The primary objective of Unemployment Insurance is to provide temporary income for those workers who become involuntarily unemployed, and who are able and willing to accept suitable jobs that are available. From the standpoint of employers, Unemployment Insurance for short spells of unemployment tends to hold together a skilled labor force, which can be called upon when business improves. The employer plays a critical role in the program. The costs of the program are borne entirely by the employer by payment of taxes to the Vermont Department of Labor, which are used solely for payment of benefits. The employer also pays a tax to the federal government, which is used to pay for administering the program, to make loans to replenish state trust funds, and to pay for the federal share of the cost of any extended benefits program that may be in effect.
The employer also plays a critical role in the administration of the program by providing wage data that is used to compute benefit eligibility and by responding to mailings directly to an unemployed worker. Employers also help ensure the integrity of the program by reporting potential fraudulent activities and not enabling individuals who are receiving benefits to also work off the books at the same time.
There are four main sections administrating Vermont's Unemployment Insurance Program.
The Claims Center is responsible for assisting the unemployed worker in filing an unemployment claim, which could be paid under one of several different types of programs; answering claim related questions from claimants and employers; and adjudicating all issues that arise, which could potentially impact the proper receipt of unemployment benefits. They also administer the Short Time Compensation Program.
The Employer Services section is comprised of three main units: Status, Reports Processing and Field Operations. The Status unit is responsible for all aspects of setting up or closing accounts. The Reports Processing Unit is responsible for processing all reports and adjusting account balances. Field Operations are comprised of several field auditors and an investigator.
The Program Integrity Unit is responsible investigating Fraud Reports, conducting Integrity Crossmatch Programs, and delinquent money or reports due on claimant and employer accounts. The Performance and Compliance Unit handles Wage and Hour issues, as well as administrating two Federal review programs called Benefit Accuracy Measurement (BAM) and Tax Performance System (TPS).
Unemployment Insurance and Wages Contact Information for all functions related to the Unemployment Insurance and Wages division is provided for your convenience.