COVID-19 Resources Employers

The U.S. Department of Labor has issued an unemployment insurance phishing fraud alert.

At the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), the health and well-being of our employers, employees and communities is our top priority. We understand the concern and uncertainty you may be experiencing surrounding the coronavirus (COVID-19) and are committed to being responsive to the needs of our customers as the situation evolves.

Note: All information regarding Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) is subject to change at any time due to the changing nature of the pandemic. Please revisit this page regularly for updates.

The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) is working with federal, state and local government officials and agencies to help manage the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. On Friday, March 13, 2020, Governor Greg Abbott declared a disaster relating to the pandemic.

• For more information on how the State of Texas is handling the pandemic, see Governor Greg Abbott’s website at: https://gov.texas.gov/
• For more information on the status of COVID-19 in Texas, see the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) website at: https://www.dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus/

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is closely monitoring the pandemic and partnering with health agencies and health care providers to contain the spread of the illness and help people deal with its effects.

• For the most up-to-date information on the COVID-19 pandemic, see: https://www.cdc.gov/
• For the most up-to-date information on the U.S. Government’s response, see: https://www.usa.gov/coronavirus

Have questions regarding COVID-19 and your business? Read our Employer FAQs.

• FAQ for Texas Employers
• TWC Letter to Employers
• Common Questions for Employers on Reopening Texas

Texas Conference for Employers presents Lunchtime Live! 90 minute virtual sessions on employment law. Sressions run from 11:30am to 1pm. See below for registration and event details: 

At present, the U.S. government and Texas legislature have not changed any laws or rules concerning unemployment benefits during the pandemic. However, Department of Labor guidance provides that federal law permits significant flexibility for states to provide Unemployment Insurance (UI) services related to COVID-19. Based on this, TWC will be waiving work search requirements for all claimants and the waiting week for those claimants affected by COVID-19.

Employers who have had to lay off employees or reduce their hours due to the COVID-19 pandemic need to tell TWC that the employees’ job separation or reduction in hours is due to the pandemic when they respond to a Notice of Application for Unemployment Benefits. Also, if the employer has laid off multiple employees, the employer can send ONE blanket employer response for all the affected employees. Employers should include their TWC Account Number on the response. TWC will apply the response to all the affected employees who have applied for benefits.

CARES Act

Under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act dated March 27, 2020, individuals who are self-employed, seeking part-time employment, or who otherwise would not qualify for regular Unemployment Compensation (UC) or Extended Benefits (EB) under state or federal law or Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) under section 2107 may be eligible for assistance under PUA. Coverage may also include individuals who have exhausted their benefits under regular UC or EB claims under state or federal law, or PEUC.

TWC is taking action to implement the new law and working with the Department of Labor to implement the act while continuing to work tirelessly to process unemployment insurance claims caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Thanks to the CARES Act, TWC has also protected covered employer accounts from chargeback.

The Texas Unemployment Insurance (UI) program pays benefits to those individuals who lost their jobs through no fault of their own. TWC determines benefit eligibility based on past wages, why someone lost their job, and ongoing eligibility requirements.

• Unemployment Eligibility Scenarios for Employers
• Unemployment Benefit Claims Self Service for Employers
• Unemployment Benefit One Pager

Reimbursing Employer – CARES Act

In accordance with the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) and beginning with the third quarter of 2020, the Texas Workforce Commission will be implementing the fifty (50) percent credit payment relief plan for all eligible reimbursing employers.

The relief information will be reflected on the reimbursing accounts quarterly statements, which will show all charges applied to the reimbursing account, the fifty (50) percent credit payment associated with the accounts for eligible charges, and the final balance due for the quarter.

Beginning in November 2020, updated reimbursing statements for the first and second quarters of 2020 will be mailed out to reimbursing employers that will reflect the fifty (50) percent credit payment. Employers who have not made any payments on their previous statements will have until December 31, 2020, to make their payment without interest charges.

For those employers who previously paid all charges, we encourage them to leave the credit on their account and use it against future charges, but a refund can be requested in the form of a paper check.

For employers who want to request a refund, please have an officer send an email with the account number, the company name, the officer’s name and business title, and refund request of all available credit to: tax.caresrefund@twc.texas.gov.

For questions regarding the charges listed on the statements, please contact chargeback.report@twc.texas.gov. To file an appeal, please visit our How to Appeal a Decision - For Employers webpage.

Please ignore any October 2020 default notice that you may have received. They were sent in error. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) Appeals hearings are proceeding as scheduled. If you have a hearing scheduled, please participate according to the directions on the Notice of Hearing. If you have any questions or concerns about participating in the hearing related to COVID-19, please contact your hearing officer directly using the contact information on your Notice of Hearing

Facing Layoffs? Check out TWC’s Mass Claims Program

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.state.tx.us 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

Need to Reduce Employee Hours? Check out TWC’s Shared Work Program

If your business has slowed down due to the pandemic and you need to reduce employee working hours, you may be able to avoid laying off employees by submitting a shared work plan. The Shared Work program provides Texas employers with an alternative to layoffs. TWC developed this voluntary program to help Texas employers and employees withstand a slowdown in business.

Shared Work allows employers to:

• Supplement their employees’ wages lost because of reduced work hours with partial unemployment benefits.
• Reduce normal weekly work hours for employees in an affected unit by at least 10 percent but not more than 40 percent; the reduction must affect at least 10 percent of the employees in that unit.

Notification for Employers

Shared Work unemployment benefits are payable to employees who qualify for and participate in an approved Shared Work Plan. Workers may choose not to participate. Employees who qualify will receive both wages and Shared Work unemployment benefits.

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.

Claimants who do not have enough wages in their base period to qualify for regular unemployment insurance (UI) are not eligible for the Shared Work program. If such a claimant was included on a Shared Work application, they will be removed from the employer’s Shared Work plan.

Claimants who do not qualify for the Shared Work program or regular UI may be eligible for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA). PUA is a program authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) that provides unemployment benefits to individuals who do not qualify for or have exhausted their regular UI benefits. These claimants must file an individual regular UI claim (outside of the Shared Work program) and TWC will determine PUA eligibility. While receiving PUA, these claimants must request payment every two weeks and report their work and earnings. TWC will deduct any earnings from their weekly PUA benefit amount.

To apply for benefits online, see Unemployment Benefits Services: https://twc.texas.gov/jobseekers/unemployment-benefits-services

For more information, see TWC’s Shared Work web page.

Alert! Be aware of unemployment insurance scams and fraudulent phone calls. Do not give your personally identifiable information like your date of birth or your Social Security number to anyone you are not sure of.