Connecticut law. Contact the TeleBenefits Line and have your DD-214 member 4 available. TRADE ADJUSTMENT ASSISTANCE FOR WORKERS Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) provides benefits to workers who lose their jobs or whose hours of work and wages are reduced as a result of increased imports from, or shifts in production to, foreign countries. The goal of the TAA program is to provide assistance to trade-impacted workers to enable them to return to suitable employment as quickly as possible. To establish group eligibility for workers whose jobs may be affected, you must first file a petition with the Office of Trade Adjustment Assistance. Petitions may be filed by a group of three or more workers, by a company official, by One-Stop operators or partners (including state employment security agencies and dislocated worker units), or by a union or other duly authorized representative. Petition forms, assistance, and further information can be obtained at your local Career Center. 27.

32 If you feel that your unemployment is a result of foreign trade competition, you may obtain further information about this program by writing to: Trade Act Coordinator Connecticut Department of Labor 200 Folly Brook Boulevard Wethersfield, CT For information on assistance that might be available to you, please visit our web site at: NON-U.S. CITIZENS If you are not a U.S. citizen, you must be in a legal alien status now, as well as during the time in which you earned your Base Period Wages, in order for benefits to be paid. Such individuals will be required to present proof of satisfactory legal alien status as part of the new claim process. There are a number of documents that are issued by the U.S. Immigration Naturalization Service that are accepted as proof of legal alien status. DISLOCATED WORKERS If you are being laid off, or already have lost your job through no fault of your own, you may be a dislocated worker. Dislocated workers may be eligible for certain federal, state and community services, whether you re seeking new skills, a new employer, or to start a business of your own. You may be a dislocated worker if: you have been laid off or terminated, or have received notice of layoff or termination, are eligible for, or have exhausted your unemployment benefits, and are unlikely to return to your previous industry or occupation. you have been employed for a time period sufficient to demonstrate attachment to the workforce to a One-Stop Center operator but are not eligible for unemployment compensation because of your type of job duties or insufficient earnings. 28.

33 you have been laid off because of a permanent plant closing or major layoff. you were self-employed (such as a small business owner or farmer) and are now unemployed because of local economic conditions or a natural disaster. you have not received individual notice of termination but your employer has made a general announcement of a planned closure. you are a displaced homemaker. If any of these situations apply to you, ask at your local CTWorks Center to be certified as a dislocated worker. Training You may enroll in training while receiving Unemployment Insurance, providing it does not interfere with your job search or ability to accept work. Some training programs for dislocated workers waive job search requirements while you collect unemployment insurance, but these must be approved in advance. Unemployment Insurance is not extended because you are in training except through Trade Act approval. (Also see pages 14-15) Dislocated workers and their family members often are eligible for special consideration when applying for federal student financial aid. To qualify, you must be certified as a dislocated worker at a CTWorks Center and receive a signed form to give to your college financial aid officer as proof of your status. You may do this as soon as you have a layoff notice. THE FOLLOWING IS A GUIDE TO USING THE TELEBENEFITS 29.

34 THE FOLLOWING IS A GUIDE TO USING THE TELEBENEFITS LINE FILING YOUR WEEKLY CONTINUED CLAIM Unemployment benefits are filed on a weekly basis and are paid based on a completed calendar week (Sunday - Saturday). You will always be filing for weeks that have already ended, and normally you will be filing for the most recent week. Failure to file your weekly continued claim timely can result in denial of benefits for the week claimed. The information being requested when you file your claim is important to you and to the prompt processing of your claim. You must report any wages for work performed or receipt of any other type of payment (vacation pay, severance pay, etc.) when you file your claim. In addition, self-employment (or any work performed) should be reported, even if you have no earnings, since your availability for work as defined by law could be affected. If you have any questions, contact the TeleBenefits Line for assistance. Failure to report wages or other payments can result in an overpayment and, if due to fraud, penalties and a loss of benefits. If you are claiming a dependency allowance for a spouse, and your spouse no longer resides with you or begins to collect unemployment compensation, you must contact the TeleBenefits Line. INTERNET FILING OF YOUR WEEKLY CONTINUED CLAIM You can also file your weekly continued claim over the Internet. It is quick and easy. For more information as well as instructions, see our website at 30.

