Employers: Get Instant Alerts on Unemployment Claims with SIDES Bookmark and Share

June 16, 2025

For Immediate Release: June 16, 2025

Employers: Get Instant Alerts on Unemployment Claims with SIDES

AUGUSTA - The Maine Department of Labor is encouraging employers to use SIDES E-Response, a secure website used to enter unemployment insurance claims information.

SIDES (State Information Data Exchange System) or E-Response provides fast, secure, and efficient ways to respond to unemployment insurance claims. It is a secure website used to enter UI claims information with no special software required, or cost to the employer.

SIDES is built specifically for states, employers, Third-Party Administrators (TPAs), and Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs). It eliminates the guesswork, misinformation, and lengthy processes of unemployment insurance claims so employers can have confidence in not only the validity of claims, but the payout of funds.

Here's why these systems are beneficial:

  • Accuracy and Reduced Errors
  • Electronic systems minimize manual data entry, helping avoid mistakes that can happen with paper forms.
  • Cost Savings
  • Using SIDES or E-Response reduces postage, printing, and administrative overhead.
  • Improved Claim Decisions
  • Timely and accurate responses help state agencies make better eligibility decisions, reducing improper payments and potentially lowering the employers UI tax rate.
  • Security
  • These systems are encrypted and designed to protect sensitive employee information better than traditional mail.
  • Easy Tracking
  • Employers can confirm when responses are received and track the status of their submissions.

The Maine Department of Labor was recently recognized for its dedication to reducing fraud and promoting unemployment insurance integrity through utilizing SIDES in processing UI benefit claims - https://www.maine.gov/labor/news_events/article.shtml?id=13177455 .

More information can be found here https://www.maine.gov/unemployment/sides/