Instructions For Benefit Accuracy Measurement Form Bam-17 May 2007 (Page 2 of 2) in pdf

Instructions For Benefit Accuracy Measurement Form Bam-17 May 2007 Page 2

WHY IS THIS INFORMATION NEEDED?

• BAM staff must verify wages because the right to collect benefits, plus the amount and duration of

benefits, are based on previous earnings, length of employment, and current earnings, if any.

• In order to qualify for benefits, a person must be able to, available for and actively seeking work if

previously directed to do so. Persons receiving benefits are required to report all work search

contacts and the results of each. As a result, BAM staff verify the work search of claimants being

reviewed by contacting the employers reported.

• In order to qualify for benefits, claimants must have become unemployed through no fault of their

own. It may be necessary for BAM staff to contact employers to substantiate the claimant's reason

for becoming unemployed.

WHO CONTACTS EMPLOYERS?

Employers may be contacted by one of several BAM specialists. These specialists have been

carefully selected and have received intensive training for the BAM Program. Each specialist is

knowledgeable about unemployment insurance laws and policies and strives to ensure that they are

followed.

HOW OFTEN ARE EMPLOYERS CONTACTED?

Because the cases for review are randomly selected, the exact number of contacts is not predictable.

BAM staff will contact employers only when the need arises.

Sample cases of unemployment benefits paid or denied throughout the state are selected and

assigned for investigation each week. Thus, investigations involve any number of employers with

whom the claimant worked or inquired about work. The geographic distribution of the claims load

and the sample cases should be similar over the long run and, therefore, contacts by BAM staff

should not become a burden.

HOW CAN EMPLOYERS HELP?

Employers can help by:

1. Honoring BAM staff's requests for information

2. Providing the requested information promptly

3. Providing information that is accurate to the best of their knowledge

4. Attending all Unemployment Insurance hearings when so requested

5. Sharing other information that might help the staff in determining if the person under review

was truly eligible for the benefits received, or denied properly

Equal Opportunity is the Law

The State of Vermont is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. Applications from women, individuals with disabilities, and

people from diverse cultural backgrounds are encouraged. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with

disabilities. 711 (TTY/Relay Service) or 802-828-4203 TDD (Vermont Department of Labor).

Interpretative services are available for limited English proficiency customers. For more information please visit:

oasam/programs/crc/ISpeakCards.pdf

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Instructions For Benefit Accuracy Measurement Form Bam-17 May 2007 Page 2