Unemployment FAQs

• A termination is a complete termination from employment.
• A layoff is a complete termination from employment occurring through no fault of the employee. (In the context of unions, the term layoff is used to refer to a termination where there is a possibility the employee may be called back to work. The university does not use the term layoff in this manner). Some classified staff may be eligible to be placed on a reemployment list and offered their position if it becomes available within one year.
• A furlough is temporary unpaid leave. There is still an employment relationship between the university and the employee. A furlough may be voluntarily requested or mandated by the president or a chancellor when budgetary circumstances require a specific reduction in personnel costs. Furloughs can be taken in daily, weekly or monthly increments. At this time, classified staff are not eligible for a furlough due to Colorado law.

• I normally work part time and my employer reduced my hours to zero for the next 30 days.
  • Yes, if you are working fewer than 32 hours a week and earning less than the weekly amount of unemployment benefits pay (approximately 55 percent of your average wage over a 12-month time period), you may receive unemployment benefits.
• I work for a department that was placed on furlough leave for one week a month.
  • Yes. If you are not working, for any amount of time under 32 hours a week, you can file a claim (or reopen a claim you filed in the last 12 months if money remains on the claim). 
• I normally work full time and my hours were reduced.
  • Yes, if you are working fewer than 32 hours a week and earning less than the weekly amount that unemployment benefits pay (approximately 55 percent of your average wage over a 12-month time period), you may receive unemployment benefits.
• I was laid off from my position.
  • Yes. If you are not working, you can file a claim (or reopen a claim you filed in the last 12 months if money remains on the claim). 

Yes, for some form of benefits. Under state law, students of the university who are working for the university are exempt from unemployment. However, under the CARES Act, it is likely that students would be eligible for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance.

Yes. Temporary and working retirees are eligible to apply for unemployment benefits.

Yes. See the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment Employer FAQs. 

Yes. See the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment Employer FAQs. 

An employee should file a claim on the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment's file a claim page.

It may take as little as 2 weeks but as many as 6 weeks to complete the processing, depending on how many employers are a part of the claim. Signing up for direct deposit may reduce wait times as well.

UCCS does not process the unemployment and cannot answer questions about timing and delays. Employees should see the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment Employer FAQs.

Yes. An employee who has been temporarily laid off or furloughed should file an unemployment claim and indicate that he or she expects to return to work within 16 weeks, which would make them job attached.

As long as an employee is working fewer than 32 hours a week and earning less than the weekly amount that unemployment benefits pay (approximately 55 percent of your average wage over a 12-month time period), the employee may receive unemployment benefits for 16 weeks, even though the employee is considered job attached.

It depends on how long the furlough lasts, which determines whether an employee is considered job attached. Job attached means that an employee is expected to return to their most recent employer after a separation of up to 16 weeks. If you are job attached, your work-search requirements will be waived, but you must be available to return to work during this time frame. Normally, if the employee is furloughed for longer than 16 weeks, the work-search requirements are not waived. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the state is waiving the requirement to perform work-search activities. The furloughed employee must still register for work at connectingcolorado.com or with a local workforce center if the office is accepting in-person customers.

The normal benefit period can typically extend to a maximum of 26 weeks. Under the CARES Act, an employee is also eligible for an additional 13 weeks of coverage; for a total of 39 weeks of benefit. In general, this allows unemployment insurance to pay an additional 13 weeks of unemployment benefits to individuals who have run out of regular unemployment benefits. An employee must be able to work and available to accept work. This extra 13 weeks of benefits (39 weeks in total) currently only lasts through December 31, 2020; at which point it will reduce back to the standard state maximum of 26 weeks in total.

Unemployment benefits are approximately 55 percent of a person's average weekly wage over a 12-month time period. Please use the Colorado Claims Sytem calculator to estimate your potential payments. $618 a week is the maximum cap for unemployment insurance benefits in the state of Colorado. Further, as long as the employee is eligible for state unemployment benefits, the employee is eligible for an additional $600/week from the CARES Act, for an additional 13 weeks or until July 31st, whichever is first.

For unemployment insurance, you may still receive partial benefits if you are working fewer than 32 hours a week and earning less than the weekly unemployment benefit amount. You must report all hours worked and earnings, including tips, for the hours worked when you request payment of unemployment benefits.

If you are eligible for unemployment insurance benefits and earning less than the weekly amount of unemployment benefits pay (approximately 55 percent of your average wage over a 12-month time period), you are eligible to receive the additional $600 from the CARES Act in addition to state unemployment benefits. As long as an employee is eligible for unemployment benefits, regardless of salary level or amount of unemployment benefit, they are eligible to also receive the full $600 CARES benefit. This additional CARES benefit is retroactive to March 29th and individuals who received state unemployment benefits starting that week will receive back pay.  However, the additional $600 CARES benefit is currently only funded through July 31st, no matter when the employee goes on unemployment. After that, maximum benefits will return to the regular payments of a maximum of $618 per week.

Yes, unemployment benefits are considered income and are taxable. This includes both the state benefits and the $600 paid through the CARES Act. Employees can elect to have taxes withheld from their payments.

Specific questions about your eligibility for unemployment, application status, payment amount, etc. must be directed to the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment's Unemployment department.

• You may find some of the answers to your questions on their FAQ page here: https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdle/ui/worker-faqs.
• You may also contact their Customer Service Center Monday - Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM at 1-800-388-5515.

Other questions may be addressed to Cindy Rhoads via email at crhoads@uccs.edu.