According to Regulations Concerning Employment Security (7.2.6) adopted in September 2024, all benefits correspondences sent to and from the Unemployment Insurance (UI) Division will be delivered by Division-approved electronic means only, beginning Quarter 1, 2025.
Division-approved electronic means include:
- Via email to a verified email address listed in the online MyUI Employer+ system
- State Information Data Exchange System (SIDES)
- Prior state-approved third-party electronic portals
What this means for CO Employers
If you currently receive Division communications in the mail, UI fact-finding requests and other claims-related correspondences will no longer be sent to you by mail beginning Quarter 1, 2025. All Colorado employers, third party administrators (TPAs) and payroll service providers will be required to send and receive benefits correspondence via email and online in the MyUI Employer+ system, or through SIDES exchanges (if applicable).
Please add a current email address to your MyUI Employer+ account in order to send and receive benefits correspondence electronically. Alternatively, you may choose to participate in SIDES Exchanges.
If an employer does not provide a valid, current email address in MyUI Employer+ and ultimately misses communications from the Division, this may result in a pattern of failing to respond timely or adequately to Division requests per regulation 7.4.3. Employers that do not respond by Division-approved electronic means may also be subject to loss of protest, as well as penalties and interest.
Updating Correspondence Preferences in MyUI Employer+
Employers and TPAs should add a valid email address and update their correspondence preferences in MyUI Employer+. To add an email address and update your correspondence preferences in MyUI Employer+:
- Login to MyUI Employer+.
- Click "Account Maintenance" in the left menu.
- Click "Address Information."
- Click "Correspondence Preferences."
- Enter/Update your email address.
- Click "Save."
Participating in SIDES Exchanges
The State Information and Data Exchange System, also known as SIDES, offers employers a fast, accurate and secure way to send and receive UI communications. Learn more about participating in SIDES on the National Association of State Workforce Agencies website.
Non-Electronic Communications Waiver
Employers who are unable to comply with the electronic communication requirement and have good reason to continue sending and receiving Division communications by mail should request a Non-Electronic Communications Waiver.
Waivers allow employers to:
- Submit paper quarterly wage detail reports by mail.
- Receive and respond to Division requests and other benefits correspondence by mail.
Once approved, waivers are valid for one calendar year and must be renewed annually. See How to Apply for Non-Electronic Communication Waiver for more information on applying for a waiver, or contact Employer Services at (303) 318-9100.
More About Electronic Communications Requirement
Employers who do not have an email address or the ability to correspond by Division-approved electronic means may apply for a non-electronic communications waiver.
Loss of Protest
Employers who fail to respond to Division requests adequately and by approved electronic means may receive a Loss of Protest determination. Loss of protest means the employer has lost the right to protest benefit charges on their account because they failed to respond to a Division request without good cause.
Penalties
Employer quarterly wage detail reports must be submitted by Division-approved electronic means. A penalty of $50 will be assessed to employer accounts for each quarter a wage report is missing. (Newly liable employer accounts will be assessed a penalty of $10 per occurrence during the first four quarters of coverage.)
Interest
Interest is charged at a rate of 1.5 percent per month, or any portion of a month, on past-due penalties.
Review the Interest and Penalties page for more information.
The UI Division participates in SIDES. SIDES offers Division-approved electronic information exchanges providing speed, accuracy and security to the processing of unemployment claims. Review the SIDES E-Response Employer Guide for more information about participating in SIDES.