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Update History

Unemployment Insurance Handbook for Employers (UCB-201-P)

Summary of Updates to the UI Handbook for Employers:

February 26, 2024: Section 1, Part 1, Part 3, Part 4, and Part 8 - Updated Benefit Amount Reduction language and examples.
October 16, 2023: Section 2, Part 1 - Clarified effective date of coverage.
March 31, 2023: Section 1, Part 3 and Part 4 - Updated examples.
Section 1, Part 7 and Section 2, Part 2 - Updated excluded employment.
Section 2, Part 4 - Clarified interest information.
Hours of Service and Telephone Numbers - Updated contact information.
September 30, 2020: Entire Handbook - Updated web links.
Hours of Service and Telephone Numbers - Updated contact information.
April 6, 2020: Hours of Service and Telephone Numbers - Updated contact information.
March 2, 2020: Section 3 - Updated appeal tribunal terminology, hearing office information and other edits for clarity.
December 30, 2019: Section 4, Part 2 - Clarified Internet reporting instructions.
Section 4, Part 3 - Updated wage file text format instructions.
Section 4, Part 4 - Clarified paper wage reporting information.
Section 4, Part 6B - Updated access code information.
Section 6, Part 3 - Updated BAM audit expectations.
Hours of Service and Telephone Numbers - Added link to claimant services.
October 29, 2019: Section 3, Appendix A - Updated Hearing Office Address.
Section 3, Appendix B - Updated Appeals Form Samples.
Section 5 - Updated New Hire Reporting content.
September 6, 2019: Section 3, Part 1A and Section 3, Appendix B - Removed sample labor market report.
Hours of Service and Telephone Numbers - Updated hours of service for Employer Assistance Line and claimant services.
June 10, 2019: Section 1, Part 7 - Updated pre-employment drug test information.
Section 1, Part 9 - Updated form example related to determinations.
Section 3, Part 1A and Part 1B - Clarified terminology and updated hearing wait times for appellants and respondents.
Section 3, Appendix B - Updated form examples related to hearing notices.
June 1, 2019: Section 1, Part 7 - Updated language indicating when work is reasonably similar for employees of educational institutions.
Section 1, Part 7 - Updated to indicate correct employer charging for loss of license issues.
Section 2, Part 2 Item A - Added penalty language for misclassification of workers.
Section 2, Part 2 Item B - Updated real estate "licensee" language.
February 20, 2019: Hours of Service and Telephone Numbers - Updated online system hours for information and filing weekly claims.
January 4, 2019: Section 3, Appendix B - Updated example report on labor market information.
December 18, 2018: Section 1, Part 4 - Updated language for situation when liable employer is relieved of charges.
Section 3, Appendix B - Updated form examples related to appeals.
September 27, 2018: Section 1, Part 7 - Updated Help Center language.
Section 1, Part 9 - Added ability to respond online, view determinations, and file an appeal online using SIDES E-Response; Updated form examples.
Section 2, Part 3 - Updated example for payment in kind exclusion.
Section 3, Part 1A - Added ability to view and print benefit determinations, and file an appeal online using SIDES E-Response.
September 14, 2018: Section 2, Part 2 - Updated corporate officer exclusion criteria.
Section 2 and Section 3 - Updated contact information for deaf, hearing or speech-impaired callers.
Section 3, Appendix A - Updated Milwaukee Hearing Office contact information.
May 18, 2018: Section 1, Part 7 - Updated pre-employment drug test information.
Section 1, Part 8 - Updated language on how to report fraud.
Section 1, Part 9 - Updated UCB-23 Wage Verification/Eligibility Report example.
Section 2, Part 4 and Section 4, Part 1, Part 4, and Part 7 - Updated continued electronic filing requirements.
Hours of Service and Telephone Numbers - Updated website to report fraud; Updated help center mailing address.
March 7, 2018: Section 1, Part 6 - Updated cafeteria plan wages specific to base period wages.
Section 1, Part 8 - Updated benefit reduction and penalties for fraud.
