The Illinois Department of Employment Security is giving businesses a break on filing wage reports. IDES announced today that employers will not face a penalty fee for filing their February 2020 wage reports late. The emergency rule was electronically filed with the Secretary of State yesterday and becomes effective immediately.
Wage reports are filed by employers and businesses on a monthly basis and document the number of workers and the wages each worker is paid during that month. These reports, which reflect employment and wages for the previous month, are used to determine whether a claimant is monetarily eligible for unemployment benefits and the amount of benefits for which the claimant is eligible. The timely filing of these reports is vital to integrity of the unemployment trust fund, out of which unemployment benefits are paid.
Employers are still encouraged to file the February reports, which were due on March 31st as soon as possible. It will assist IDES in determining monetary eligibility benefits for workers who have been impacted by layoffs and job loss due to COVID-19 and are currently attempting to file for benefits.
IDES is continuing to work through and process an unprecedented number of unemployment benefit claims and questions, both online and through the call center. Over 300,000 unemployment claims were filed in the month of March, compared to the just over 36,000 claims filed in March last year.
Workers who have experienced layoffs, job losses, and business closures due to COVID-19 should visit IDES.Illinois.gov for more information about how they could qualify for unemployment benefits or to file a claim. For those in need of technical assistance or without the capability to file a claim online can call the IDES customer service center at 1-800-244-5631 xt. 377.