Employer Benefits Services

Employers can manage Employer Benefits Services (EBS) access to their online accounts by signing up under the employer’s account as the administrator. The administrator has the authority to:

• Designate other employees to serve as additional administrators.
• Approve or deny other employees who want to sign up.
• View lists of users, applicants, and denied users.
• Manage permission levels of all user accounts.

The administrator for an EBS account is:

• An owner
• A partner
• An officer
• A designated representative

The first person to register for Employer Benefits Services automatically becomes the account administrator. The account administrator is responsible for approving or denying access to any additional users. The administrator also assigns permissions to those additional users, including designating whether the new user can administer the account.

Can there be multiple account administrators?

Yes. There can be more than one administrator for an employer's unemployment account. TWC recommends that each account have at least two administrators. With multiple account administrators, employers avoid having to contact TWC for help, should the sole account administrator leave employment.

How do I become an account administrator?

The first person to register for Employer Benefits Services automatically becomes the account administrator after providing information that verifies their identity. If an account administrator already exists, each subsequent user will log on and request access to the account. The existing account administrator will approve or deny the request and, if approved, grant the appropriate permission level.

How does an account administrator review a request for account access?

TWC sends an e-mail to the account administrator each time a new user requests access.  The account administrator will log on to EBS, select the User Admin tab, and select the Applicant List link to view the applicant's profile. The administrator can then approve or deny the request, and, if approved, grant the appropriate permission level.

How does an account administrator view or update a user's permissions?

The account administrator will log on to EBS, select the User Admin tab, and select the User List link to view the user's profile. If necessary, the administrator can change the user's permissions.

How does an account administrator remove a user's access?

The account administrator will log on to the EBS, select the User Admin tab, and select the User List link to view the user's profile. The administrator will then select the Remove from Group link.

How does an account administrator change permissions and stop receiving e-mail notifications for new electronic correspondence?  

The account administrator will log on to EBS, select the User Admin tab, select the User List link, and select the View Profile link to view the user's profile.  Select the Edit Permissions link to edit a user's access to Electronic Correspondence.

To remove access to Electronic Correspondence, uncheck the box next to "Electronic Correspondence."  The user will no longer receive e-mail notifications when new mail is delivered to the Correspondence Inbox and will not be able to view the online inbox. To restore access, make sure the Electronic Correspondence permission box is checked. 

Need Help?

• See a user guide on how to use EBS Administrator Duties.

Request Access

Learn how to gain or remove your access to an employer's account.

How do I request access to EBS?

Create a Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) Internet User ID or log on with your existing TWC User ID.

Enter the employer's TWC tax account number for the account you wish to view.

To request access to more than one account, select the Request Employer Access link from the My Home page and enter the additional account number(s).

Do I need more than one User ID if I represent more than one employer?

No. You can use the same User ID for all your employer unemployment benefits accounts. Each employer’s account is managed separately, so you must have the appropriate permissions established for each account.

Why is my access request in Pending status?

An account administrator for the employer must approve your access request and grant the appropriate permissions.

How do I remove my access to an employer's account?

Select the My Employers link from the My Home page. Select the Remove link to permanently remove your access for the chosen employer account.

Permissions

Learn about permissions and how to change them.

What functions can I perform?

The functions you can perform depend on the permissions the account administrator grants you. You may be able to view electronic correspondence regarding unemployment benefits and manage user permissions.

How do I get my permissions changed?

Contact the employer's account administrator to get your permissions changed.

Electronic Correspondence allows you to receive most, but not all, of your unemployment benefits notices and forms electronically, such as the Notice of Application for Unemployment Benefits, Notice of Potential Chargeback, claim determinations, and more. All Electronic Correspondence documents are also available as accessible versions for visually impaired customers.

You will need:

• TWC employer tax account number.
• Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN).
• If TWC has sent an unemployment benefits document in the last two weeks, you may need information from the document.

Log on to sign up for or view unemployment benefits correspondence.

Need Help?

• See a user guide on how to use Electronic Correspondence.

If TWC asks you to provide documents, you can upload them using our online UI Submission Upload - Employers Only. 

Input your company information on the portal, then select the type of submission you want to make from a drop-down menu:

• Employment Information – Wages/Dates/Weeks
• Notice of Application for Unemployment Benefits
• Notice of Maximum Potential Chargeback
• Request for Work Separation information
• Wage Verification
• Additional Response

The portal also provides a list of the file types you can upload. Make sure to select the Submit button at the top of the page when you are done.

Using this portal, you can submit:

• BD610 or BD615 Employer Response
• BD710E Requalification Form
• BE135 Wage Verification
• BE136 Chargeback
• Additional Response

WARNING:

• Do not use this portal to submit Shared Work or Mass Claims documents.
• Do not use this portal to submit your appeal or any appeals documents. You must submit your appeal online using Employer Benefits Services (EBS), by mail, by fax, or in person at a Workforce Solutions office. Learn about submitting an appeal at: Appeals Process for Employers.

