Colorado recently enacted Senate Bill 22-234, which expands the notice requirements regarding unemployment insurance an employer must provide to an employee upon separation. While Senate Bill 22-234 only applies to Colorado employers, its application and any court challenges could serve as a model for other states to enact similar legislation. It could also be a guidepost for future federal legislation as the Biden Administration has focused on ramping up rule enforcement at the agency level and has made a commitment to expanding worker rights in both the public and private sector. With that in mind, employers in all jurisdictions should keep a keen eye on how this law unfolds in order to stay ahead of the curve if a similar rule comes to their state.
The requirement went into effect May 25th and requires the following information to be provided at termination:
• Employer’s name and address
• Employee’s name and address
• Employee ID or the last four digits of the employee’s SSN.
• Employee’s first and last date of employment.
• Employee’s YTD earnings, and the employee’s earnings for their last week worked.
• The reason the employee separated from the employer.
• A statement that unemployment insurance benefits are available to unemployed workers who meet Colorado eligibility
requirements and contact information on how to file and check on the status of an unemployment claiims.
If you have HR questions, and would like to speak with an employment law attorney, contact Julie Ryan at [email protected].