Article 4. Reserve Accounts of California Unemployment Insurance Code >> Division 1. >> Part 1. >> Chapter 4. >> Article 4.

The director shall keep separate records of the amounts paid into the fund by each employer in his or her own behalf, or chargeable to him or her as benefits; but nothing in this division shall be construed to grant any employer or his or her employees prior claims or rights to the amount contributed by him or her to the fund, either on his or her own account or on behalf of his or her employees. The amount of employer contributions, advances, or reimbursements under Article 5 (commencing with Section 801) of Chapter 3 of this part or Section 821, and all other amounts payable to the fund, shall be pooled and available to pay unemployment compensation benefits to any employee entitled thereto, regardless of the source of contributions or any other amounts.

(a) The director shall maintain a separate reserve account for each employer, and shall credit each reserve account with all the contributions paid on his or her behalf.
  (b) Unemployment compensation benefits paid to an unemployed individual during any benefit year shall be charged against the reserve account of his or her employer during his or her base period. If the individual performed services in employment for more than one employer during his or her base period, unemployment compensation benefits paid to him or her shall be charged against the respective reserve accounts of the employers in the proportion that the total wages paid to the individual in employment for each employer bears to the total wages paid to the individual in employment for all employers during the base period.
  (c) The director shall credit the interest earned by the Unemployment Fund to each positive reserve employer account in proportion to the amount the account bears to the total of all positive reserve accounts.
  (d) Except as provided by Sections 803 and 821, in proportion to the amount each employer's taxable wages bears to the total of all employers' taxable wages, the director shall credit to each employer reserve account all of the following:
  (1) Benefit overpayments collected in the four quarters prior to the computation date.
  (2) Positive balances in reserve accounts canceled pursuant to Section 1029.
  (3) Other nontax income.
  (e) Except as provided by Sections 803 and 821, in the same proportion as provided in subdivision (d), the director shall charge to each employer reserve account all of the following:
  (1) The increase in the total of all negative reserve account balances as computed by subtracting the total of all negative reserve account balances on July 31 of each year prior to the cancellations required by Section 1027.5 from the total of all negative reserve account balances on the prior July 31 after the cancellations required by Section 1027.5, except as provided by Section 1144.
  (2) Benefit overpayments established in the four quarters prior to the computation date.
  (3) Benefits not charged to employer reserve accounts pursuant to Section 1032, 1032.5, 1034, 1035, 1036, 1335, 1338, or 1380.
  (4) Other items of expense and benefit charges not included in active employer reserve accounts.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this code, an employer's reserve account shall not be relieved of charges relating to a benefit overpayment if the department determines that the payment was made because the employer, or an agent of the employer, was at fault for failing to respond timely or adequately to requests of the department for information relating to the individual claim for unemployment compensation benefits. The department shall make this determination when the employer or agent fails to respond timely or adequately in two instances relating to the individual claim for unemployment compensation benefits. This section shall apply to benefit overpayments established on or after October 22, 2013.

On the computation date in 1966, the portion of each negative reserve balance which has not previously been charged to the balancing account shall be transferred to that account and the employer's reserve account thereupon canceled. The computation on such date for calendar year 1967 shall be based upon the status of the employer's account prior to such transfer and cancellation subject to the requirements of Section 982. The computation for each calendar year beginning with calendar year 1968 shall be in accordance with the requirements of Section 982 and an employer whose reserve account has been canceled under this section shall be considered as first becoming a subject employer on July 1, 1966.

On the computation date each year, the amount each employer' s net balance of reserve is more negative than 21 percent of the employer's average base payroll shall be canceled from his or her reserve balance. The amendment made to this section by Chapter 1296 of the Statutes of 1984 shall be deemed to have become operative on June 30, 1984, and the amendment shall be given retroactive effect to that date.

On the computation date of June 30, 1983, the amount each employer's net balance of reserve was more negative than 12 percent of the employer's average base payroll shall be canceled from his or her reserve balance.

