Fluidnow.com Short Time Compensation Information for Employees

www.fluidnow.com, Short Time Compensation Information for Employees – According to www.fluidnow.com, A special claims program that pays partial benefits to groups of employees working reduced hours. Employers may elect to participate in this program to retain valued employees by reducing hours for an entire group of employees instead of resorting to temporary layoffs.



General Information

The Short Time Compensation (STC) Program is a voluntary employer program designed to help employers maintain their staff by reducing the weekly hours of their employees, instead of temporarily laying off employees, when the employer is faced with a temporary slowdown in business. If your employer establishes an STC Plan and you meet the qualifications to establish an unemployment claim against the state of Florida, you will receive a partial unemployment check to supplement your reduced paycheck.

Employer Requirements

The employer must complete an STC Plan Application. An STC Plan lasts for one year but can be renewed if the employees have returned to full-time work during the plan year.

At least 10% (not less than 2) of the employees in the total staff or in a particular department must work reduced hours.

The employer must name you as an employee participating in the program and must provide us with the your normal weekly hours (excluding overtime).

The employer must certify that they plan to reduce your hours by at least 10%, but no more than 40% from your normal number of weekly work hours.

The situation must be a temporary situation, replacing a temporary layoff.

Employee Requirements

You, the employee, must currently be a full time employee, (not part-time or seasonal) with a standard number of hours to work each week (excluding overtime).

You must meet all of the normal requirements to establish a Florida unemployment claim and you must provide us with any necessary information or documentation.

While on the Short Time Compensation program you must work and/or receive paid leave for ALL of the hours that your employer has you scheduled to work in order to receive STC Benefits for a week.

Every two weeks you will be required to report your hours worked, plus any hours of paid leave from your STC employer and if you have a part-time job, earnings from that part-time job.

If you have concerns about the STC program, please contact your employer.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Q. What will happen after my employer establishes a Short Time Compensation Plan and I begin working reduced hours?

A. Your employer will give you an “Employee Application for STC” (employee application) / “Voluntary Withholding of Federal Income Tax” (voluntary withholding) form and, if necessary, a “Supplemental Employee Application”. Complete the necessary form(s) AFTER YOU BEGIN REDUCED HOURS.

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If you are not a United States citizen, a copy of the front and back of your alien card, employment authorization card or any other documentation that authorizes you to work in this country must be attached to the employee application.
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Your employer will mail your “Employee Application for STC” to the STC Coordinator in Tallahassee for processing.
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The STC Coordinator will establish an unemployment claim for you.
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If you are filing a new unemployment claim, a “Wage Transcript and Determination” (wage transcript) will be mailed to you. This will show you: if you qualified for an unemployment claim, how your claim was determined, your Weekly Benefit Amount, your Total Available Credits and the beginning and ending dates of your unemployment claim. Review the wage transcript for any errors. Indicate correction(s) on the wage transcript and provide your signature. For missing wage errors also provide any proof of missing employment (i.e. check stubs, W-2 form, etc.). This information must be provided to the STC Coordinator for processing.
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To begin the payment process a “Weekly Claim Certification” card (certification card) will be mailed to your employer for you to complete. You will report the number of hours worked for each week on the card, indicate whether you worked all available hours each week, and report any income that you may have had from a second job (i.e. employment with self or an employer other than STC employer).
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Your employer will return the certification card to the STC Coordinator for processing. If you qualify, a payment will then be issued and mailed to your home address. Any address or name changes or corrections may be requested on your certification card or by submitting a signed statement to the STC Coordinator.
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Another certification card will then be mailed to your employer for the next two-week period.

Q. When will I get my first check?

A. About a month after you first work reduced hours or about two weeks after you sign for your 2nd week of reduced hours.

Q. Will I have to report to the local Workforce office?

A. No, while you are involved in the STC program everything will be handled through your employer by mail.

Q. I am not a United States citizen. Will I be entitled to receive STC benefits?

A. Yes, as long as you are currently authorized to work in this country and provide us with copies of your alien documentation (front and back).

Q. How do I qualify for an unemployment claim?

A. During the base period of your claim (explained below) you must meet the following minimum monetary requirements:

1.

have worked in at least two calendar quarters,
2.

have earned at least $3,400
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have total wages during your base period of equal to or greater than 1 1/2 times the wages earned in your highest quarter.

Also, if you have been employed with your STC employer less than three months, the reason for separation from a previous employer may affect your STC claim. (If a disqualification is imposed because of a prior job separation, you will be required to earn a set amount of money before you will be eligible to receive STC unemployment benefits. Earnings from your STC employer can be used to end the disqualification.)



