ASK HUMAN RESOURCES
The 90-Day Myth with Unemployment Claims By Jodi Schafer, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, Human Resources Management Services, LLC
Q:
I have an employee who I recently hired, but after
If you terminate her, she has every right to file a claim for
two months on the job, she is still
unemployment. Whether she receives it or not, has to do
making errors. I just don't think she is
with how much money she earned in the previous year and
going to work out, so it looks like I will
the reason she is out of work rather than how long she was
be terminating her. She's trying hard but does not seem to be able to catch
employed with your practice.
right? I thought I had a 90-day window
T
to decide if I want to keep her before
UIA must determine if the individual
I had to worry about unemployment
is ‘eligible’ for benefits. To be eligible in
on to the way we do things. Since she's only been with me for such a short time, I don't have to worry about an unemployment claim against me,
compensation, but I wanted to doublecheck before I make any decisions.
he Unemployment Insurance
Or, within this same base period, the
Agency (UIA) uses a two-tiered
claimant must have:
test based on eligibility and qualification to determine if a person
will receive compensation. First, the
equal at least 20 times the state weekly average wage or $20,742. For the purposes of wage calculations,
ings threshold within an established
the UIA considers wages from ALL
period of time. The UIA establishes a
employers the claimant worked for
‘base period’ by looking backwards at
during the established base period.
the last 4-5 quarters of the current/pre-
If the claimant is determined to be
vious calendar year(s). Within this base
eligible for benefits, the UIA will
period, the claimant must have:
next decide whether or not they are
wages in the highest quarter of
earnings of at least $3,744 (as of 1/1/20), and wages in the entire base period
| MARCH / APRIL 2020
wages in the entire base period that
Michigan, a person must meet an earn-
wages in at least 2 quarters, and
8 michigan MEDICINE®
wages in at least 2 quarters, and
‘qualified’ to make a claim. To be qualified, the unemployed person must: have lost their job through no fault
of their own, and
that are at least 1.5 times the wages
be able and available for work, and
earned in the highest quarter.
be actively looking for work.
