Protecting Employers Since 1985

July 2009

Recently, I spoke with a very experienced unemployment insurance consultant who sounded the alarm! He told me that in a few months’ time, Illinois employers are going to be screaming bloody murder when they find out what their new unemployment insurance rates are.

This unemployment insurance consultant (who has very close contacts within the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) and many years of experience working with companies on their unemployment insurance rates) confided in me that due to the very tough economy and all of the unemployment insurance benefits that are being given so liberally, Illinois employers will find that their unemployment insurance rates are going to increase dramatically across the board . Of course, employers who have had unemployment insurance benefits charged to their account will find their rates go even higher. (Even if the company had no unemployment insurance claims against it, its IDES rate will still increase.)

This unemployment insurance consultant told me that he is fully expecting the highest unemployment insurance rates in Illinois history!

The IDES sometimes makes inadvertent mistakes in calculating unemployment insurance rates for companies. Therefore, if you believe there are errors on your IDES rate notices, promptly protest the rates before the strict due dates. If increased rates are not protested by the due dates, the rates become final.

Because of this frightening situation which looms on the horizon, Illinois businesses should be especially vigilant about evaluating all claims for unemployment insurance by ex-employees. In my experience, companies are far too lax and pessimistic about protesting claims for unemployment insurance, thereby costing themselves thousands of dollars in unemployment insurance costs.

In view of the dramatic increase in unemployment insurance rates, all Illinois companies should re-double their efforts in protesting all unemployment insurance claims by their ex-employees.

It is simply not true that companies cannot win when they protest unemployment insurance claims. We have had tremendous success in our law firm in battling unemployment insurance claims and believe firmly that it is definitely worthwhile to protest these claims. Remember that with each unemployment insurance claim that is charged to your Company’s unemployment insurance, the rate will go up dramatically, and this will have a very significant impact on your unemployment insurance rate when it is recalculated by the IDES.

If readers have an unemployment insurance claim, hearing or any unemployment insurance questions, please contact WS Shareholder and Senior Attorney Nancy Joerg at 630-377-1554, or najoerg@wesselssherman.com.

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