35 Where do I find the information I need? From these options You can access Continued claim filing (requires a PIN and authorization) 1. File a claim for the previous week Account status (requires a PIN) Initial Claim Filing (requires a PIN) Employer information* (available to everyone) General eligibility information (available to everyone) Find out if your check was mailed When it was mailed How much it was for What your balance is File a new claim Resume filing a new claim Re-open an existing claim Who is required to register What remuneration is subject to unemployment tax Employer registration information Information concerning an appeal Additional information Experience rating or charge information Tax contribution information Delinquent account information Cafeteria plan information Career Center hours and locations* Information on how to file a new claim, eligibility for unemployment benefits, and tax withholding of benefits How to file a new claim How benefits are determined How quitting or getting discharged affects eligibility Information on withholding taxes for unemployment benefits How part-time earnings affect eligibility Instructions concerning scheduled appointments or a move out of the area If you missed or will be unable to keep an appointment What to do if you move out of the area *Not offered in Interstate 31.

36 WHO MAY USE THE TELEBENEFITS LINE? Individuals who wish to file or resume filing an initial (new) claim for unemployment benefits or reopen a claim that was filed within the last year (option 3, see page 39). Individuals who have been authorized by a customer service representative to file their weekly continued claim for the week that has just passed (option 1, see page 35) EXCEPTIONS to filing your weekly continued claim using the Tele-Benefits Line: If you are filing Vacation Shutdown claims, Shared Work or TRA claims, you cannot file by telephone. Speak to a Tele- Benefits Line customer service representative for filing information. If you have skipped or missed filing of one or more weeks (break in filing sequence) for any reason, you should speak to a Tele-Benefits Line customer service representative. Individuals who have filed a continued claim for unemployment benefits in the last 30 days may check on the status of the most recent claim filed (option 2, see page 39). This includes individuals who have filed Vacation Shutdown claims or who are in the Shared Work or TRA programs. Anyone may call for general information, option 5, General Eligibility Information (see page 40), and option 4, General Employer Information (see page 40) - for all Connecticut employers or potential employers. WHEN TO CALL File your weekly continued claim Sunday, 12 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. (E.S.T.) File or resume filing your initial (new) claim or reopen your claim Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (E.S.T.) All other inquiry options, including employer information, are available 7 days/week, 24 hours/day. For your convenience, customer service representatives are available during normal business hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (E.S.T.) 32.

37 HOW TO ACCESS THE TELEBENEFITS LINE Dial one of the telephone numbers listed on the back of this booklet that is local to your calling area. If you are calling from outside Connecticut, dial the toll-free interstate telephone number ( ). When you call the TeleBenefits Line, it will guide you through your call with easy to follow instructions and prompts to obtain information or to file a claim. You may access the system using any of the following types of phones. TOUCH TONE TELEPHONE - simply press the keys on your telephone s keypad slowly and firmly to select each option. PUSH BUTTON TELEPHONE - can be used if the phone has a tone/pulse switch. Set the switch to the tone position. This allows you to use your telephone s keypad to select each option. ROTARY TELEPHONE - clearly speak your responses. Whenever speaking a series of numbers (social security, zip code, PIN, hours and minutes worked, wages earned), say each number individually after the tone. Can I enter my choice right away without listening to ALL the other choices? In most situations, if you know the option you want, you may simply enter your selection at any time even though the TeleBenefits Line may be in the middle of speaking prompts or instructions. The exceptions are: Special messages - these are heard near the beginning of your call if the TeleBenefits Line has important information it needs to convey to you. Social security number verification - after entering your social security number for option 1 (continued claim filing), option 2 (account status inquiry) or option 3 (initial claim filing), you must wait until the TeleBenefits Line repeats your entire number back to you so that you can verify whether or not it is correct. Initial and continued claims filing - you must hear the entire section of instructions with the fraud disclaimer as well as each question followed by a tone before answering or making a response. 33.

