In accordance with Regulations Concerning Employment Security (7.2.6) adopted in September 2024, all employer fact-finding requests from the Unemployment Insurance (UI) Division will be delivered by Division-approved electronic means only, beginning April 3, 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
Important: This change will impact UI fact-finding correspondence only. UI appeals and tax documents will continue to be sent by mail.
What this means for CO Employers
The UI Division will no longer send UI fact-finding requests to employers in the mail once the new requirement is implemented. Colorado employers will be required to respond to Division requests via email and online in the MyUI Employer+ system, or through SIDES exchanges.
Employers with good-reason to continue receiving and responding to fact-finding requests by mail must request a non-electronic communications waiver. Employers with a current, valid non-electronic communications waiver will be exempt from this requirement.
EMPLOYER ACTION REQUIRED: Update Your Correspondence Preferences before April 3, 2025
Please update your correspondence preferences in your MyUI Employer+ account before April 3, 2025 in order to receive and respond to fact-finding requests electronically.
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."
What this means for Third Party Administrators
Payroll and HR service providers, and other Third Party Administrators (TPAs) will no longer receive fact-finding requests for employer clients by mail once the new requirement is implemented. All TPAs will be required to receive and respond to fact-finding requests online in MyUI Employer+, or through SIDES exchanges.
TPAs will not be exempt from this requirement and must receive and respond to Division requests electronically on behalf of their employer clients.
TPA ACTION REQUIRED: Ensure Electronic Access to Employer Client Accounts before April 3, 2025
TPAs should ensure they have access to their employer client accounts in MyUI Employer+ (or SIDES), and are assigned the appropriate roles to view and respond to benefits correspondence electronically. TPAs can request access to an employer account in MyUI Employer+.
TPAs with the appropriate roles will receive a notification that their employer client(s) have been sent a benefits correspondence. Employers will also receive email notifications when a fact-finding request is sent to their account. TPAs can view and respond to Division requests from their MyUI Employer+ TPA account, or from the employer client’s account.
Here are some resources for TPAs to search correspondence and respond to fact-finding requests in MyUI Employer+:
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
Fact-finding requests include documents related to an unemployment insurance claim that has been filed against an employer account. Benefits correspondence that will no longer be mailed by the Division include (but are not limited to):
- Employer questionnaires
- Fact-finding requests
- Additional fact-finding requests
Note: Annual Rate Notices, Quarterly Charging Statements, and any correspondence related to payments and appeals will continue to be sent by mail (and/or electronically) based on employer account preferences, per state regulations.
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.
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.