Posted: | September 29, 2020 11:31 AM |
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From: | Representative Melissa L. Shusterman and Rep. Brian Sims |
To: | All House members |
Subject: | Unemployment Compensation – Reasonable Assurance |
Teachers and employees in our school districts and institutions of higher learning have faced exceptional challenges during to the COVID-19 disaster emergency and need our help. Through no fault of their own, they have lost their jobs and are forced to rely on unemployment compensation to support their families and retain their homes. Time is of the essence in getting unemployment compensation benefits to these workers. Yet, reasonable assurance investigations continue to delay benefit payments, causing undue stress. With this in mind, our legislation will instruct the Department of Labor & Industry to develop an online form for claimants and employers to report a change in reasonable assurance of employment for school district employees and employees of an institution of higher education. It is our hope that providing a reporting mechanism for this important information will help expedite these claims. When these workers are not supported, the effect is far-reaching, going beyond their immediate families and extending into the communities in which they serve. Education during the pandemic has been tested beyond anything seen in history. Our students deserve the best instruction and learning available. When we stand up for these workers, we uphold the workforce necessary to provide the best for our students. We need to act now to ensure these workers get the unemployment compensation they are entitled to in a timely and efficient manner. We invite you to join us in support of these workers, their families, and their communities. |
Introduced as HB2918