38 Rotary telephone users - for technical reasons, the system is unable to recognize spoken responses until it prompts you with a tone at which time it will understand your response. X What if I make a mistake? The TeleBenefits Line has easy-to-understand instructions, prompts and menu choices throughout the system. If you make a mistake, the system will either inform you that you made an invalid selection or give you a chance to verify the response you entered. In either situation, you always have the opportunity to hear the choices or questions again as well as enter in a corrected response. What is a PIN and how do I get one? Your PIN (Personal Identification Number) protects the privacy of your claim and prevents other people from filing claims by telephone using your social security number. The claims filing and account status inquiry options (option 1, 2, and 3 ) require that you enter a secret four-digit PIN. You create your own PIN when you make your first call to either file a claim or to find out when your check was sent. Simply follow the prompts and enter the four-digit number you want, as the system directs you. Once you establish your PIN, you must remember and use the same number on subsequent calls; therefore, you should select a PIN that you will easily remember. Have your social security number and your PIN available when you call. YOUR PIN has the same legal authority as your signature has on a paper document Do NOT give your PIN to anyone. If you forget your PIN or believe someone might know your PIN, contact the TeleBenefits Line immediately. IF YOU CHANGE YOUR ADDRESS Since the Post Office will not forward checks, any payment due you cannot be made until you notify the TeleBenefits Line of your new address. Whether you move within Connecticut or out of state, you must call the TeleBenefits Line and inform them of this change. 34.

39 IF A CHECK IS LOST / STOLEN / DAMAGED Please contact the TeleBenefits Line: if you have not received your benefit check or any notice from us within ten (10) days from the time you filed if you have reason to believe that your check has been stolen, if you lose your check or it is damaged and cannot be cashed, if you believe the amount of your check is incorrect, or you believe you are not entitled to the check. DO NOT CASH THE CHECK. TeleBenefits Line staff will take the proper action depending upon the circumstances. In some cases, it can take several weeks to issue a replacement check. WHEN YOU RETURN TO FULL TIME WORK When you return to full-time work, contact the TeleBenefits Line. When you call, you will need to provide the following information: the date you return to work, the name and address of your new employer, whether or not the work is self employment, and any wages earned if you return to work other than on a Monday. WHAT ABOUT PART-TIME WORK? If you begin working part-time, continue to file your claim by telephone. Follow instructions to enter in the name and address of your employer(s), hours and minutes worked, and wages earned for the week for which you are claiming. Part-time wages or wages earned for any work performed must be reported WHEN EARNED, NOT WHEN PAID. THE FOLLOWING FIVE CHOICES ( OPTIONS ) ARE AVAILABLE ON THE TELEBENEFITS LINE: FILING YOUR CONTINUED CLAIM BY PHONE SELECT OPTION 1 - AVAILABLE SUNDAY, 12 A.M P.M. AND MONDAY - FRIDAY, 6 A.M. - 8 P.M. After pressing (or saying) 1 from the main menu choices, you will be asked to enter your social security and personal identification numbers. REMEMBER: Each time you identify yourself with your PIN, you re legally certifying that all the information you provide is true. You must make the call yourself! 35.

