SHIELD UPDATE – Additional Information to Support Virtual Hearings
Thomas & Company released a new feature in SHIELD last week to better support states that use a virtual hearing option like Massachusetts. Virtual hearings are slightly different from a phone or in-person hearing in that all participants need to access a specific website to participate. SHIELD users with virtual hearings will see a new icon (a desktop computer) in their queues along with the description type “virtual” to alert them of this newer type of hearing. In the hearing details, the website URL, instructions for participating and hearing ID number will be clearly shown for easier access to this vital information. Thomas & Company continually invests in making improvements to our services and platforms to better communicate important details to our clients.
ARKANSAS – Maximum Benefit Duration Will Be Reduced in 2024
A new law in Arkansas, passed on March 6, 2023, will once again limit the maximum duration for unemployment benefits from 16 weeks to 12 weeks beginning with claims filed on or after January 1, 2024. This change will reduce the overall potential liability for employers beginning in 2024. In addition, the new employer tax rate will be reduced to 1.90% in 2024 (down from 2.90%) and the solvency surtax will be reduced from 0.2% to 0.1% for 2025.
