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April 24, 2020
2020-1108

Missouri COVID-19 UI benefits will not be charged to employer accounts

According to the Missouri Department of Labor & Industrial Relations COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), contributory employers will not be charged for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits collected by workers affected by COVID-19.

The Department suggests that employers consider the state's shared work program as an alternative to a layoff.

The one-week waiting period and work-search requirements, under certain circumstances, are waived for workers filing COVID-19 UI benefit claims

The FAQs state that the Department will waive the one-week waiting period for worker UI benefits related to COVID-19 after the employer protest deadline has passed.

Q: Has Missouri waived the waiting week for those eligible to receive unemployment benefits due to the coronavirus?

Under the authority of Missouri EO20-4, the Missouri Department of Labor has waived any waiting week requirement served for all claims filed as a result of the coronavirus. That means, unlike prior to the order, eligible individuals will receive payment for the waiting week as their first payment and not have to wait until they have exhausted benefits to be paid for the waiting week.However, individuals will not get paid until after the protest period, which appears as a pending protest online.

The work search requirements for worker UI benefits related to COVID-19 are also waived under certain circumstances:

Q: Do I need to search for work if I am laid off due to COVID-19?

Weekly work search activities are not required for those that file their unemployment claim as a coronavirus-related claim. Work searches are typically not required when there is a recall date within eight weeks of the temporary lay-off. If the recall date changes but is within the initial eight weeks from the last day worked, the employee must contact a Regional Claims Center representative to update the recall date. An employer may apply for approval of an extended recall and a work search waiver for employees of up to sixteen weeks. For more information about recall and extended work search waiver please visit labor.mo.gov/DES/Employers/extended_waiver.

For more information regarding the Department's response to COVID-19, go here.

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Contact Information
For additional information concerning this Alert, please contact:
 
Workforce Tax Services - Employment Tax Advisory Services
   • Kenneth Hausser (kenneth.hausser@ey.com)
   • Debera Salam (debera.salam@ey.com)
   • Kristie Lowery (kristie.lowery@ey.com)
   • Peter Berard (peter.berard@ey.com)

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