Welcome to the CDLE Monthly Employer Email |
This email contains critical information for Colorado employers. You received this email because you are registered in our Unemployment Insurance system. Please visit the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment website for additional information about programs. |
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Unemployment Insurance Employer Update |
New UI premiums and wages system coming this Fall |
- The Unemployment Insurance Division is hard at work modernizing the system employers use to pay premiums and manage your UI account. Our anticipated go-live for the new system is Fall 2023.
- Among the many system upgrades, the new system will enhance your self-service options, continuing to allow you to easily report wages and respond to fact finding within the system, while also providing more options for payment plans and account history. You’ll also have access to more account information and customer service directly in the portal.
- In advance of the system launch, we will offer demos, videos, guides and town halls to spotlight new functionalities and familiarize you with the new system.
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Upcoming changes to your UI rate allocations |
- What is the issue?* The Federal Department of Labor (USDOL) is requiring Colorado to perform adjustments to the data used to calculate the 2024 employer rates to exclude amounts paid from employer premiums into the statutorily mandated Employment Support Fund (ESF) and Employment Technology and Training Fund (ETTF). The adjustment needs to be made because the State of Colorado is out of compliance with federal law around how we collect premiums.
- What is the immediate impact on employers? In order to correctly assign your rates for calendar year 2024, we have to review your 2023 contributions and properly allocate them across the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund (UITF), the Employment Support Fund and the Employment Technology and Training Fund. This could potentially change how your contributions for 2023 factor into your 2024 experience rate calculation.
- What is the long-term impact on employers? Most employers will not see a noticeable impact to their typical payments based on experience rating. This change will simply bring the process in line with Federal requirements and give employers more transparency into the way we allocate your UI contributions.
- What happens if UI doesn’t come into compliance with these Federal requirements? If left unresolved, the USDOL could remove the entirety of the Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA) Credit that all employers receive. The removal of this credit would result in a tenfold increase of the per-employee tax rate that employers must pay. The actions we are taking now will ensure that this increase does not happen.
- Where can I learn more about this issue? The Unemployment Insurance Division has quarterly stakeholder meetings where you can share your feedback on this topic. Please check the events calendar on our website for information about future meetings.
*This issue impacts contributory (rate-based, premium paying) employers only.
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Please Provide Feedback to Improve Our Outreach to Employers |
The Division of Workers' Compensation is seeking 1-2 minutes of your time for feedback that will help improve outreach and services to Colorado employers. This brief anonymous survey seeks to better understand employers, their awareness of workers' compensation, and their preferred ways to learn about legal requirements for businesses. The results will improve access to information that helps employers protect both their businesses and their employees. All responses are completely anonymous and confidential. |
Apprenticeship Colorado Info Session |
Participate in our Statewide Outdoor Recreation Job Fair |
The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment is supporting our state's recreation industry by hosting a virtual Statewide Outdoor Recreation Job Fair on May 4, 2023, from 2:00 - 6:00 p.m. This virtual job fair is open to any employers from across the state who have open positions in: |
- City/County Recreation Districts
- National Parks and Recreation
- Private Recreation Centers
- Sporting Event Venues
- State Parks and Recreation
- Summer School Programs
- And much more!
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One week prior to the event, we will host a one-hour long employer training session/dry run to familiarize you with the Premier Virtual platform. This training is scheduled for Thursday, April 27 at 2:30p.m. If you want to connect with hundreds of qualified job seekers and quickly fill your open positions, register (as an organization) for our event today: 2023 Statewide Outdoor Recreation Job Fair Employer Registration Link. |
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Apprenticeship Colorado at the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment’s (CDLE) Office of the Future of Work (OFW) released the second cycle of Scale-Up Grants on April 7th, 2023. The funding opportunity encourages the launching, scaling, and diversifying of Registered Apprenticeship Opportunities in the state. |
Scale-Up Grants are competitive awards of up to $50,000 that support employers and sponsors to develop or expand a Registered Apprenticeship Program in Colorado. Applicants that demonstrate a commitment and plan to embed diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility into the design of the apprenticeship program will be more competitive. The deadline to apply is anticipated to be May 5th, 2023. For more information visit the Apprenticeship Colorado website. |
Looking for no-cost resources to meet your business needs? |
Whether you are a new, existing, big, or small business, workforce centers can help with your day to day business needs. These no cost services can help you find, hire, and retain your workforce. Reach out today to your nearest workforce center to learn more about free, customized services available to meet your immediate business needs.Contact a workforce center or reach out to melissa.robinson@state.co.us to be connected to a workforce center in your area. |
Businesses can get up to $10,000 through the Work-Based Learning Incentive Program |
CDLE’sWork-Based Learning Incentive (WBLI) Program is now accepting applications from Colorado employers for reimbursements of up to $10,000. WBLI will provide funding to help with the start-up costs of developing work-based learning programs, including training dollars that could be used in partnership with institutions of higher education or other training providers. Small businesses and those in rural communities are eligible to receive additional incentives. Applications will be evaluated in the order they are received with funding available on a first-come, first-served basis. The program runs through May 2024 or until funding runs out.