40 You will be asked a minimum of seven eligibility questions, which will all refer to the week ending given by the system. If you answer yes to question number six (Did you work full-time or part-time for an employer or in self-employment or return to full-time work for the week ending last Saturday, which you have not already reported?) you will be asked additional questions regarding your employment. Remember to call in your claim each week. YOU MUST CONTACT A TELEBENEFITS LINE REPRESENTATIVE IF YOU WISH TO FILE A CLAIM FOR ANY WEEK OTHER THAN THE WEEK THAT HAS JUST PASSED. Listen to the entire question before you reply. After you hear a tone, answer either Yes or No in the following way: For a YES answer, Press (Rotary dialers may clearly speak ONE ) For a NO answer, Press (Rotary dialers may clearly speak TWO ) (If you need to have a question repeated, press (or say) 9 after you hear a tone.) (If you need to go back to a previous question, press (or say) 8 after you hear a tone.) ***IMPORTANT*** After you answer each question, the Tele-Benefits system will repeat the response you just gave to that question and ask you to confirm whether or not your response is correct. After you hear a tone, confirm your response in the following way: For a CORRECT response, Press (Rotary dialers may clearly speak ONE ) For an INCORRECT response, Press (Rotary dialers may clearly speak TWO ) 36.

41 IMPORTANT! IF YOU GET DISCONNECTED OR HANG UP BEFORE THE SYSTEM SAYS, THANK YOU FOR FILING YOUR CLAIM OVER THE PHONE, YOU WILL HAVE TO CALL AGAIN TO FILE YOUR CLAIM. ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS TRUTHFULLY: 1. Were you able to work, available for work and actively seeking full-time work? 2. Did you refuse an offer of work or rehire, quit a job or get discharged from a job? 3. Did you receive your first payment from a pension other than Social Security which you have not already reported or was there a change in the amount previously reported? 4. Did you start school, college or training, which you have not already reported to the Labor Department? 5. Did you receive vacation pay, severance pay or workers compensation benefits, not previously reported to the Labor Department? 6. Did you work full-time or part-time for an employer or in self-employment or return to full-time work during the week ending last Saturday, which you have not already reported? (If you have returned to full-time work, contact a TeleBenefits Line representative.) 7. Did you change your mailing address since you last filed a claim? Answer yes to this question only if you have not yet notified the Labor Department of this change. If you change you mailing address, speak to a TeleBenefits Line customer service representative as soon as possible so that any benefits due you are not delayed. NOTE: If you answered no to question number 1, you will be asked by the system, Have you previously reported that you mental impairment? NOTE: If you answered yes to question number 6, you will be asked by the system to indicate whether your employment is one of the following: Full-time employment - If you have returned to full-time work, follow instructions to speak to a customer service representative with the details of your new employment. 37.

42 Self-employment - If you began working in self-employment that you have not already reported to the CTDOL, follow instructions given by the system to speak to a customer service representative. Part-time employment - If you began a part-time job or are continuing to work in at least one part-time job (including self-employment that you have already reported to the CTDOL, you will be required to answer the following questions about your employment. Make sure you have the name and address of the employer(s) you worked for during the week ending last Saturday, the hours and minutes you worked, and the wages you earned (before deductions). DO NOT DELAY FILING YOUR CLAIM if you do not know how much you earned in part-time employment. You should file your claim for the previous week by Friday whether or not you have your earnings information. Call a customer service representative as soon as you receive the wage information. If you are unable to provide all of the employment information, your claim will post with the answers to the first seven questions, but no employment information will post and YOUR CLAIM WILL BE HELD UNTIL THIS INFORMATION IS PROVIDED. 8. After the tone, please clearly speak the complete name of the first or only employer that you worked for during the week ending last Saturday. (If you worked for more than one employer, the system will give you the opportunity to provide information about additional employers after you ve finished providing information about the first one.) 8a. After the tone, please clearly speak the complete address (including the number and street, the city, state and the five or nine digit zip code) of the first or only employer you worked for during the week ending last Saturday. 8b. For the first or only employer that you worked for during the week ending last Saturday, please enter (or say - for rotary phone callers) the number of hours and minutes you worked during the week ending last Saturday. First, enter (or may) the number of hours you worked; then, enter (or say) the number of minutes you worked. If you only worked an even number of hours without any minutes, you must enter (or say) zero. 8c. Please enter the gross wages you earned from this first or only employer (before deductions) even if you have not yet been paid for the week ending last Saturday. Please press (or say - for rotary phone callers) the total amount of dollars and cents all at once. The last two digits you enter are the cents. For example, if you earned $120.75, you would press (or say) 38.

