Can excepted employees apply for unemployment? Some work maybe one or two hours per day. The rest of the time they are on furlough. Possibly, you will need to check with your individual state to see if you would qualify for unemployment benefits. If an employee files for and is paid unemployment benefits during the shutdown and are subsequently paid by IRS, are they required to repay the state? Yes, employees will be required to pay back the money the state paid them. Employees need to contact the state agency for information on repayment if this occurs. What is the three-digit Federal Agency Identification Code IRS employees should use when completing the Form SF-8? The three-digit Federal Agency Indentification Code for the Department of Treasury is 410. IRS employees should use this code when completing the Form SF-8 PDF. May employees take other jobs during the furlough? Excepted and non-excepted employees may seek outside jobs while they wait for the furlough to end. However, because they remain federal government employees even while on furlough, they will continue to be subject to the Executive Branch-wide standards of ethical conduct at 5 CFR Part 2635 (Subpart H – Outside Activities) and the IRS Ethics Handbook (Chapter 10 –Outside Employment and Activities) and therefore cannot engage in a prohibited activity (e.g., preparing tax returns for compensation). In accordance with the 2019 National Agreement, Article 48, Section 1 (H), while in a non-pay status (i.e., furlough), the requirement for prior approval of an outside activity is waived; employees may work an outside job without prior approval. Upon return to duty status, employees wishing to continue their outside job must submit a written request. Are employees entitled to unemployment compensation while on furlough? It is possible that furloughed employees may become eligible for unemployment compensation. State unemployment compensation requirements differ. Some states require a one-week waiting period before an individual qualifies for payments. In general, the law of the State in which an employee’s last official duty station in federal civilian service was located will be the state law that determines eligibility for unemployment insurance benefits. (See the Department of Labor website “Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees” at Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees, Employment & Training Administration (ETA) - U.S. Department of Labor.) Employees should submit questions to the appropriate State (or District of Columbia) office. The Department of Labor’s website provides links to individual state offices and unemployment benefits | CareerOneStop. You may obtain your latest W-2 form and Earning and Leave statement from the National Finance Center (NFC) by accessing your Employee Personal Page (EPP). If you forgot your user name or password, you may use the automated tools to request them online or by email. Employees who do not have an alternate email address established and cannot retrieve their password may contact NFC at: 1-855-632-4468 and select option #5 for EPP. What agency information is needed to complete the form SF-8? Agency specific information has been added to the fillable SF-8, Notice to Federal Employee About Unemployment Insurance PDF. If an employee files for and is paid unemployment benefits during the shutdown and are subsequently paid by IRS, are they required to repay the state? Yes, employees will be required to pay back the monies the state paid the employee. Employees need to contact the state agency for information on repayment if this occurs. Can excepted employees apply for unemployment? Some work maybe 1 or 2 hours per day. The rest of the time they are on furlough. Possibly, you will need to check with your individual state to see if you would qualify for unemployment benefits.
