b'CONNECTINGReducing Unemployment Tax CostsMost employers dont protest unem- Basically, the standard for un-ployment claims filed by their formeremployment eligibility is simple and employees and most dont know howstraightforward. If a claimant loses David Prosnitz much this costs them. Employershis or her job through no fault of Personnel Planners, Inc. commonly dont realize that awardedtheir own, they get benefits.Classi-unemployment claims determine thecally, this is a layoff.And claimants unemployment tax rate assigned tofired for poor work performance are your business.In 2024, this tax ratenot at fault either for being unem-is applied to the first $13,590 of anployed.They did nothing wrong; employees wages are taxed.they were in over their heads, and In 2024, the minimum tax ratethey may be awarded benefits.a business may receive is .850% andPoor performance is not miscon-the maximum is 8.650%.On a mil- duct and claimants should be denied lion-dollar taxable payroll, a tax ratebenefits if they commit misconduct of 1% gives a tax of 10,000 and 8%at work. Misconduct is willful wrong-gives a tax of $80,000. doingthe claimant is at fault for Clearly, the awarding of unem- their unemployment. They are also at ployment benefits to your formerfault for their unemployment if they employees can be costly.And justquit their job so long as the quit isnt think if a claimant was undeservingattributable to the employer.of benefits but awardedthis couldBut to enforce this standard an unnecessarily cost your businessemployer must do certain things, and thousands of dollars. he or she should want to, because unemployment taxes can burden a business. First, an employer should make good terminations based on a final incident of wrongdoing, if one oc-curred, with an appropriate warning history in light of a clear company policy or practice.And the employer should keep good records regarding employee quits, recording the reason for the quit if its available to him or her. Written resignation letters may be useful on this score. Second, an employer should respond to all unemployment claims, describing factually what happened at the end of employment.Third, employers should appeal unreasonably unfavorable decisions 18ILLINOIS BUSINESS LEADER'