Michigan Employer Advisor: June 2023

Greetings, Employers!

Welcome to June!  The month of longer days and warm weather.

It also means we are approaching the end of the 2nd Quarter on Friday, June 30. The deadline to file your Wage and Tax reports in MiWAM is Tuesday, July 25. Missing the deadline could mean penalties or interest in addition to your quarterly payment.

We have some important news to share in this edition. UIA is dedicated to instituting precautions for the safety of your business and employees. As part of that effort, we are changing login practices and providing a warning on a new unemployment scam.

We also enjoy your feedback and welcome the opportunity to visit your Human Resources employees as our Ombudsman’s office travels across Michigan with a presentation regarding UIA. Thanks for being a vital part of Michigan!

If you want to suggest an article or topic for a future edition of the Employer Advisor newsletter, or just want to tell us how much you enjoy reading it, please send a message to UIA-EmployerAdvisor@Michigan.gov. You can find past newsletters on the Employer Homepage at Michigan.gov/UIA.

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Important Policy Update: Choose New MiWAM Password Every 90 Days

Beginning in July, employers and third-party administrators will notice a change that will require a new password for MiWAM accounts every 90 days.

After July 1, users will be automatically asked to change their password every 90 days. Currently, a password reset is required every six months.

The change is designed to better protect the integrity of Michigan Web Account Manager accounts from bad actors. Password protected MiWAM accounts are one of the many robust safeguards the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency has in place to combat fraud.

Bad actors are always looking for their next victim. According to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners’ 2022 Global Fraud Study, a typical business loses an average of 5% of income each year due to fraud.

Rules for choosing a password

To create a strong password under the new, 90-day policy, follow these simple guidelines:

• It should be at least eight characters.
• It should include characters from three of these categories:

• Uppercase letters.
• Lowercase letters.
• Numerals between 0-9.
• Symbols such as !, $, # or %.

• When resetting a password, at least one character must be changed.
• Do not reuse any of the previous 24 passwords.

Employers who have a third-party administrator who can access their MiWAM account should inform all account users of this updated policy. Likewise, administrators should inform the employers they work with who also have access to MiWAM but do not login as often.

If your password has expired

If logging into MiWAM and the account password has expired, you will be redirected to a screen where you can set a new password following the rules above. Once a new password is chosen, hit "Save" and you will receive a prompt that says: “Your password has been updated.” The new password can be now used to log into MiWAM.

How to reset account passwords

If you want to reset your password at any time, follow this easy, five-step process:

• Login to your account.
• Click on Settings.
• Click on Profile.
• Click on Change Password.
• Type in your current password, your new password (following the rules listed), and confirm your new password.

Once successfully completed, you will receive a prompt that says, “Your password has been updated.”

A strong password is the first step to protecting business and customer data from a hacker’s prying eyes.

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Be Alert to Demand for Payment Letter Not From UIA or State of Michigan

UIA Director Julia Dale cautions Michigan businesses to be on alert for bad actors who attempt to scam money while trying to confuse employers.

“It’s important for businesses to recognize when they are receiving legitimate correspondence from the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency and when to be suspicious,” Director Dale said. “Employers face many obstacles every day. Falling victim to an attempt to steal hard-earned income should not be one of them. The UIA urges employers or third-party administrators to contact the agency if they have any suspicions about letters they receive asking for payment.”

The UIA corresponds with Michigan businesses by official letter or by posting correspondence to a business’ MiWAM account. UIA’s letters embody both the names of the governor and the director of the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO), which UIA is a part of. Letters from the unemployment agency will also include information about how to protest and appeal payment determinations.

If an employer has questions about their account, a payment, or their balance, they should contact UIA by calling 1-855-484-2636. Businesses that have questions about a letter appearing to be from the State of Michigan and for direct payment of unemployment insurance taxes requests for money should call the UIA’s Office of Employer Ombudsman at 1-855-484-2636.

Attempts at fraud or identity theft can also be reported through MiWAM.

Read more from the UIA and the Attorney General’s office about the letters some employers have received.

 

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Deloitte Rollout Coming in Fall 2024

UIA is installing a totally new computer system from the ground up for employers and workers. We’ll share updates throughout the uFACTS design and installation process.

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UIA Supports the Employer Community

We are excited to see Michigan growing and thriving with new businesses and jobs. Here is helpful information to assist with the process of registering with the UIA.

The Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) continues to support its employer community through outreach efforts and individual interactions.

UIA staff attended the 13th Annual Supplier Diversity Matchmaker event, hosted by the Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (MHCC). The event took place May 23 at the M1 Concourse in Pontiac and focused on supplier diversity and increased opportunities for minority and small business owners. 

Agency Director Julia Dale was the featured speaker and discussed Agency reforms and her heritage as the UIA’s first Hispanic director. Director Dale also spoke about UIA programs – such as the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) – that support businesses, the agency’s progress on implementing the U.S. Department of Labor’s Equity Grant, fighting fraud, and the rollout of the new Deloitte UFACTS computer system.

Director Dale also urged businesses to participate in two State of Michigan opportunities: the Geographically Disadvantaged Business Enterprise and Michigan Supplier Community programs. Both give employers an opportunity to become vendors with the state.

Janeen Taylor and Shelly Khan from the UIA’s Office of Employer Ombudsman (OEO) staffed the UIA's event table, which featured Work Share, WOTC, and Employer Filed Claims (EFC) program materials including pens, notepads, informational flyers, and the ever-popular chip clip magnet.

Mackinac Policy Conference Networking

Director Dale also participated in the Mackinac Policy Conference, hosted by the Detroit Regional Chamber earlier this month.

The annual event takes place on Mackinac Island and brings together stakeholders from business, state government, non-profits and others for substantive discussions, goal setting, and problem solving.

Director Dale shared with others how she leads the agency with an empathetic approach, which includes listening, understanding needs, and putting people first to realize concrete, measurable results.

The director also addressed many of the changes she has instituted as cornerstones of her effort to transform the UIA into a national model for fair, fast, and fraud-free service. Reforms include launching the replacement of the agency’s decade-old MiWAM computer system, a plain language and human-centered approach to how UIA corresponds with stakeholders, the kick-off of a U.S. Department of Labor-funded initiative to make it easier for workers in underserved communities to access benefits, overpayment waivers and a pause on certain collections, zero-tolerance for fraud, and the partnerships with the UIA Modernization Workgroup, made up of representatives from business, labor and jobless advocates.

In conjunction with the conference, Director Dale published an opinion column about how the “power of and,” the theme of the policy conference, benefits business and workers and drives her reforms as leader of the UIA.

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Sign Up for Next Employer Seminar in July to Learn About Unemployment

The Office of Employer Ombudsman (OEO) office has reignited its Employer Seminars initiative with the employer community.

The first seminar was held June 1 with presenters James Moseley and Miles McDaniel of the UIA. They shared with more than 60 employers information about unemployment insurance, from benefits charges to appeals with an administrative law judge. Some of the feedback received was extremely positive. One employer said: “I attended the seminar this morning and found it very informative. Thank you for restarting them.”

The next Employer Seminar, which is open to all employers, will be held virtually on July 13. If you are interested in participating, email OEO at UIA-EmployerAdvisor@Michigan.gov.