February 23, 2018: Section 1, Part 4 - Updated reference to Reserve Fund Balance Statement.
Section 2, Part 3 - Updated example for payment in kind exclusion.
December 20, 2017: Section 1 - Updated required report information and other edits for consistency.
Section 1, Part 2 - Updated instructions for UCB-7-P posters.
Section 1, Part 9 - Updated Form UCB-719 information.
November 3, 2017: Introduction - Updated equal opportunity statement language.
Section 1, Part 2 - Updated contact information.
Section 2, Part 4 - Added language for quarterly due dates falling on weekends or holidays.
October 16, 2017: Section 4, Part 6A and Section 4, Part 6B - Added scenario for a zero-payroll tax report previously filed.
Hours of Service and Telephone Numbers - Updated claimant services contact information.
August 30, 2017: Hours of Service and Telephone Numbers - Updated claimant services contact information.
July 11, 2017: Section 1, Part 7 - Updated Pre-Employment Drug Testing form.
Hours of Service and Telephone Numbers - Updated claimant services contact information and equal opportunity statement.
May 19, 2017: Section 2, Part 6A - Updated notification when business is transferred or acquired.
May 8, 2017: Hours of Service and Telephone Numbers - Updated claimant services contact information.
April 25, 2017: Section 3, Appendix A - Updated address for Eau Claire Hearing Office.
March 31, 2017: Section 1, Part 3 - Updated example of how entitlement is calculated.
Section 1, Part 7 - Added missing word to Real Estate Agent Exclusion.
Section 4, Part 6A - Updated form number for UCT-7878-E, Wage Adjustment Report.
January 20, 2017: Section 1, Part 6 - Updated treatment of Worker's Compensation payments.
Section 2, Part 2 - Added reelection of coverage of principal officer wages.
Section 4, Part 3, Alternative 2 - Wage file upload 'S' record format description updated.
January 3, 2017: Section 2, Part 2 - Updated form number for UCT-8055, Corporate Officer Exclusion Worksheet.
December 16, 2016: Section 1, Part 7 - Updated Real Estate Agent Exclusion.
September 20, 2016: Section 1, Part 6 - Updated treatment of bonus pay.
Section 1, Part 7 - Added Subsection under Quit Eligibility Issue: Special Guidelines for Temporary Help Agencies.
Hours of Service and Telephone Numbers - Updated address for benefit staff.
September 12, 2016: Section 2, Part 2 - Added Real Estate Agent Exclusion; Added FUTA clarification.
Section 3, Part 1B and Appendix A - Updated Bureau of Legal Affairs phone number.
July 8, 2016: Section 3, Part 1A, Part 1B, Part 2 and Appendix A - Updated appeals information.
June 10, 2016: Section 1, Part 7 - Added Located Outside the U.S. or Canada as an eligibility issue; Updated drug testing.
May 6, 2016: Section 1, Part 7 - Added Pre-Employment Drug Testing as an eligibility issue (law change).
May 2, 2016: Section 1, Part 6 and Part 7 - Updated types of Worker's Compensation payments (law change).
April 7, 2016: Section 1, Part 4 - Updated Reserve Fund Balance Statement information.
Section 1, Part 7 - Separated quit due to health of employee and family member (law change); Updated legal citations.
March 18, 2016: Section 1, Part 2 - Updated information on accessing required posters.
Section 2, Part 4, Item G - Updated Reserve Fund Balance Statement information.
January 22, 2016: Introduction - Updated phone numbers.
Section 4, Part 2 - Wage file upload size increased.
December 4, 2015: Section 1, Part 5 - Updated Form UCB-23 information.
November 20, 2015: Section 1, Part 7 - Updated the eligibility issue suspension for good cause.
Section 2, Part 2 - Updated employment excluded by statute.
Section 2, Part 4, Item I - Updated hours of service.
Section 4, Part 3, Alternative 4 - Updated hours of service.
Section 4, Part 6B - Updated hours of service.
