56 Ill. Adm. Code 2765.325
Application Of "30 Day" Requirement For Determining The Chargeable Employer Pursuant To Section 1502.1 of the Act
Section 2765
Section 2765.325 Application
Of "30 Day" Requirement For Determining The Chargeable Employer
Pursuant To Section 1502.1 of the Act
a) Except as provided in the other subsections of this Section
and in Sections 2765.326, 2765.332, 2765.333 and 2765.334, the last employer
prior to the beginning of the individual's benefit year (which is defined at
Section 242 of the Act) for whom the individual provided services during at
least 30 days beginning with the first day of the individual's base period
(which is defined at Section 237 of the Act) but prior to the beginning of his
benefit year shall be liable for the benefit charges or payments in lieu of
contributions, as the case may be, which result from any benefits paid to that
individual.
1) Example: Immediately prior to filing his claim for
unemployment benefits, the individual provides services to Company A, a liable,
contributing employer, for 20 days. Prior to this period, he provides services
to Company B, a liable, contributing employer, for 30 days. Prior to working
for Company B and throughout his base period, the individual has provided at
least 10 days of service to Company A. In this example, Company A will be the
chargeable employer and will be liable for any benefit charges which might
accrue as a result of any benefits paid to this individual. This is because
the individual's last employer prior to the beginning of his benefit year is
Company A and he provided services to Company A during at least 30 days during
the period from the beginning of the individual's base period to the beginning
of his benefit year. Pursuant to Section 1502.1 of the Act, it is not necessary
for the 30 days of services by the individual to be consecutive.
2) Example: Prior to the beginning of his benefit year, the
individual provides services only to Company A, a liable, contributing
employer, for over ten years. Company A will be this individual's chargeable
employer with respect to this individual's entire benefit year because Company
A is the individual's last employer of at least 30 days prior to the beginning
of his benefit year. If, after claiming benefits for a few weeks, this
individual is employed by Company B, a liable, contributing employer, for six
months, is laid off by Company B and files an additional claim, Company A will
still be the chargeable employer of this individual with respect to any benefit
charges which might accrue with respect to the additional claim. Company A
remains liable for the benefit charges which accrue during the entire benefit
year regardless of the number of times that the individual is laid off and
becomes reemployed.
3) Example: Prior to the beginning of his benefit year, the
individual is employed on an as-needed basis (some weeks the individual might
work four days, other weeks he might not work at all) for Company A, a liable,
contributing employer. While so employed by Company A, the individual is also
employed on a full time basis for Company B, a liable, contributing employer.
The individual is laid off by Company B and is offered two days of work by
Company A. After working for these two days, no other work is currently
available with Company A, and the individual files a claim for benefits. If
the individual has been employed by Company A for at least 30 days from the
beginning of his base period to the beginning of his benefit year, Company A
will be liable for any benefit charges which might accrue as a result of any
benefits which might be paid to this individual. This is because, despite the
individual's full time employment with Company B, the individual's last
employer for whom he provided services of at least 30 days during the applicable
period was Company A, and it was his separation from Company A that caused the
individual to become "unemployed."
4) Example: Assume the same facts as in subsection (a)(3),
except that, instead of being an as-needed employee, the individual continues
to provide less than full time services to Company A and earns less than his
weekly benefit amount. In that case, Section 2765.326 shall apply, and Company
B will be the chargeable employer because it caused this individual to become
unemployed as defined in Section 239 of the Act.
5) Example: The individual is a substitute teacher. Whenever
she is available to teach, she calls in for assignments with her school
district, a local governmental entity which has elected to make payments in
lieu of contributions. During the first semester of the school year, she
teaches only 32 days. She, however, did not work for the school district
during her base period. If she now files a claim for benefits, her school
district will be liable for 50% of any payments in lieu of contributions which
would result if she would be paid benefits. This is because, despite her
services being performed over a five month period, the school district is the
last employer prior to the beginning of her benefit year and she has provided
the required 30 days of services during the applicable period. The employer is
only liable for 50% of the amount of the benefits paid because the individual
performed no services for this employer during her base period (see Section
1405(B) of the Act.)
6) Example: The individual is employed for 25 days during his
base period for City A, a local governmental entity which has elected to make
payments in lieu of contributions. He then works for Company B, a liable,
contributing employer for approximately ten months. After being laid off by
Company B, he is again employed by City A which then lays him off after five
days. City A will be liable for payments in lieu of contributions equal to
100% of the benefits paid to this individual. This is because City A is the
individual's last employer prior to the beginning of his benefit year, and this
individual was employed for at least 30 days beginning with the start of his
base period and prior to the beginning of his benefit year. City A is liable
for 100% of the benefits paid because, in addition to being the chargeable
employer as provided in this subsection, the individual also provided services
for this employer during his base period. If this employer had met the
requirements to be the chargeable employer but this individual had not provided
services to this employer during his base period, then this employer would have
been liable for only 50% of the payments in lieu of contributions made to this
individual as in subsection (a)(5).