For more information including a checklist to prepare employers for the application process and instructions on how to apply, please visit wbli.cdle.co. |
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The Clock is Ticking! Register with FAMLI Now Before Wage Reports and Premiums are Due |
The first deadline for Colorado’s new Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI) program is right around the corner, so register your business in My FAMLI+ Employer today! Whether you are a small business with a staff of five or fifty, every business with at least one qualified employee must register. We have several resources available, including new how-to videos and quick reference guides, to make the registration process as seamless as possible. |
FAMLI wage reports and premium payments are due quarterly. The first payment to FAMLI is due April 30, 2023. FAMLI is offering a 30-day grace period before payments will be considered late. This grace period is reflected in My FAMLI+ Employer, which shows May 31, 2023 as the first deadline. |
It's time to prepare your FAMLI wage reports! |
Another tip as you prepare to report wages: If you’re manually entering wage data for individual employees in My FAMLI+ Employer, you’ll want to always round down for any amount beyond a penny. We recently updated our system to provide a .50 cent buffer to address these small rounding issues. One more wage reporting tip to keep in mind: Make sure that you are selecting Q1 2023 as the quarter you are reporting for (not Q2 2023)! |
Watch the New FAMLI How-to-Videos |
Don’t forget to subscribe to the FAMLI newsletter to get invitations to upcoming Virtual Town Halls, rulemaking notices and more! |
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Public Health Emergency Leave is Still in Effect |
All Colorado employers, regardless of size or industry, still must give employees both (1) “accrued” paid sick leave (one hour per 30 hours worked, up to 48 hours a year), and (2) COVID-related public health emergency (“PHE”) leave (two weeks — 80 hours, or less for part-time employees) under the Colorado Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (HFWA). |
Colorado’s 80-hour PHE leave is ongoing and will continue until four weeks after all applicable federal and PHE declarations end or are suspended. The Biden administration has announced plans to end the federal COVID-related PHE on May 11, 2023. This means that COVID-related PHE emergency leave will continue at least until June 8, 2023. For more information on Colorado’s paid sick leave requirements, please see the CDLE Division of Labor Standards and Statistics’ HFWA webpage. |
Do’s and Don’ts of Responding to Unemployment Insurance Claim Documents |
Here are a few tips to ensure your UI documents are processed as quickly as possible: |
✓ Use the online portal to respond to questionnaires, file an appeal, or upload supporting documentation as one complete document when possible, rather than faxing or mailing. Mailing/faxing will extend processing times. If you absolutely must fax a document, please use the fax number listed on the form you are responding to.
✓ Return the barcoded CDLE form with any supporting documentation, and put that form on the top! Please do this even when sending your own forms as the barcode tells us with which issue the documentation belongs.
✓ Include the Claimant ID number on any pages which are not a barcoded CDLE form.
✓ When returning multiple forms, make sure all pages are in the proper order with the CDLE barcoded form being on top of any supporting documentation for each form.
✓ If you are unable to return the CDLE form, include the form’s Document ID on all pages. This can be found at the bottom left corner of the form.
✓ Report fraud online at https://cdle.colorado.gov/fraud-prevention rather than by mail or fax.
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✗ When submitting documents by fax, include a cover page other than the CDLE barcoded form.
✗ Do not upload one page at a time for multiple page documents (submit as one complete document when possible).
✗ Return forms to report fraud.
✗ Add two claimants’ info on the same page.
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