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Maine Recognized by NASWA for Dedication to Promoting Integrity in the Unemployment Insurance System 
April 27, 2022
For Immediate Release: April 27, 2022
Maine Recognized by NASWA for Dedication to Promoting Integrity in the Unemployment Insurance System
MAINE - The National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA) today recognized the Maine Department of Labor, 11 other state workforce agencies, and 26 employers, Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs), and Third-Party Administrators (TPAs) at its annual State Information Data Exchange System (SIDES) Seminar in St. Louis, Missouri.
The agencies and employers were recognized for their dedication to promoting integrity in the Unemployment Insurance (UI) system by their commitment to utilizing SIDES for Unemployment Insurance benefit claims. Maine's award is for utilizing SIDES E-Response for more than 35% of unemployment claims, and having an overall SIDES use of more than 50%. Maine also has 100% of all available TPAs connected to SIDES.
SIDES is a web-based system that allows electronic transmission of information regarding UI claims between employers, TPAs and state workforce agencies to accurately and securely reduce fraud and waste in the system. Using SIDES cuts down on paper usage, expedites employer responses, issue detection, and helps make benefit payments in a more timely manner. Over 4,700 employers in Maine currently use SIDES E-Response to respond electronically to unemployment insurance separation requests and inquiries.
"The Maine Department of Labor is committed to maintaining integrity in the unemployment insurance program and has been utilizing SIDES as a tool to communicate with employers about unemployment claims in a secure, timely, and easy way," said Labor Commissioner Laura Fortman. "I am pleased to see the hard-working staff at the Bureau of Unemployment Compensation receive national recognition for their tireless efforts and dedication to serving Maine workers and employers."
"The dedication demonstrated by these states, employers, and TPAs is essential to ensuring the dollars are safeguarded for those who are truly in need," said Scott B. Sanders, NASWA President and CEO in a press release. "Promoting the integrity of the UI system is everyone's business and these states, employers, and TPAs have shown they take that seriously."
SIDES is a quick, accurate, and secure way to automate responses to unemployment insurance claim notices from state workforce agencies and is currently operating in 47 states, the District of Columbia, and two U.S. territories. SIDES E-Response is a free website where employers and their representatives can quickly, accurately, and securely submit responses to unemployment insurance (UI) claims directly to state unemployment agencies.
The SIDES E-Response system was modernized in March: https://www.maine.gov/labor/news_events/article.shtml?id=7108512
The Maine Dept. of Labor strongly recommends that employers still receiving unemployment insurance requests by paper sign up for the SIDES electronic claims system at: https://reemployme.maine.gov/accessme/faces/sides/SEWEmployerWelcome.xhtml
NASWAs press release can be found here: https://www.naswa.org/news/organizations-recognized-for-dedication-to-fighting-unemployment-fraud.