43 1,2,0,7,5. If you earned $25.00, you would press (or say) 2,5,0,0. 8d. During the week ending last Saturday, did you work for more than one employer? (If you have more than one employer, you will be asked for the same information for each employer up to three employers. If you have more than three employers in a week, you will need to speak to a customer service representative to provide this information.) WAS MY CHECK MAILED? SELECT OPTION 2 - AVAILABLE 24 HOURS/DAY To get the answer to this question, select option 2 by pressing or saying 2 on your phone. You will be asked to enter your social security number and PIN first. The TeleBenefits Line will then tell you which week your last check covered (as long as it was processed within the last 30 days), when your check was paid, and your current remaining account balance. If payment was not made, the system will tell you why. You may also get the answer to this question AND view your benefit payment history on the Internet. For more information see our website at FILING AN INITIAL (NEW) CLAIM OR REOPENING A CLAIM SELECT OPTION 3 - AVAILABLE MONDAY - FRIDAY, 8 A.M. - 4 P.M. After pressing (or saying) 3 from the main menu choices, you will be asked to enter your social security and personal identification numbers. If this is your first time filing an initial claim for unemployment benefits, or if you last filed a claim more than a year ago, the system will normally ask you a series of 20 questions. Following the 20 questions, you will speak to a customer service representative who will gather additional information from you. If you are unable to answer any of the automated questions or are not sure you gave the correct answer, you will be assisted by a customer service representative later in the call. If you hang up before answering all of the questions, you must call back within seven days to resume filing 39.

44 your new claim. If you do not call back within seven days, you will have to start the process of filing your claim all over again. Generally, your claim is effective the Sunday of the week in which your new claim is filed. Your claim is considered filed when a customer service representative tells you that it is complete and accepted. If you have an existing claim, but it has been more than a week since you last filed for benefits, your call will be transferred to a customer service representative to assist you in reopening that claim. EMPLOYER INFORMATION SELECT OPTION 4 - AVAILABLE 24 HOURS/DAY The TeleBenefits Line Option 4 is a benefit for Connecticut employers and potential employers. Press or say 4 for this selection. (Employer information is not available for out-of-state callers through the Interstate TeleBenefits Line). The following information is available: who is required to register, how to register, what remuneration is subject to the unemployment tax, and cafeteria plan information. Referrals are available for information on tax rates and charges; tax contribution information on credits, refunds, quarterly returns, forms UC-2 or UC-5A or special assessments; delinquent quarterly returns or release of liens. No employer identification number or PIN is needed for this option. For referrals, or to speak to a customer service representative, our business hours are normally 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Call the most convenient number listed on the back of this booklet to access the TeleBenefits Line. GENERAL INFORMATION SELECTION OPTION 5 - AVAILABLE 24 HOURS/DAY Select option 5 by pressing or saying 5 on your phone. No social security number or PIN is necessary for this option. You will be able to select information on: Career Center hours and locations, tax withholding for unemployment benefits, how to file your new claim, how benefits are determined, how benefits are affected by part-time earnings, and how quitting or being discharged affects your eligibility. You can also get instructions if you cannot keep an appointment or if you move out of the area. 40.

45 INTERSTATE CLAIMS SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO: INTERSTATE UNIT CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF LABOR P.O. BOX 5013 HARTFORD, CT PHONE OFFICES OF THE APPEALS DIVISION REFEREES BRIDGEPORT (203) FAIRFIELD AVE., 6th FL. SUITE 601 BRIDGEPORT, CT HAMDEN (203) MARNE STREET HAMDEN CT HARTFORD (860) MAIN STREET 2ND FLOOR, RM 212 HARTFORD, CT NORWICH (860) SALEM TURNPIKE NORTH BUILDING SUITE 101 NORWICH, CT WATERBURY (203) THOMASTON AVE. WATERBURY, CT BOARD OF REVIEW (860) WOLCOTT HILL RD. WETHERSFIELD, CT GENERAL INFORMATION Internet Web Site: 41.