The charge of unemployment compensation benefits to an employer's account required by Section 1026 shall be made in such manner as to include as of each computation date all unemployment compensation benefit payments made on or before the computation date. In computing the charge to employers' accounts, a fractional part of a dollar shall be disregarded unless it amounts to one-half dollar ($0.50) or more, in which case it shall be increased to one dollar ($1).

(a) Whenever an employer ceases to pay wages in employment, the reserve account of the employer, unless it has been transferred under Article 5 (commencing with Section 1051), shall be canceled on the records of the department after a period of three consecutive years has elapsed following the latest calendar quarter in which the employer paid wages in employment.
  (b) Whenever a period of three consecutive years has elapsed, commencing with the effective date of an election by any entity to finance benefits pursuant to Section 803, any portion of the reserve account of the entity that has not been subject to use pursuant to Section 712 or 713, unless that portion has been reacquired by the entity by termination of the election under Section 803 prior to the expiration of the three-year period, shall be canceled on the records of the department. Section 982 shall apply to that entity.
  (c) Upon the termination of an election by a school employer to finance benefits pursuant to Article 6 (commencing with Section 821) of Chapter 3, any favorable balance in the account of the school employer under the election shall be canceled on the records of the department.

(a) An employer that is entitled under Section 1327 to receive notice of the filing of a new or additional claim may, within 10 days after mailing of the notice, submit to the department any facts within its possession disclosing whether the claimant left the employer's employ voluntarily and without good cause or left under one of the following circumstances:
  (1) The claimant was discharged from the employment for misconduct connected with his or her work.
  (2) The claimant's discharge or quitting from his or her most recent employer was the result of an irresistible compulsion to use or consume intoxicants including alcoholic beverages.
  (3) The claimant was a student employed on a temporary basis and whose employment began within, and ended with his or her leaving to return to school at the close of, his or her vacation period.
  (4) The claimant left the employer's employ to accompany his or her spouse or domestic partner to a place or to join him or her at a place from which it is impractical to commute to the employment, and to which a transfer of the claimant by the employer is not available.
  (5) The claimant left the employer's employ to protect his or her family or himself or herself from domestic violence abuse.
  (6) The claimant left the employer's employ to take a substantially better job. The period during which the employer may submit these facts may be extended by the director for good cause.
  (b) A base period employer that is not entitled under Section 1327 to receive notice of the filing of a new or additional claim and is entitled under Section 1329 to receive notice of computation may, within 15 days after mailing of the notice of computation, submit to the department any facts within its possession disclosing whether the claimant left the employer's employ voluntarily and without good cause or left under one of the following circumstances:
  (1) The claimant was discharged from the employment for misconduct connected with his or her work.
  (2) The claimant was a student employed on a temporary basis and whose employment began within, and ended with his or her leaving to return to school at the close of, his or her vacation period.
  (3) The claimant left the employer's employ to accompany his or her spouse or domestic partner to a place or join him or her at a place from which it is impractical to commute to the employment, and to which a transfer of the claimant by the employer is not available.
  (4) The claimant left the employer's employ to protect his or her family or himself or herself from domestic violence abuse.
  (5) The claimant left the employer's employ to take a substantially better job. The period during which the employer may submit these facts may be extended by the director for good cause.
  (c) The department shall consider these facts together with any information in its possession. If the employer is entitled to a ruling under subdivision (b) or to a determination under Section 1328, the department shall promptly notify the employer of its ruling as to the cause of the termination of the claimant's employment. The employer may appeal from a ruling or reconsidered ruling to an administrative law judge within 30 days after mailing or personal service of notice of the ruling or reconsidered ruling. The 30-day period may be extended for good cause, which includes, but is not limited to, mistake, inadvertence, surprise, or excusable neglect. The director is an interested party to an appeal. The department may for good cause reconsider a ruling or reconsidered ruling within either five days after the date an appeal to an administrative law judge is filed or, if an appeal is not filed, within 30 days after mailing or personal service of notice of the ruling or reconsidered ruling. However, a ruling or reconsidered ruling that relates to a determination that is reconsidered pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 1332 may also be reconsidered by the department within the time provided for reconsideration of that determination.
  (d) For purposes of this section only, if the claimant voluntarily leaves the employer's employ without notification to the employer of the reasons for the leaving, and if the employer submits all of the facts within its possession concerning the leaving within the applicable time period referred to in this section, the leaving is presumed to be without good cause.
  (e) An individual whose employment is terminated under the compulsory retirement provisions of a collective bargaining agreement to which the employer is a party shall not be deemed to have voluntarily left his or her employment without good cause.
  (f) For purposes of this section, "spouse" includes a person to whom marriage is imminent, and "domestic partner" includes a person to whom a domestic partnership, as described in Section 297 of the Family Code, is imminent.
  (g) This section shall become operative on July 1, 2015.

