IMPORTANT UPDATES AND INFORMATION
The Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund, which pays Reemployment Assistance benefits to eligible unemployed workers, is funded by Reemployment taxes paid by employers. There are two types of employers, contributory and reimbursing. Contributory employers may be relieved of benefit charges associated with COVID-19. This means that Reemployment Assistance benefits that former employees receive because they were separated from work as a direct result of COVID-19 may not be used in computing the employer’s future Reemployment tax rate. This exception also applies to contributory employers who are participating in the Short-Time Compensation Program, but the exception does not apply to reimbursing employers. Contributory employers will receive a Notice of Benefits Paid (Form RT-1) and reimbursing employers will receive a Reimbursement Invoice (Form RT-29) on a quarterly basis, which shows the debits and credits to the employer’s account for benefits paid to their former employees. Contributory employers should follow the protest instructions contained within Form RT-1 if they disagree with the charges. Even though contributory employers may be relieved of charges for employment separations that were a direct result of COVID-19, they still need to respond to the Notice of Claim.
The Reemployment Assistance (RA) program provides temporary, partial wage replacement benefits to qualified workers who are unemployed through no fault of their own. It is funded solely by employers who pay federal and state payroll taxes and is provided at no cost to the workers who receive the benefits.
As an employer, it is required that you respond to all documents and forms electronically using Florida’s RA claims system, CONNECT, unless otherwise exempt. It is important that you respond in a timely manner in order to properly manage your reemployment tax, benefit charges and prevent RA fraud.
UI SIDES and SIDES E–Response have the potential to significantly improve the RA information exchange process. While the best option depends on your specific business needs, both systems offer significant benefits
An employer who receives an adverse determination has the right to protest that determination and participate in a hearing before an appeals referee. Employer appeals are filed online using CONNECT. Upon receiving an appeal, a hearing will be scheduled involving all interested parties to address the issues. The parties will be mailed a Notice of Hearing telling them when the hearing will be held.
Find out more about reemployment tax laws and rules.
A collection of the most frequently asked questions to help assist and guide employers through the RA program.