Pandemic Unemployment Assistance

The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) encourages those who have not yet applied for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) as a result of COVID-19 to apply now. Individuals affected by COVID-19 can apply for PUA benefits online through Unemployment Benefit Services 24 hours a day, seven days a week, or by calling a TWC Tele-Center any day between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. at 800-939-6631.When applying, individuals affected by the pandemic should indicate that as the reason they lost their job.

Pandemic Unemployment Assistance provides up to 39 weeks of unemployment benefits for persons impacted by COVID-19 and covers individuals who are self-employed, who otherwise would not qualify for regular unemployment compensation, or who have exhausted state benefits.

If you have already applied for traditional UI benefits, you do not need to take any further action to quality for PUA. Do not apply for benefits again. TWC will review eligibility for PUA for all existing applicants automatically and notify claimants by mail or electronic correspondence of their eligibility. 

Employers

If you have to close your business either temporarily or permanently and need to lay off employees, you may be able to submit a mass claim for unemployment benefits on their behalf. The Mass Claims program streamlines the unemployment benefit claims process for employers faced with either temporary or permanent layoffs. Employers can submit basic worker information on behalf of their employees to initiate claims for unemployment benefits. You can submit a mass claim request on Employer Benefits Services (EBS) 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

If your business has slowed down due to COVID-19 and you need to reduce employee working hours, you may be able to avoid laying off workers by submitting a Shared Work Plan. Apply by logging on to Employer Benefits Services (EBS) and submit your Shared Work Plan online. EBS online is fast, easy, secure, and available 24/7/365.

Conducting Job Interviews During COVID-19

In light of COVID-19, here are some tips and best practices for interviewing job candidates remotely.

Teleconference or Video Conference

Teleconference and video conference are acceptable interview options. In conducting such interviews, The Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) and LinkedIn Learning recommend that hiring managers:

Be Prepared

Treat teleconference and video conference interviews with the same seriousness as in-person interviews. Know the job description, the candidate’s resume and specific questions to ask. Choose a quiet, well-lit room for interviews. Make sure all parties have the correct interview time on their calendar. On the day of the interview, have your interview questions, notes and files available in an orderly fashion so there’s no need to shuffle around while you’re interviewing the applicant. Being unprepared can create awkward pauses.

Set Expectations 

Give candidates advance notice that interviews will be conducted virtually, and make sure your team is on the same page. Underscore that this is being done to protect their health (and yours). Once your candidates know their interviews will be held virtually — and why — reach out and give them the details of their interviews, just as you would if the interview was taking place onsite. Useful information to share includes:

• Tips on how to access videoconferencing technology. Let the candidate know how to access any necessary technology and whether software needs to be downloaded.
• Details of their interview start and end times and the names and titles of each person they will meet.
• Finally, as an added precaution, give them a backup phone number to reach you in case there is a glitch or the technology gets wonky. Ask them to share the same with you.

Check Your Tech

Double-check the technology you will be using and ask the candidate to do the same. To minimize technical hiccups, do a test run before your interviews. Remember that even if you have held phone or video interviews from work, it is going to be different holding them from your home office or kitchen. Make sure your signal strength is adequate and the camera and microphone both work and are set up so the candidate can easily see and hear you.

TWC Child Care Attendance: Reinstating Absence Policies on July 20th

On June 16, 2020, the Texas Workforce Commission took action to reinstate requirements for the parents of children receiving Child Care Services (CCS) to record their child’s daily attendance, which will become effective July 20, 2020. Children are generally allowed 40 unexplained absences during a year. Parents have not been required to record their attendance since mid-March, when the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was first being felt across the state. At that time, only essential worker parents were able to use regulated child care. And, many child care providers were restricting parent access within child care operations. TWC did not want to penalize parents who were unable to take their children to child care, based on the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

Effective July 20, 2020, subsidy children’s absences will be reset to 0, and all parents will be required to record their children’s attendance using the state’s child care automated attendance system. Absences will begin to count again and child care can end once the 40 unexplained absences limit is reached for a child.

Absences for any families who have been asked to self-isolate or quarantine based on instructions from a medical professional or other state/local authority will not count as an unexplained absence. Absences related to a child care provider’s involuntary closure per an order by a health authority will also not count as unexplained.

What Providers Need to Do:

• Make the swipe card machine available to parents to record attendance (or your phone if you are a home-based program).
• Let families know they must record attendance and if their child has a COVID-related absence, they should notify their local CCS office.
• If you are ordered to close by a state or local health authority due to COVID, notify your Local Board/CCS offices about your status.

What Parents Need to Do:

• Locate your attendance card and start using it to record your child’s attendance; you must only swipe once per day (swipe “in”).
• If you cannot locate your card, contact your local CCS office as soon as possible to request a replacement card.
• If a health professional or local health authority instructs you and/or your children to quarantine or self-isolate due to COVID, notify your local CCS office.
• If you do not need care right now or do not plan to take your child to care, contact your local CCS office to discuss your options.
• If your child care program is unable to provide services to your child because they do not have space available, contact your local CCS office to discuss your options.