(a) If the employment of an individual is terminated due to his absence from work for a period in excess of 24 hours because of his incarceration and he is convicted of the offense for which he was incarcerated or of any lesser included offense, he shall be deemed to have left his work voluntarily without good cause for the purposes of Sections 1030, 3701, and 4701. A plea or verdict of guilty irrespective of whether an order granting probation or other order is made suspending the imposition of the sentence or whether sentence is imposed but execution thereof is suspended, or a conviction following a plea of nolo contendere, is deemed to be a conviction within the meaning of this section.
  (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this division, any ruling made prior to a conviction or other final disposition of the criminal complaint or accusation by the court as to whether an individual who is terminated due to his absence from work because of incarceration voluntarily leaves without good cause may, if no appeal has been taken from the ruling, for good cause be reconsidered by the department during the benefit year or extended duration period or extended benefit period to which the ruling relates. Notice of any reconsidered ruling shall be given to the employer which received notice under Section 1030 or 3701 or 4701, and the employer may appeal therefrom in the manner prescribed in Section 1328 or 3655 or 4655.

No ruling made under Section 1030 may constitute a basis for the disqualification of any claimant but a determination by the department made under the provisions of Section 1328 may constitute a ruling under Section 1030.

If it is ruled under Section 1030 or 1328 that the claimant left the employer's employ voluntarily and without good cause, or left under one of the following circumstances, benefits paid to the claimant subsequent to the termination of employment that are based upon wages earned from the employer prior to the date of the termination of employment shall not be charged to the account of the employer, except as provided by Section 1026 or if the department determines pursuant to Section 1026.1 that the employer's reserve account should not be credited, unless the employer failed to furnish the information specified in Section 1030 within the time limit prescribed in that section or unless that ruling is reversed by a reconsidered ruling:
  (a) The claimant was discharged by reason of misconduct connected with his or her work.
  (b) The claimant was a student employed on a temporary basis and whose employment began within, and ended with his or her leaving to return to school at the close of, his or her vacation period.
  (c) The claimant left the employer's employ to accompany his or her spouse or domestic partner to a place or to join him or her at a place from which it is impractical to commute to the employment, and to which a transfer of the claimant by the employer is not available.
  (d) The claimant left the employer's employ to protect his or her family or himself or herself from domestic violence abuse.
  (e) The claimant left the employer's employ to take a substantially better job.
  (f) The claimant's discharge or quitting from his or her most recent employer was the result of an irresistible compulsion to use or consume intoxicants including alcoholic beverages.
  (g) For purposes of this section "spouse" includes a person to whom marriage is imminent, and "domestic partner" includes a person to whom a domestic partnership, as described in Section 297 of the Family Code, is imminent.