46 CONTINUED CLAIMS FILED BY TELEBENEFITS LINE The following log is provided for your convenience. If you ever have a problem with your claim, having this information will help our customer service representatives provide better, more efficient service. Week-ending filed (Sat. date) date/time of call claim accepted check received? (Date/comments)

47 Connecticut Department of Labor EQUAL OPPORTUNITY IS THE LAW It is against the law for this recipient of Federal financial assistance to discriminate on the following bases: Against any individual in the United States, on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation or belief; and Against any beneficiary of programs financially assisted under Title I of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA), on the basis of the beneficiary s citizenship/status as a lawfully admitted immigrant authorized to work in the United States, or his or her participation in any WIA Title I-financially assisted program or activity. The recipient must not discriminate in any of the following areas: deciding who will be admitted, or have access, to any WIA Title I-financially assisted program or activity; providing opportunities in, or treating any person with regard to, such a program or activity; or making employment decisions in the administration of, or in connection with, such a program or activity. What To Do If You Believe You Have Experienced Discrimination If you think that you have been subjected to discrimination under a WIA Title I-financially assisted program or activity, you may file a complaint within 180 days from the date of the alleged violation with either: The recipient s Equal Opportunity Officer (or the person whom the recipient has designated for this purpose); or The Director, Civil Rights Center (CRC) U.S. Department of Labor 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Room N-4123 Washington, DC If you file your complaint with the recipient, you must wait either until the recipient issues a written Notice of Final Action, or until 90 days have passed (whichever is sooner), before filing with the Civil Rights Center (see address above). If the recipient does not give you a written Notice of Final Action within 90 days of the day on which you filed your complaint, you do not have to wait for the recipient to issue that Notice before filing a complaint with CRC. However, you must file your CRC complaint within 30 days of the 90-day deadline (in other words, within 120 days after the day on which you filed your complaint with the recipient). If the recipient does give you a written Notice of Final Action on your complaint, but you are dissatisfied with the decision or resolution, you may file a complaint with CRC. You must file your CRC complaint within 30 days of the date on which you received the Notice of Final Action. For more information, contact your local Career Center or the Connecticut Department of Labor, Equal Opportunity Officer, 200 Folly Brook Boulevard, Wethersfield, CT 06109, Phone (860) ; TDD/TTY (860) ; Fax (860)

48 FILING YOUR TELEPHONE CLAIMS Telebenefits Local Telephone Numbers TO FILE YOUR CLAIM, please call the telephone number listed that is within your local calling area. This number will also provide you with directions to the CTWorks Career Centers located in these areas can also be obtained by calling the number listed below. CALLING # TO CALL TO CALLING # TO CALL TO AREA FILE CLAIM AREA FILE CLAIM Ansonia (203) Meriden (860) Bridgeport * (203) Middletown (860) Bristol (860) New Britain (860) Danbury (203) New London (860) Danielson * (860) Norwich (860) Enfield * (860) Stamford (203) Hamden (203) Torrington * (860) Hartford (860) Waterbury (203) Manchester (860) Willimantic (860) * If you live in the Kent, North Thompson, Salisbury, Sharon, Stafford Springs, Westport, or Wilton exchange, you may call the following toll free number: This number is NOT accessible statewide. It is only for the seven towns listed above. If you live out of state, contact our Interstate office at TDD/TTY Users CALL This is a relay service that can connect you to the numbers listed above in order to file your claim by telephone. The Connecticut Department of Labor is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity program and service provider. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. UC-288 (Rev.11/09)