The Oklahoma Employment Security Commission (OESC) launched a new employer portal today that allows employers to communicate and interact with OESC in a fully digital manner. You may have received a communication from OESC about the launch with information on the new functionality. As a Thomas & Company client, we are already communicating digitally with OESC, and you do not need to take any actions.
As a SIDES participant with OESC, we have a pre-existing digital exchange in pace to not only receive, but also respond to unemployment claim notices on your behalf. The SIDES process offers us full accountability for all claims and ensure that each and every claim is responded to in a timely manner. The first phase of the new OESC portal launch provides a notification when certain forms related to the unemployment claim process are mailed out. Since we already have an exchange in place, it is not necessary to for our employers to engage with the new OESC portal.
The first week of November OESC will also be rolling out a new digital identity verification tool for claimants. For employers, these new claimant facing tools should aid in decreasing the number of fraud claims that are filed by requiring the claimants to verify their identity online or in-person before filing for benefits. According to OESC, “The platform will also greatly increase [our] ability to preserve and protect the integrity of the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund.”
