Manage Employee Claims

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Employee Eligibility

5 things to know about employee eligibility for benefits:

1. Regardless of separation circumstances, you are responsible for providing your employees with details about their separation.

 Employers must provide separation details to employees after termination or layoff. Failing to do so will result in a $10 penalty.

2. Even if an employee voluntarily quits, they may still be eligible for benefits.

 UIA may consider it justifiable for employees to quit in certain situations. For instance: if working conditions are unsafe or intolerable, or if the employer breaches the employment contract.

3. If you believe an employee is not eligible for benefits, you’ll need to provide evidence to UIA.

 While UIA is reviewing a claim, you’ll likely receive letters or calls requesting additional information about the employee. If you believe an employee is not eligible, you must reply to each letter or call with evidence to support your position. If you don’t reply, UIA may make a determination based only on the employee’s information.

4. If you want to dispute UIA’s claim determination, you can file a protest.

 If you file a protest after the initial deadline, the employee might receive benefits in the weeks between the determination and your protest filing. They will get to keep these payments, even after you file a protest.

5. If an employee isn’t eligible for unemployment benefits, they may qualify for other benefits.

To help your employees, you can share Michigan’s Assistance Programs or suggest that they call 2-1-1.

Still can’t find what you’re looking for? Contact Employer Support.

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Letters and Notices

You may receive the following forms and letters when an employee files for unemployment:

• Monetary Determination and Request for Information (UIA Form 1575): You’ll receive this form when an employee files for unemployment. It lists claim details and employers who might be charged for benefits, as reported by the employee seeking benefits. Receiving this form doesn’t necessarily mean you’re responsible for making payments. Your response will confirm or challenge the information provided by the employee, and help UIA decide if they’re eligible. If you believe any of the information on the claim is inaccurate, complete this form and return it to UIA within 10 calendar days.
• Request for Information (UIA Form 1713): You’ll receive this form if UIA finds a discrepancy between an employee’s claim and what you’ve reported. You will have 10 calendar days to submit the requested information in MiWAM.
• Notice of Determination (UIA Form 1302): Once UIA completes a claim review, you’ll receive a Notice of Determination letter. This letter states if your employee will get benefit payments paid from your account. If you disagree with the determination, you can file a protest within 30 calendar days. Learn more about filing a protest.

UIA letters are sent to both your MiWAM account and your mailing address, unless you choose to Go Green.

If you do not reply to UIA’s letters or calls, UIA may make a determination based only on the claimant's information. You may need to respond to multiple letters or calls for a single claim.

Still can’t find what you’re looking for? Contact Employer Support.

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Requests for Information

If UIA has a question about your employee’s claim, you will receive a Request for Information (UIA Form 1713). You will have 10 calendar days to submit the requested information in MiWAM, or by mail or by fax.

3 things to keep in mind about Requests for Information:

1. You may receive multiple requests. Be sure to respond to each one. Failure to respond will result in account penalties.

2. After receiving your information, UIA will review your documents and those submitted by your employee. Please wait for an update from UIA. Do not re-submit materials during this time.

3. UIA may call you for more details about what you’ve submitted. You must answer or call back within 48 hours or you’ll be marked as non-responsive, which could result in penalties.

Still can’t find what you’re looking for? Contact Employer Support.

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Protesting Claims

If you disagree with the determination made by UIA on an employee’s claim, you can dispute it by filing a protest. Employers have 30 calendar days to protest a determination. 

Protests can be sent by mail or fax or submitted through MiWAM. Complete instructions for filing a protest can be found on the determination letter.

Still can’t find what you’re looking for? Contact Employer Support.

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Appeals and Hearings

After filing a protest, UIA will make a second decision, called a redetermination. If the redetermination is not decided in your favor, you can submit an appeal to have the situation reevaluated. The address and fax number for requesting an appeal will be on your redetermination letter. Learn more about appeals and hearings.

UIA’s Advocacy Program offers free assistance to employers at initial phone hearings with the Michigan Office of Administrative Hearings and Rules (MOAHR). See if your business qualifies for the Advocacy Program.

Still can’t find what you’re looking for? Contact Employer Support.

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Layoffs

1. During a short-term layoff period, the Registration and Seeking Work (RSW) waiver simplifies the process for your laid-off workers by allowing them to collect benefits without having to register for and seek work.

2. Are you a seasonal employer? A seasonal employer is a business that operates for a limited period of time each year and has a predictable pattern of seasonal employment (e.g., amusement parks, ski resorts, landscaping companies). You can set up your seasonal employer designation in MiWAM.

3. The Michigan Work Share Program can help you avoid layoffs by allowing employees to work reduced hours while collecting partial unemployment benefits. See if your business qualifies for the Michigan Work Share Program.

4. With Employer Filed Claims (EFC), eligible employers can submit claims on behalf of their full-time workers who have been temporarily or permanently laid off. This simplifies the delivery of benefits to eligible employees.

5. In the case of natural disasters or business closings, Rapid Response Services can provide specialized help to your business and your employees.

Still can’t find what you’re looking for? Contact Employer Support.

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Supporting Your Employees

To help workers accurately apply for unemployment benefits, you must provide them with:

• Your 10-digit UIA Employer Account Number (EAN)
• Your 9-digit Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN/FEIN)
• Employer name (including Doing Business As [DBA] name if applicable)
• Corporation name and address (this might be different from the business name and address)
• Separation reason (the reason you provided to the employee for their job separation or reduced hours)
• Name of contact person at your business
  
  For ease, you can fill out the Unemployment Compensation Notice (UIA Form 1711). Avoid giving individualized claim advice to your employees. If they have questions, direct them to the Claimant Roadmap or their MiWAM account.

Still can’t find what you’re looking for? Contact Employer Support.

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Fraud

If you have found your business or employee is a victim of fraud or identity theft, you can report this to UIA in the following ways:

Still can’t find what you’re looking for? Contact Employer Support.

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