7) Example: The individual is employed by several different
employers from the beginning of his base period until he first files a claim
for benefits. However, he does not provide services for at least 30 days to
any single employer during this period. Therefore, there is no chargeable
employer, and no employer will be liable for either the benefit charges or
payments in lieu of contributions as a result of payments made to this
individual during this claim for benefits.
8) Example: An individual is employed during his entire base
period for Company A, a liable, contributing employer. After being laid off by
Company A, he works for at least 30 days for the State of Illinois, which makes
payments in lieu of contributions pursuant to Section 1403 of the Act. If this
individual files a claim for benefits, the State of Illinois will be liable for
an amount equal to 50% of the benefits paid to this individual since the State
of Illinois is the chargeable employer but not a base period employer.
b)
If the last organization or person for whom the individual
provided at least 30 days of service is not an employer, as defined by Section
205 of the Act, then no employer shall be the chargeable employer, and any
benefit charges or payments in lieu of contributions which accrue as a result
of benefits paid to the individual shall not become the benefit charges or the
amounts due of any employer. Whether the last organization or person for whom
the individual provided at least 30 days of service is an employer, as defined
by Section 205 of the Act, is determined as of the effective date of the claim
and is unaffected by a later determination of liability based on events which
occur after the effective date of the claim.
1) Example: An individual is employed during his entire base
period for Company A, a liable, contributing employer. He then leaves Illinois
and obtains work in California for at least 30 days for an organization which
is not liable under the Act. If this individual is laid off from his
California job and files a claim against Illinois based on his Illinois base
period wages, no employer shall be liable for any benefit charges for any
benefit payments made to this individual. This is because the California organization
is not an employer under the Act and, therefore, cannot be the chargeable
employer under this Section.
2) Example: An individual is employed during his entire base
period for Company A, a liable, contributing employer. After being laid off by
Company A, he works for at least 30 days for the U. S. Postal Service, which is
not an employer under the Act and for which reimbursement for any benefits paid
is determined pursuant to Federal Regulations. He is then laid off by the
Postal Service. If this individual files a claim for benefits, no employer
shall be liable for any benefit charges for any benefit payments made to this
individual. This is because the U. S. Postal Service is not an employer under
the Act and, therefore, cannot be the chargeable employer under this Section.
3) Example: An individual files a claim for benefits, effective
March 11, 1990, after having last been employed by Company A which began
business as of January 1, 1990. As of March 11, 1990, Company A is not an employer
under the Act because it has not yet had one or more employees in each of
twenty or more weeks nor has it paid at least $1,500 in wages in a calendar
quarter. However, as of September 10, 1990, it has one or more employees in
each of twenty or more weeks, and, therefore, its liability is made retroactive
to January 1, 1990. In this case, Company A will not be the chargeable
employer because its liability is a result of a retroactive determination based
on events subsequent to the effective date of the individual's claim.
4) Example: An individual files a claim for benefits, effective
March 11, 1990, after having last been employed by Company A which claims that
it is not liable under the Act because it has no employees. On September 10,
1990, there is a determination and assessment, which becomes final, which holds
that Company A is liable for unpaid contributions on the wages of workers whom
Company A had not considered employees. This is not a retroactive
determination, and Company A can be held to be the chargeable employer of this
individual.
c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Subpart, no
employer shall be the chargeable employer of an individual who was either
discharged for misconduct connected with the work or voluntarily left such
employer without good cause or refused to accept an offer of or to apply for
suitable work from that employer without good cause. Unless the next
subsequent employing unit, if it is an employer under the Act and paid the
individual an amount equal to his weekly benefit amount in each of four weeks
after the beginning of the individual's benefit year, any payments which might
result in benefit charges will be pooled and not charged to any employer.
However, if the circumstances of the voluntary quit are those described in
Section 601(B)(1) or Section 601(B)(2) of the Act, then, any payments which
might result in benefit charges will become pooled costs and not be charged to
any employer.
1) Example: The individual quits Company A where he was employed
for at least 30 days. He then accepts employment with Company B where he works
for two weeks and earns in excess of his weekly benefit amount. He is then
laid off and files a claim for benefits. Pursuant to Section 601(B)(2) of the
Act, this individual is not ineligible for benefits. However, if it is decided
that the individual quit this job without good cause, no employer will be
charged for the benefits paid to the individual. This is because the
individual quit his job with Company A without good cause but under the
circumstances described in Section 601(B)(2) of the Act.
2) Example: The individual is held to be ineligible for benefits
by the claims adjudicator, Referee, Board of Review or court as a result of his
discharge for misconduct by Company A, a liable, contributing employer.
