553.12 SF 8, Notice to Former Employee
About Unemployment Insurance
SF 8 explains an employee’s eligibility for unemployment
compensation and describes the steps to be taken in filing a claim.
Personnel offices complete SF 8 by entering at top of form the employee’s
name, Social Security number, and pay location. In item 3 personnel
offices enter #732 on the extreme right side and then enter the address of
the Eagan ASC:
SF 8 is issued promptly to the employee by the separating
personnel office so that he or she does not lose unemployment compensation
benefits to which he or she may be entitled. An individual whose work or
tours of duty are on an intermittent basis is issued an SF 8 only the
first time in each calendar year that he or she is placed in a nonpay
status. However, a completed SF 8 is issued to an employee each time the
employee:
Separates from the Postal Service for any
reason.
Transfers to another federal agency.
Is (or will be) placed in a nonpay status for 7 or
more consecutive calendar days.
SF 8 is issued on the employee’s last workday. The date is to
be noted in the remarks section of PS Form 50.
The Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees Program (UCFE) is
administered by the states under separate agreements with the U.S.
Secretary of Labor. Under these agreements, the states are agents of
the United States and take, adjust, pay, or deny claims for
unemployment compensation. Based on wage and separation information
supplied by the Postal Service, the state agency determines under its
state employment security law the postal employee’s entitlement to
unemployment compensation.
551.12 Liability
Benefit payments are made to former postal employees by the states
under the agreements between the states and the U.S. Department of
Labor. The Postal Service then reimburses the states through the
Department of Labor.
551.13 Illegal Claims
Federal law provides criminal penalties for anyone who knowingly makes
a false statement or representation of a material fact, or knowingly
fails to disclose a material fact, to obtain or increase for self or
for any other individual unemployment compensation benefits for
federal employees.
551.2 Qualification Factors
Requirements for unemployment compensation benefits vary from state to
state in accordance with each state’s employment security law.
However, each state law requires that a claimant:
a.Be unemployed or be employed less than full–time as defined by the
state employment security law with earnings less than an amount
specified in the state law.
b.Register for work and file an unemployment compensation claim at a
local state employment security office.
c.Have worked a specified amount of time or have earned a specified
amount of wages, or both, within a certain period.
d.Be able to work.
e.Be available for work.
f.Be actively seeking work.
g.Report periodically to the local state employment security office.
551.3 Disqualification Factors
Disqualification provisions vary from state to state. In the majority
of states, employment security laws provide for a period of total
disqualification or for a penalty period of temporary disqualification
for certain types of separations. A former postal employee is not
disqualified if the separation was an involuntary termination of
employment for other than misconduct, or if the separation was a
voluntary termination or resignation based on good cause. The most
common reasons for disqualification are:
a.The claimant was discharged for misconduct.
b.The claimant quit the job voluntarily without good cause.
c.The claimant refused a suitable job without good cause.
551.4 Information to State Employment Security Agencies
551.41 Information Required
The Postal Service furnishes state employment security agencies
certain salary and separation information concerning claimants who are
or have been employed by the Postal Service. This information is
processed and returned to the state agency by the Eagan ASC within 4
workdays after receipt of the request. The information includes:
a.Periods of Postal Service employment.
b.Amount of remuneration for service.
c.Amount of lump sum terminal leave payments and periods of time for
which the lump sum payment was made.
d.Reason(s) for separation.
551.42 Privacy Act Requirements
551.421 Authority to Disclose
Release of wage and separation information to a state employment
security agency can be made without written authorization from the
former Postal Service employee.
551.422 Accountability of Disclosure
To meet the Privacy Act disclosure accounting requirements, the state
coordinators described in 552.3 receive from the Eagan ASC copies of
Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees Form ES 931, Request
for Wage Separation Information; Form ES 934, Request for Information
or Reconsideration of Federal Findings; Form ES 936, Request for
Verification of UCFE Wage and Separation Information Furnished on Form
ES 931; and PS Form 2342, Request: Unemployment Compensation Data, and
PS Form 6803, Wage and Separation Information (ES 931) (3–part
continuous). These forms are to be retained by the state coordinator
for a period of 3 years. The Eagan ASC maintains the PS Form 6803
Issue Report (Program No. PHE100) on microfiche for a period of 5
years. State coordinators are to maintain hearings and appeals case
files for 5 years. Official Postal Service records control schedules
should be consulted to determine retention requirements by state
coordinators and installation heads.
