IDES Reaches out to employers with a workshop focused on their needs.
JOLIET – On September 28, Joliet Junior College welcomed area employers to the Meeting Business Needs Workshop conducted by the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES). State Senator AJ Wilhelmi, State Representative Jack McGuire, the Will County Center for Economic Development, and the Joliet Chamber of Commerce hosted the event. Joliet Mayor Tom Giarrante also attended.
The workshop was an in-depth review of the adjudication, protest and appeals process for unemployment insurance claims and a review of the various programs IDES offers employers. “We want to make sure that the State of Illinois is a good place to do business,” said Wilhelmi in his opening remarks to the audience of about 60 employers.
While the first 90 minutes focused on the various programs available to employers such as Illinois Skills Match, Tax Credits, TaxNet, and Fidelity Bonding, the next hour was spent in a lively discussion with employers as they described their personal experiences with the unemployment insurance claims process.
“With the system the way it is, we’re guilty until proven innocent,” said one employer describing a claim he recently lost. Others described similar frustrations with the adjudication process.
The comments and questions were fielded by IDES representative John Stegner who explained that the burden of proof on claims could vary depending on whether the claimant was dismissed or voluntarily left the job. If the employee was dismissed, the burden of proof will be on the employer. If the employee voluntarily left, the burden of proof reverts to the employee making the claim for unemployment insurance.
Stegner told the audience that there is a difference between an employee simply being difficult to work with or lacking in social skills, and an employee who wantonly and willfully disobeys a reasonable request. Should an employer terminate an employee because he or she purposely disobeys a reasonable request, the employee is guilty of misconduct and not eligible for unemployment insurance. Nevertheless, the claim will still need to be investigated by the IDES to determine its appropriateness.
There was additional discussion on how to effectively protest a claim, the time frame for initiating a protest, and how IDES determines which employer is responsible for the benefit payment.
After a short break, the employers participated in a role-playing session where they learned how to effectively deal with actual cases of unemployment hearings.
IDES plans to offer more workshops in the future as part of its effort to become a greater resource to Illinois employers. For more information, contact the IDES at their new web address, www.ides.illinois.gov, or call them at 1-800-247-4984.
For those who want to learn more about the services offered at Joliet Junior College’s Illinois Small Business Development Center, they can call 815-280-1400, or e-mail sbdc@jjc.edu.