Kramer, Elkins & Watt

KEW Tips

How do probationary periods affect Unemployment Insurance?

If I terminate an employee after a 90 day probationary period, do I still have to pay Unemployment Insurance? Most likely, yes. But, not immediately. And, possibly not ever. Contrary to popular belief, a probationary status has no bearing on whether an employer has to pay unemployment insurance. Whether an employer plans on having its […]

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Do business owners need to pay Unemployment Insurance?

Let’s start with some background on unemployment insurance in Wisconsin. This article focuses on unemployment insurance from an employer’s perspective and specifically under Wisconsin state law. As such, we are not discussing the expanded unemployment provisions in the CARES Act, which primarily impact separated employees applying for unemployment benefits under more broad eligibility criteria. As […]

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Unemployment Insurance Questions Answered

            Nearly 70,000 claims for unemployment insurance were filed in Wisconsin for the week beginning March 16, 2020, with 21,000 filing on Monday March 23, and the filings are expected to rise before they subside. The average weekly claims filed for weeks ending in 2020 before last week was 6,250. […]

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How Badly Does My Employee Have to Mess Up to be Denied UI Benefits?

  Updated: May 2, 2019 An employee messed up.  You need to fire him or her.  Will he or she receive unemployment insurance (“UI” also sometimes referred to as unemployment compensation) benefits?  Well, the UI division, and the courts, look at just how bad the conduct was.  In a recent decision, the Wisconsin Court of […]

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