Sunset of Additional Employment Week of 'Nonliability' for Unemployment Charges

June 12, 2014

For Immediate Release: June 12, 2014

Contact: Julie Rabinowitz, 207-621-5009

AUGUSTA?The Maine Department of Labor advises employers that the number of weeks of nonliability for unemployment benefits has reverted back to five from six weeks.

The department delivered its impact report on LD 1832, a bill from 2012, to the Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development (LCRED) Committee of the Legislature during the legislative session so that lawmakers could determine whether to act to extend the provision or allow it to sunset.

The one-week increase was legislatively scheduled to sunset and return to a five-week employment period on March 14, 2014. LCRED took no action to report out a bill that would repeal the sunset and make the six weeks permanent. Therefore, the department is advising employers affected by this provision to make note of the reversion back to five weeks.

?The 2012 bill increased the number of weeks from five to six in which an employer could employ someone without incurring the unemployment insurance benefit charge liability if the individual collected benefits leaving employment,? said Commissioner of Labor Jeanne Paquette. ?Under this bill, for all six initial weeks of employment, the benefit charges reverted back to a prior employer or were cost-shifted across all taxable employers if there was not a chargeable prior employer. The nonliability period is now five weeks.?

For questions about your industry or business, contact the Unemployment Field Advisor nearest you; contact information is available here http://maine.gov/labor/unemployment/contact.html#tax . More information for employers about the unemployment system is available at http://www.maine.gov/labor/unemployment/tax.html .

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