Hours of Service and Telephone Numbers - Updated hours of operation for benefit staff.
October 15, 2015: Hours of Service and Telephone Numbers - Updated hours of service for employer assistance and updated phone numbers.
October 2, 2015: Section 1, Part 8 - Updated fraud overpayment penalty.
August 24, 2015: Section 1, Part 7 - Updated excluded employment for a participant in the AmeriCorps program.
August 19, 2015: Section 1, Part 4 - Updated situations when liable employers are relieved of charges to remove the Work-Share Program.
July 7, 2015: Section 1, Part 2 - Updated information on accessing required posters.
June 15, 2015: Section 1, Part 3, Part 7 and Part 9 - Updated work search waiver language.
March 9, 2015: Hours of Service and Telephone Numbers - Clarified when calling a claims specialist about an existing claim.
February 25, 2015: Section 4, Part 6A and Part 6B - Split into two parts, for Employers and Service Providers (correcting previously-reported wage reports).
Section 4, Part 1 - Clarified language.
January 9, 2015: Hours of Service and Telephone Numbers - Updated business hours for claims specialists.
December 19, 2014: Hours of Service and Telephone Numbers - Claims specialist hours of operation extended due to anticipated high call volumes.
December 9, 2014: Section 1, Parts 3, 6 and 7 - Further clarified language (law change).
Section 2, Part 4, Item F - Web link to Form UCT-7842-E, Contribution Adjustment Report, updated as a new fillable PDF form.
September 11, 2014: Section 2, Part 3, Item A - Added definition of casual labor for wages.
Hours of Service and Telephone Numbers - Updated business hours for claims specialists.
July 7, 2014: Section 7 - Legal Addendum added with disclaimer and employee acknowledgement (law change).
Printable PDF version - Bookmarked PDF replaced old print feature.
Update History - Summary of content updates added since January 1, 2014.
New format for the Handbook for Employers published including expanded navigation.
June 23, 2014: Section 1, Part 8 - Added new Benefit Overpayment Collection language (law change).
Section 2, Part 4 - Added new section, J. Delinquent Tax Collection (law change).
June 4, 2014: Section 1, Part 7 - Updated pension payments language (law change).
May 8, 2014: Hours of Service and Telephone Numbers - Removed special notation re: business hours for claims specialists.
April 29, 2014: Section 1, Part 7 - Updated direct seller language under Excluded Employment and created new category for service performed by an inmate of a state or a federal prison (law change).
March 28, 2014: Hours of Service and Telephone Numbers - Updated with new business hours for claims specialists.
March 18, 2014: Section 2, Part 4 - Updated Item A. language to focus on $14,000 wage base.
Hours of Service and Telephone Numbers - Updated with new business hours for claims specialists.
March 12, 2014: Section 4, Part 7 - Updated wage reporting penalties.
Section 4, Part 5 - Updated mailing address for wage reports.
February 26, 2014: Search - New feature added to search the UI Handbook for Employers.
Hours of Service and Telephone Numbers - Updated with extended hours for claims specialists due to high call volumes.
February 4, 2014: Section 2, Part 4 - Updated Item H. to add link to IRS website re: employment tax due dates.
January 15, 2014: Section 2, Part 2, Item B - Updated direct seller language under 2.k. (law change).
January 3, 2014: Section 1, Part 3, Item A - Updated maximum weekly benefit rate (law change).
Section 1, Part 7 - Updated (law change):
  • Discharge - Added substantial fault.
  • Excluded Employment - Added inmate of a state or federal prison.
  • Family Controlled Employment - Removed language.
  • Lost License - Added language.
  • Quit - Added 6 times WBR language; Removed repealed exceptions and updated amended exceptions.
  • Refused Work - Added 6 times WBR language.
  • SSDI - New section.
  • Work Search and Temporary Help Companies - New section.
Section 3, Part 1A - Added substantial fault language under Item 7, Burden of Proof.
January 1, 2014: Online update history summary starting point.


Updated: February 26, 2024