State labor officials have announced two efforts to help employers impacted by September’s historic floods.
In many Front Range counties the natural disaster forced businesses to temporarily shut down and lay off employees. For those businesses, the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment is delaying the due date for unemployment premium payments.
In addition, the department is offering an exemption from rate impacts as a result of unemployment claims that may be filed against them.
Workers who have been laid off because of the flooding can file for regular unemployment benefits or for disaster unemployment assistance, according to Cher Haavind with the state labor department -- and the companies won’t see their premium rates go up as a result.
"If [workers] file an unemployment claim against their employer, we want to make sure that employer is not charged for that claim," Haavind says. "So it would not impact their premium rate or what we call their experience rating."
For businesses in a nine-county region, the state Division of Unemployment Insurance is offering a month-long extension of the due date for filing third-quarter wage reports and paying premiums. The new due date is Nov. 30, 2013.
Haavind says employers impacted by the flooding but located outside the region covered by Gov. Hickenlooper's disaster declaration may be eligible for assistance, too -- and should call 303-318-9100 for more information.