Thereafter, he returns to work and performs services for Company B, a liable,
contributing employer, for three days per week for three weeks and is then laid
off. However, he does earn an amount in excess of his weekly benefit amount in
each of these weeks. He then performs services for Company C for one week and
earns in excess of his weekly benefit amount before being laid off for lack of
work. The individual is eligible for benefits because he met the requalification
requirements of Section 602 of the Act. No employer will be the chargeable
employer of this individual because he was discharged for misconduct connected
with his work and because the next subsequent employing unit after his
discharge did not pay him an amount equal to or in excess of his weekly benefit
amount in each of four weeks.
3) Example: The individual is discharged from Company A, files a
claim for benefits and is determined to be ineligible under Section 602 of the
Act. He then returns to work for Company B, a liable, contributing employer,
and earns in excess of his weekly benefit amount in each of four weeks. He is
then laid off by Company B. Thereafter he is employed by Company C before
being laid off. Company B will be this individual's chargeable employer
because it was the individual's single employer following his discharge for
misconduct from Company A, is an employer under the Act, paid the individual an
amount necessary to requalify for benefits and the requalification occurred
after the beginning of the individual's benefit year.
4) Example: Assume the same facts as in subsection (d)(3) except
that Company B discharged the individual for misconduct connected with his
work. In this case, no employer will be the chargeable employer because Company
B cannot be the chargeable employer of an individual if it discharged him for
misconduct connected with his work and, though Company C was the individual's
next subsequent employer following his discharge for misconduct from Company B
and paid the individual the amount necessary to requalify for benefits and the
requalification occurred after the beginning of the individual's benefit year,
the disqualifying event occurred after the beginning of the individual's
benefit year.
5) Example: Assume the same facts as in subsection (d)(3) except
that Company B is not an employer under the Act. In this case, no employer
will be charged as a result of any benefits paid to this individual. This is
because the individual was discharged for misconduct connected with his work by
Company A and earned an amount equal to or in excess of his weekly benefit
amount in each of four weeks after the beginning of his benefit year from
Company B, an organization which is not subject to the Act. However, because it
is not an employer under the Act, it cannot be charged and, therefore, the
charges will be pooled.
6) Example: An individual is employed by Company A for several
months before being laid off for lack of work. The individual does not file a
claim for benefits immediately but goes on vacation. When he returns from
vacation, Company A offers the individual a suitable job which he refuses
without good cause. However, during that same week, he is hired by Company B
where he then works less than 30 days but earns in excess of his weekly benefit
amount in each of four weeks. When he is laid off by Company B, the individual
files a claim for benefits and is not subject to disqualification for his
refusal of work from Company A because he has had sufficient earning from
Company B to purge any possible disqualification. Company A will not be
charged for benefit charges which result from payments to this individual
because the individual refused the Company's offer of suitable work without
good cause. Company B will not be charged either because it paid this
individual the amounts necessary to purge the possible disqualification before
the beginning of the individual's benefit year. Therefore, in this case, no
employer will be the chargeable employer, and the benefit charges will be
pooled.
d) If no employer meets the requirements of this Subpart to be
the chargeable employer for the second of two consecutive benefit years but
there was a chargeable employer for the first benefit year, that employer will
be the chargeable employer for that second benefit year.
Example: The individual is discharged for misconduct
connected with his work by Company A, files a claim for benefits and is held
ineligible pursuant to Section 602 of the Act. He then returns to work for
Company B, a liable and contributing employer, and earns an amount equal to or
in excess of his current weekly benefit amount in each of four calendar weeks,
which is sufficient to requalify for benefits. He is then laid off by Company
B and is now eligible for benefits. Under these circumstances, Company B will
be charged for any benefit charges which accrue because it was the single
employer which paid the individual the amount necessary to requalify for
benefits and the requalification occurred after the beginning of the
individual's benefit year. If this individual later files a second benefit
year claim, Company B did not employ the individual for at least 30 days and
paid the amount necessary for the individual to requalify prior to the
beginning of the second benefit year. However, Company B will be the
chargeable employer because there is no other employer that meets the
requirements for chargeability and because it was the chargeable employer for
the individual's first benefit year.
e) Whether the last employer for whom the individual provided at
least 30 days of service is the chargeable employer is determined based on the
circumstances as of the effective date of the initial claim for that benefit
year and is unaffected by events which occur after that date.
Example: Company A is determined to be the chargeable
employer of an individual who is laid off for lack of work and has filed an
initial claim for unemployment insurance benefits. After a few weeks, this
individual is recalled to work by Company A. A few months later, he quits his
job with Company A and files an additional claim. Company A is still the
chargeable employer since chargeability is determined based on the
circumstances as of the effective date of the initial claim and is unaffected
by the separation which occurred after that date.
f) Notice that a claim for benefits has been filed will be sent
by the Agency to every employing unit for whom the individual provided
services, subsequent to the services provided to the chargeable employer, prior
to the beginning of the individual's benefit year.