Free B-83 EB Rights and Responsibilities - Vermont

Vermont Department of Labor (VDOL) P.O. Box 189 - Montpelier, VT 05601-0189 Claimant Assistance Line: 1-877-214-3332 (toll-free) CLAIMANT'S RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES FOR EXTENDED BENEFITS Under the Federal/State Extended Benefits Program, you may be eligible to collect up to an additional 13 times your Regular average weekly benefit amount. The Extended Benefits Program is "triggered" into effect when certain economic conditions related to high unemployment exist. An Extended Benefits Program remains in effect for at least 13 weeks. When the program ends, Extended Benefits stop, even if you have not collected all of your eligible weeks. ELIGIBILITY To be eligible for Extended Benefits: 1. You must have exhausted all other unemployment benefit entitlement. This means in many cases, to exhaust your benefit entitlement, you will only receive a partial benefit amount the last week of Regular or Federal Extension benefits. If at any time you become eligible for Regular benefits, you are no longer eligible for Extended Benefits. 2. Total wages paid in the base period of your regular claim must equal or exceed one and one half times wages paid in the highest quarter of that base period. 3. You must meet all eligibility requirements including seeking work and being able and available for work each week you file for Extended Benefits. 4. You must submit your weekly claim and work search report TOGETHER through our on-line Unemployment Insurance Claimant Application. This can be accessed by clicking the link in the green box on every VDOL web page found at www.labor.vermont.gov. If a weekly paper claim is received without the appropriate work search documentation, such week WILL BE denied and you will be disqualified from receiving any future EB benefits until you have worked in four (4) different calendar weeks and have earned wages equal to six (6) times your weekly benefit amount. Upon request and approval, you may file Extended Benefit weekly claims through the mail once it is shown internet filing is a hardship. If you are approved for mail filing, your work search documentation must be submitted on VDOL form B-6 EB and mailed to the address indicated. 5. You MUST schedule and attend an Extended Benefit orientation provided at one of our VDOL Resource Centers. WORK SEARCH REQUIREMENTS All Extended Benefits claimants must comply with the following: 1. Register for employment services at the VDOL Resource Center. 2. Make a systematic and sustained effort to find suitable work. Each week you are claiming Extended Benefits you must: a. look for work on at least two different days that week; b. make contacts with at least three (3) different employers, with at least one (1) of them being in person; c. utilize more than one method of contact; for example: contact your Resource Center to review job openings; contact private employment agencies in your area; and if you belong to a labor union, keep in constant touch with your union agent. You may also send resumes or complete on-line applications for prospective employers or occupations who customarily use these methods to apply for job openings; and d. submit tangible evidence (Form B-6 EB if you have been approved to file paper claims) of your work search to include the three employers complete names and addresses, the name of the person contacted, the date of the contact, the type of work you worked for and the results of the contact. 3. You may continue to look for work in your customary occupation BUT you may not limit your work search solely to jobs in that occupation. You must extend your work search to include all types of work within your physical and mental capabilities. 4. Do NOT repeat contacts. ALL work search contacts are subject to verification. If your work search cannot be validated, you will be disqualified from receiving future benefits. Therefore, it is IMPORTANT to be sure to provide complete and accurate information. It is recommended you print or keep proof job contacts not made in person, such as applications done on-line or sent through the mail.

B-83 (6/09)

OTHER CRITICAL WORK SEARCH INFORMATION: Work Search for extended benefits will be waived only if you are: a. Attending approved Training b. Hospitalized for treatment of an emergency or life-threatening condition If you have questions about approved training opportunities, please discuss them with your Resource Center representative. If you are hospitalized for treatment for an emergency or life-threatening condition, you MUST contact the Claimant Assistance line at 1-877-214-3332. SUITABLE WORK To determine whether work is suitable for you, this department shall consider the degree of risk to your health, safety, morals, physical fitness, prior training and/or experience, prospects of your securing local work in your customary occupation as well as the distance of the work from your home. If your prospects for obtaining work in your usual occupation are NOT GOOD, you are expected to accept ANY offer of suitable work listed with the Vermont Department of Labor or offered to you in writing. Any work will be considered suitable if it is within your capabilities, pays a gross weekly wage in excess of your weekly benefit amount plus any supplementary unemployment benefits and pays not less than the State or Federal minimum wage, whichever is greater. WARNING Failure to make and document work search for any extended benefits week of filing or failure to accept suitable work will result in a disqualification until you have worked in four (4) different calendar weeks and have earned wages equal to six (6) times your weekly benefit amount. JOB PROSPECTS CLASSIFICATION Your job prospects will be classified as "GOOD" if you have a job offer, a job recall date or definite prospects for employment within four (4) weeks. You will be expected to apply for work and accept any work which reasonably fits your training and background. If you do not return to work within four weeks, you will be reclassified as having job prospects that are "NOT GOOD". Your job prospects will be classified as "NOT GOOD" if you do not have a definite job offer or recall date within four (4) weeks. You will be expected to apply for work and accept ANY job if: a. it is within your capabilities to perform the work. b. the gross pay for the work meets the State and Federal minimum wage. c. the gross pay exceeds your unemployment benefit payments amount plus any supplementary unemployment benefits you are receiving from your former employer. d. it is listed with the Vermont Department of Labor or offered in writing by an employer. This means you may be required to accept work outside your regular occupation. APPEAL RIGHTS If you disagree with any decision which has been issued by this department, you may appeal it. Instructions for filing an appeal will be provided on the document being appealed. BE SURE TO CONTINUE FILING YOUR WEEKLY CLAIMS DURING THE APPEAL PROCESS. Please bring this form with you to your Extended Benefit orientation. If you have not already done so, and you do not want an interruption in receipt of unemployment benefits, you MUST schedule your orientation by calling your nearest Resource Center. Your Extended Benefits eligibility cannot be determined until you have attended an orientation. A list of our Resource Centers is available at http://labor.vermont.gov/Default.aspx?tabid=285 or by calling 1-800-423-6181. If you still have questions after you have attended your EB orientation, please call the Claimant Assistance Line at 1-877-214-3332.