As companies in Florida face an increase in minimum payments for unemployment insurance, business groups are looking to convince lawmakers to impose stricter standards on laid-off employees seeking jobless benefits. #
From the News Service of Florida: #
The proposals coming from the Retail Federation, Chamber of Commerce, Associated Industries of Florida, Florida TaxWatch and others, also emphasize stricter standards for workers to prove they are actively seeking work, possible drug-testing for those who lose jobs, and denying benefits to those who’ve received severance packages or other job-terminating payments. #
The push comes even as business groups are panicking with this year’s minimum unemployment rate scheduled to climb from $25 per worker to $72.10 per worker this spring. Employers pay the full rate. #
The increase will cover the interest on payments to the federal government, which shores up states’ unemployment systems when their coffers run dry. Lawmakers are also weighing plans to cover a portion of those interest payments with state funds. #
Asked whether recipients of unemployment benefits may be gaming the system, Senate President Mike Haridopolos said Wednesday that “there might be a small few who are gaming it, and that’s what happens any time you have a big government program.” #
“There’s one out of eight Floridians who aren’t working right now, and they want to work, and we’re going to do everything in our power to help them out,” he added. “If we find some folks that are gaming the system, then we need to look at it.” #
