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A Newsletter for Employers September 2022 |
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I hope you have been able to enjoy many of the wonderful opportunities to celebrate a Pure Michigan summer. There are so many great places to go and wonderful businesses to visit that fuel our tourist economy. |
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Are you ready for some Pumpkin Spice? How about some trivia or should I say “trivial?” Pumpkin Spice does not contain pumpkin! Happy autumn, Michigan employers. We would like to thank you for keeping Michigan and its economy going strong. Go Lions!
Something else to keep in mind as we look to the Fall and the end of 2022: Remember to file any missing First and Second Quarter wage reports to avoid being assessed a penalty tax rate for next year. The Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) provides a Q&A on quarterly reports that you can find on the Employer Homepage at Michigan.gov/UIA. You will also find FAQs on other topics such as collections, employer filed claims, fraud, tax rates, taxable wage base, and liabilities.
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Fraud is the topic of a new resource sheet that we have posted to our website. Preventing and Reporting UI Fraud provides tips on how to avoid fraud and how you can help stop fraud, which costs everyone.
The one-pager can be viewed by clicking on the image to the left or this link: Preventing & Reporting Employer UI Fraud.
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Finally, I want to pass along some really good news on the jobs front. The Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the jobless rate for veterans stood at 2.4 percent in August, down from 2.7 percent in July. If your company is still looking to fill positions, consider hiring a veteran through the Work Opportunity Tax Credit program. It not only benefits those who served our country, but your company could qualify for a tax credit of up to $9,600. You can find out more about this wonderful program at Michigan.gov/UIA. |
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If you want to suggest an article or topic for the Employer Advisor newsletter or
just want to tell us how much you enjoy reading it, please send a message to:
UIA-EmployerAdvisor@Michigan.gov. You can also view past newsletters on our Tools and Resources webpage. |
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Gov. Whitmer signed a bill passed by the Michigan Legislature that impacts the UIA apportionment payment plan, which allows employers to spread out their First Quarter unemployment insurance assessment.
The change increases to 100 the number of employees that a company needs to employ to qualify for apportionment. That is an increase from 25.
Normally, an eligible contributing employer has to pay 50 percent or more of its assessment in the First Quarter. Under apportionment, that amount can be equally distributed over four quarters, which would help your company’s bottom line.
To apply for the program, select the Apportionment button in your MiWAM account beginning at the end of the First Quarter of 2023.
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Just a few helpful notes that our Ombudsman wants to share with employers to make their UI experience easier:
1) If you are registering a new business, it generally takes UIA two to three business days to process your request. You may also select a “FUTURE DATE” when you expect to have paid $1,000 in wages. However, it will still take two to three business days from the FUTURE DATE for final processing. Watch this UIA video for more information on how to register a business.
2) When setting up an initial MiWAM account, please add security questions.
This will allow you to receive an email to reset your password.
3) There are two steps to closing a UI account:
- Online process by completing Notice of Change in your MIWAM account.
- Manual process by completing Form UIA-1772 request for closing process.
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Note - Clicking Yes to “Final Report” does not automatically close the account. It triggers the mailing of a Notice of Change that must be completed.
4) UIA will not accept paper quarterly wage reports. All quarterly reports must be filed in your MiWAM account. However, payments can be submitted by mail with the appropriate payment coupon – Form UIA #4101.
5) Here are some more helpful hints on completing reports and requests
(click on the image below for a larger version of the fact sheet):
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The UIA has been awarded a $6,779,261 grant from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to make it easier for workers in underserved communities to access jobless benefits. This includes workers who have historically had difficulties applying for benefits, rural and urban areas where residents have limited internet access, and those with language barriers.
The grant will support UIA initiatives to improve customer service, which is integral to UIA Director Julia Dale’s reform of the agency along with chasing down scammers who steal taxpayer money, reducing the case backlog, and upgrading the agency’s computer system. The DOL grant will fund comprehensive data collection to inform future strategies, allow for orientations for those who are new to filing for benefits, broaden language translation services, and expand community outreach throughout the state of Michigan.
“This grant will shatter barriers that many Michiganders encounter when they apply for unemployment insurance benefits after losing their jobs,” Dale said. “It is important that we serve all residents across our diverse state by easing the benefits application process and confronting and resolving every community’s unique challenges. Navigating the benefits application can be difficult, and historically has prevented some Michiganders from seeking benefits at a time in their lives when they are most vulnerable to personal financial hardship.”
The DOL’s equity grants to Michigan and 24 other states provide funding to launch projects that seek to remove barriers related to race, age, ethnicity, language proficiency, disability status, geographic location, or other systemic issues, and enable those in need to access unemployment insurance benefits.
Read the full news release here.
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