CALIFORNIA – Newsom Vetoes Bill Giving Striking Workers Access to Unemployment Benefits
On Saturday, September 30, Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed Senate Bill 799, which would have granted access to unemployment benefits to striking workers after being on strike for two weeks. As such, New Jersey and New York will remain the only states where benefits may be allowed during a strike.
COLORADO – My UIEmployer+ Account Activation Reminder
As a reminder, action is needed to activate your Colorado account(s) now that the MyUI Employer+ system has gone live. Employers with an active UI account should have or will receive a PIN by either email or USPS, depending on your communication preferences. Rollout of these PINs may take several days, but if you do not receive a PIN by Friday, October 6th, you should contact Colorado Employer Services at 303-318-9100.
NATIONWIDE – WOTC Form 9061 Change, States Begin Implementation
Effective October 1, 2023, WOTC Form 9061 has been updated and states are responsible for updating their systems accordingly. As states begin to roll out changes related to this update, we are coordinating with them to make any needed changes quickly and efficiently. In the meantime, your Thomas & Company team is working to ensure all certifications are processed timely and appropriately regardless of the status of each state’s transition.
NEW HAMPSHIRE – Trust Fund Remains Above $350 Million, Tax Rates Remain Steady
The state recently announced that their trust fund has maintained a balance of at least $350 million for another quarter. The 1.0% reduction to the tax rates of positive rated employers (Schedule I) will remain in effect and will keep tax rates the same through the 4th quarter of 2023.
OREGON – Temporary Work Share Updates
Effective September 24,2023, Oregon House Bill (HB) 331 modified eligibility requirements for Work Share programs. Subsequently, the Oregon Employment Department (OED) has issued a temporary rule to align with this bill and ensure all individuals under a Work Share program receive appropriate pay. The purpose of this rule is to increase the number of employees eligible for the Work Share program by increasing the range of acceptable work-hour reductions from 20%-40% to 10%-50%.
At this time, the OED is only issuing a temporary rule; however, a public comment period will be held in the future to make the temporary rule permanent.
WASHINGTON – Paid Leave and WA Cares Premiums
It is now required that Washington employers report Paid Leave and WA Cares premiums with their quarterly wage filings, beginning with the upcoming Q3 2023 submission. Payments for the premiums will remain separate. Additional information on the file specifications is available at https://paidleave.wa.gov/reporting.
WYOMING – Increased Taxable Wage Base
In addition to the increase in weekly benefit amounts previously announced, Wyoming has now indicated that the taxable wage base will be increasing in 2024, up to $30,900 from $29,100.