Choose one mailing address to receive your unemployment insurance notices at a single location, even if you have multiple locations.

Employers can Designate an Address online or by submitting the Employer Designated Mailing Address Form. However, Third-Party Administrators may not establish or change a designated mailing address online. They are restricted to using the form.

Need Help?

• For further details, visit our Designate an Employer Mailing Address page.
• See a user guide on Employer Benefits Services: Other Services.

Job offer or return-to-work offer refused? Let us know.

To be eligible for unemployment benefits, claimants must be willing, able, and available for full-time work and they must apply for and accept suitable work. If you made a job offer to an applicant or gave your employees a chance to return to work but they refused, TWC needs to know. Please report these instances on our online Employer Work Refusal Documentation form. Although TWC will take appropriate action when you submit a report on individuals receiving unemployment benefits, not all submissions will prompt a return correspondence.

If the person did not appear for the interview or refused the job due to a reason not listed on the Documentation form, select Other from the Reason for Refusal drop-down menu, and give a short description in the Refusal Other Description field.

Employers can use these instructions to help with completing the form. 

Employers who posted a job on WorkInTexas.com can follow these instructions to report why an applicant was not hired.

Find out how to avoid laying off workers by reducing the hours of some employees, who can also receive a partial unemployment benefit payment.

Note: In order for a salaried exempt employee to participate in Shared Work, their hours worked and salary must be reduced based on Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) guidelines. If you have questions on FLSA guidelines, please contact the U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division.

• Submit a Shared Work Plan.

Need Help?

• For further details, visit our Shared Work page.
• See a user guide on Shared Work Plans.

If you have to close your business either temporarily or permanently and need to lay off employees, you may be able to submit a Mass Claim for unemployment benefits on their behalf. The Mass Claims program streamlines the unemployment benefit claims process for employers faced with either temporary or permanent layoffs. Employers can submit basic worker information on behalf of their employees to initiate claims for unemployment benefits before the layoff date or up to seven days after the layoff. You can submit a Mass Claim Request on Employer Benefits Services (EBS) 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

To submit your Mass Claim, log on to EBS and select Mass Claims Request. Note: We have waived the requirement that you must submit your Mass Claims Request at least five days prior to the planned layoff.

If you encounter any problems and are unable to submit your request using your EBS portal, please email us at ui.massclaims@twc.texas.gov with a description of your problem. Our Mass Claims department will contact you to determine what action is needed.

Need Help?

• Visit our Mass Claims for Unemployment Benefits page.
• See a Mass Claims user guide.
• See an EBS Administrator Duties user guide.

Electronically submit return-to-work information to the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC).

Submit your return-to-work information by logging on to our Employer Benefits Services (EBS) portal. The Return to Work online program allows you to easily report a return-to-work date for employees before or after the layoff. You can submit return-to-work information either by:

• Entering individual employee Social Security numbers (SSNs).
• Uploading a list of employee SSNs.

There is no limit on the number of employees that you can submit. TWC will exempt employees from work searches when they have a return-to-work date within 12 weeks of their layoff date and confirmed by the employer. Submitting a return-to-work date increases your chances of retaining your employees and ensures that TWC will stop paying them unemployment benefits after they return to work.

Note: If the return-to-work date exceeds 12 weeks from the date of layoff, the work search exemption requires the approval of our Executive Director. To request a work search exemption for a return-to-work date exceeding 12 weeks, please submit your request through our secure, online portal, UI Submission Upload-Employers Only. You can also fax or mail the information to: 

• Fax: 512-322-2867
• Mail:
  Texas Workforce Commission
  P.O. Box 149137
  Austin, TX  78714-9137
  Attn: Work Search Exemptions

The request should include your company name, TWC account number, number of employees laid off, date of layoff, and the return-to-work date. If the exemption is approved, the employer must provide employee names and SSNs.

Need Help?

• See a user guide on the Return-to-Work Information process.
• See an EBS Administrator Duties user guide.

Chargebacks concern claims where you were not the claimant’s last employer, but that may affect your tax rate.

Respond online to a Notice of Maximum Potential Chargeback.

Need Help?

• For further details, visit our Employer Unemployment Benefit Chargebacks page.
• See a user guide on Employer Benefits Services: Other Services.

An appeal is your written notice that you disagree with a TWC decision and want your case decided through the appeal process.

• Submit an appeal online
• View the status of your appeal

Need Help?

• See a user guide on how to appeal online.
• Learn about submitting an appeal on our Appeals Process for Employers webpage.

• Administrator Duties user guide
• Electronic Correspondence user guide
• Shared Work user guide
• Mass Claims user guide
• Employer Response user guide
• Return to Work user guide
• Other Services user guide

If you have information that someone is fraudulently receiving unemployment benefits, or that an unemployment claim was filed using a stolen identity, report the Unemployment Fraud claim here: Report UI Fraud.

Texas Workforce Commission collects personal information entered into electronic forms on this Internet site. For more information on your rights to request, review and correct information submitted on our electronic forms, see Laws, Rules & Policy.