(a) Any base period employer may, within 15 days after mailing of a notice of computation under subdivision (a) of Section 1329, submit to the department facts within its possession disclosing that the individual claiming benefits is rendering services for that employer in less than full-time work, and that the individual has continuously, commencing in or prior to the beginning of the base period, rendered services for that employer in such less than full-time work.
  (b) The department shall consider facts submitted under subdivision (a) of this section together with any information in its possession and promptly notify the employer of its ruling. If the department finds that an individual is, under Section 1252, unemployed in any week on the basis of his or her having less than full-time work, and that the employer submitting facts under this section is a base period employer for whom the individual has continuously, commencing in or prior to the beginning of the base period, rendered services in such less than full-time work, that employer's account shall not be charged, except as provided by Section 1026 or if the department determines pursuant to Section 1026.1 that the employer's reserve account should not be credited, for benefits paid the individual in any week in which such wages are payable by that employer to the individual. The employer may appeal from a ruling or reconsidered ruling to an administrative law judge within 30 days after mailing or personal service of notice of the ruling or reconsidered ruling. The 30-day period may be extended for good cause, which shall include, but not be limited to, mistake, inadvertence, surprise, or excusable neglect. The director shall be an interested party to any appeal. The department may for good cause reconsider any ruling or reconsidered ruling within either five days after an appeal to an administrative law judge is filed or, if no appeal is filed, within 30 days after mailing or personal service of the notice of the ruling or reconsidered ruling.
  (c) This section shall become operative on July 1, 2015.

The director shall not less frequently than once each year furnish each employer with an itemized statement of the charges to the reserve account, and a statement of the reserve account showing the credits and charges, the net balance of the reserve account and the contribution rate for the applicable rating period.

(a) The employer, within 60 days after the date of mailing of any statement of charges or credits and charges to the reserve account, or within an additional period not exceeding 60 days which may for good cause be granted by the director, may file with the director a written protest on any item shown thereon. The protest shall set forth the specific grounds on which it is made. No protest may be made on the ground that a claimant was ineligible for a benefit payment where the employer was notified as required by this division and any authorized regulation of the filing of a claim for the benefits or of a determination of the claimant's eligibility therefor and the employer failed to file a timely appeal on the benefit claim, or a final decision of an administrative law judge or of the appeals board affirmed the payment of the benefits. Except as to corrections made by the director as provided in Section 1036, the contribution rate and other items shown on any such statement of charges or statement of account shall be final unless a protest is filed within the time prescribed in this section.
  (b) The employer, within 30 days after the last working day of March, may file a protest on the grounds that the director did not allow voluntary unemployment insurance contributions to the reserve account in accordance with Section 976.5.

The director shall give notice pursuant to Section 1206 to the employer of his or her action on a protest filed under Section 1034.

(a) The director shall give notice, pursuant to Section 1206, to the employer of the correction of any error which the director finds in any statement of account or statement of charges. Except in the case where fraud, intent to evade, misrepresentation, or willful nondisclosure is found, the notice of correction shall be issued prior to the expiration of the rating period to which a statement relates.
  (b) Any additional amount of contributions resulting from an increased contribution rate caused by the correction of any error that the director finds in any statement of reserve account or statement of charges shall be assessed within 180 days from the postmarked date of the notice of correction. These assessments shall be issued in accordance with Article 8 (commencing with Section 1126). However, these assessments shall become final on the last day of the calendar month following the calendar quarter in which the assessment is issued.
  (c) Any overpaid amount of contributions resulting from a reduced rate caused by the correction of an error that the director finds on any statement of reserve account or statement of charges shall be refunded within 180 days of the postmarked date of the notice of correction. These refunds shall be issued in accordance with Article 9 (commencing with Section 1176).

If a protest involving the contribution rate is pending when any contribution to which such rate relates is due, the employer shall pay the contribution at the rate shown in the statement furnished by the director. Such a protest, however, shall constitute a claim for refund under Article 9 of this chapter, and if a final determination on the protest reduces the contribution rate the amount of overpayment shall be promptly credited or refunded as provided in that article.