The Kansas Department of Labor (KSDOL), Division of Unemployment Insurance recently posted a notification on its site informing employers of an upcoming technology enhancement.The current Employer Services portal will be made unavailable starting Wednesday, November 13, 2024, at 5 pm central time. It will reopen Tuesday, November 19, 2024, at 8 am central time.
The Kansas Unemployment Insurance Technology Enhancement Project
The Unemployment Insurance Technology Enhancement (UITE) project is a multi-year initiative which focuses on delivering a transformational unemployment insurance experience to businesses and workers of Kansas. In a press release, Governor Laura Kelly stated that access to unemployment benefits has depended on an outdated computer system that caused problems during the Great Recession and pandemic for residents. The purpose of the enhancement project is to provide a more seamless experience to Kansas employers and the workforce. The new system is intended to provide a number of improvements:
- Streamlining operations through improved workflow efficiency and adaptability, data management, and collaborations with other agencies;
- Enhancing user experience through adoption of advanced customer relationship[ management systems and personalized communication channels, more self-service options, and improved mobile-friendly access for claimants; and
- Upgrading data security and compliance with enhanced cybersecurity measures to safeguard data and ensure regulatory compliance.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR EMPLOYERS
- On November 19, 2024, there will be a new online account setup functionality available to employers. All active employers are required to establish a username and password to access the new portal. If you had login credentials in the prior portal, they can be reused in the new. They will not automatically be carried forward, however.
- Employers will maintain their current state unemployment insurance account number, but going forward, it will be in a 10-digit format, with on zero (0) at the beginning and three zeroes (000) at the end.
- Even if an employer works with a Third-Party Administrator (TPA), KS DOL recommends establishing an online account. This will ensure constant access to correspondence or account information.
- Employers may have multiple authorized users as part of the Unemployment Services for Employers set up process.
The timeline below was included in the announcement on the KS DOL, Division of Unemployment Insurance site. It represents an overview of the transition and when to expect an impact on workflow.
Please make certain any staff who currently utilizes the state’s portal is aware of these changes and that new usernames are established on the appropriate timeframe. For additional information about this change, please visit the KSDOL site.