Maine employers must go paperless when submitting layoff information

Courtesy / MDOL Paper separation forms for laid-off Maine employees have been flooding the Department of Labor's offices. Shown here are forms received in just one day.

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By Staff

The state Department of Labor is requiring Maine employers to go paperless when they complete paperwork for their laid-off employees.

The department is dealing with “unprecedented” numbers of people applying for unemployment as a result of the public health crisis, and is asking businesses and organizations to send worker separation information electronically, according to an emailed letter Thursday.

Until now, employers were required to complete and submit a paper B-1 Separation Form when a discharged worker applied for unemployment benefits. The form provides information necessary in determining the applicant’s eligibility for benefits.

“At this point, MDOL is inundated with mail containing the paper B-1 Separation Forms being sent back to us,” Labor Commissioner Laura Fortman wrote in the letter.

The department asks employers to register with the State Information Data Exchange System, a free, nationwide electronic platform that facilitates information flow to unemployment bureaus. SIDES will then provide step-by-step instructions for submitting the required information.

To register, click here.

Information sent recently on paper forms won’t be affected by the new process, Fortman said. But she emphasized the benefits of making the switch.

“Because the information is imported directly to our system, it helps identify issues sooner that could have an impact on benefit eligibility,” she said. “This reduces improper payments and protects the integrity of the unemployment trust fund and employers’ experience rating records.”