Q. Will I be able to use wages from another employer, an out of state employer, federal employment, or military employment to establish an unemployment claim for STC?

A. Yes, with the exception that wages from an out of state employer can only be used if you had Florida employment during your base period.

Q. What is my base period?

A. The base period by Florida Law is the first four of the last five completed quarters. The completed calendar quarter just prior to the effective date of your claim is not part of your base period. Wage information for this period is not provided by the employer until approximately one month after the calendar quarter has ended.

Q. How is my weekly benefit amount (WBA) determined?

A. To calculate your weekly benefit amount, find the base period quarter with the highest earnings and divide by 26. This will provide your weekly benefit amount (with a minimum and a maximum set by law).

Q. What is my “total available credits” (AC) and how is it determined?

A. Your total AC is the total amount of money that you are entitled to receive during your unemployment claim year. It is determined by the total amount of wages that you earned during your base period. Your total AC is equal to 25% of your total earnings during your base period up to a maximum set by law.
EXAMPLE:
$20,000 (total earnings) X .25 (25%) = $5,000 (total available credits)

Q. How many weeks of STC benefits will I be entitled to receive?

A. You may receive up to 26 weeks of STC benefits during your unemployment claim year.

Q. What is my unemployment claim year?

A. An unemployment claim is in effect for one year from the effective date of a new claim filed.

Q. How do you determine how much STC benefits I will be paid each week?

A. You will be paid a percentage of your unemployment WBA equal to the percentage that your hours were reduced during that week.
EXAMPLE:
Normal hours – 40 Hours worked – 32
40 – 32 = 8 (hours reduced) 8 / 40 = .20
$200 (WBA) X .20 (20% reduction in hours) = $40 (STC Payment)

Q. Will income tax be deducted from my STC benefits? Will I pay income tax on my STC unemployment benefits?

A. You will have the option of having income tax deducted from your STC benefits. At the end of each year you will receive a Form 1099-G statement which will show the amount of unemployment benefits (including STC benefits) that were paid to you during the previous year and any income tax withheld. You will report the benefits received as additional income on your tax return.

Q. Will I be paid for my first week of reduced hours?

A. You will not be paid for your first week of reduced hours, unless you have a current unemployment claim and have already had an unpaid waiting week on that claim. To qualify as a waiting week, the week must be a week for which you would have been eligible to receive benefits (STC, full or partial). (You will never receive payment for the waiting week.)

Q. Will retirement income, social security or earnings from a part-time job other than my STC employer affect my STC payments?

A. Retirement income from a base period employer may affect your STC payments, a determination will be made after you file your unemployment claim. Social Security will not be deducted from your STC payments. Earnings from a second job (i.e. employment with self or an employer other than STC employer) will be deducted from any STC payments due and the GROSS pay received must be reported when EARNED (do not wait until you get a paycheck). If the earnings are less than the STC benefit for the week in question, a portion of the earnings will be deducted from the STC benefit. If the earnings are more than the STC benefit no STC benefit will be due.

Q. What happens if my employer reduces my hours by more than 40% during a week?

A. If your total earnings are less than your Weekly Benefit Amount (WBA), you will be paid regular full or partial unemployment. You will report the amount of money that you earned during the week from your STC employer and any other employment that you may have had during the week on a different Weekly Claim Certification form. The STC Coordinator will process these payment requests, if this occurs for less than a month. For longer periods you will be instructed to report to your local Workforce office (or file via the internet) to change your claim to a regular unemployment claim.

Q. What will happen if I am totally laid off from my STC employer? Will I have any unemployment benefits left in my claim?

A. If you are totally laid off from your STC employer, you will report to your local Workforce office (or file via the internet) to change your claim to a regular unemployment claim. Any STC or regular benefits paid to you from your claim will have been deducted from your total available credits (shown on your “Wage Transcript and Determination”) but you will normally have money left in your claim. You will be paid regular unemployment benefits at your full WBA.

Q. If I am out sick or out of work for personal reasons and my employer had work for me, will I receive my STC benefits for the week?

A. If you are not paid for your time off, you will not receive your STC benefits for the week. If you are out on paid leave those hours of paid leave are considered hours worked and there is no penalty.

Q. How will holiday, vacation, sick or personal paid leave affect my STC benefits?

A. Any hours of paid leave are reported on your certification card as hours worked.

Q. If I need information regarding child support, such as questions concerning the amount of the child support or liability to pay child support, who should I contact?

A. You should call the Department of Revenue at 1-800-622-5437.