Unemployment Cost Management Services

The Vendor is required to provide for unemployment claims representation and work with city staff to provide effective and timely unemployment claims management and responses.
- Claims Management Requirements
•    Provide dedicated claims representation in the initial claims process and work with city staff to provide effective and timely unemployment claims management and responses. The contractor will provide a responsive and available dedicated claim specialist available during regular business hours of Monday through Friday, with working hours (8:00 a.m. — 5:00 p.m. Local state time) and available via voice message after normal business hours. 
•    The dedicated claims specialist team will be available to meet with advanced notice.
•    All phone calls and emails sent to the dedicated claim specialist during regular business hours will be responded within 4 hours, the day on which they receive the message. 
•    All messages sent during non-business hours will be responded to within 4 hours of the opening of the next business day.
•    The experience and workload management of the dedicated claim specialist will be sufficient to meet the needs of the city when processing unemployment claims. 
•    The dedicated claim specialist will have extensive work experience with reimbursors as well as claim activity in the state; and, the dedicated claim specialist will have a workload that will allow them to provide effective and prompt responses to all required tasks.
•    Claim status updates from the dedicated claim specialist will be provided upon resolution of each claim. 
•    The status of each claim in-process will be provided at frequencies as requested by the city. 
•    Provide claim status updates by email or another medium as agreed.
•    Provide high quality analysis, expert advice, guidance on determinations and appeal rights, and file appeals, if needed (at no additional charge).
- Hearing Representation Requirements
•    Appointed by the city to act as the city's agent and attorney in fact in unemployment claim related matters.
•    Provide representation during hearings. 
•    The hearing representative will guide the city's designated representatives through the hearing to ensure a favorable outcome (at no additional charge). 
•    Process all initial claims, review benefit decisions, appeals, hearing preparation and representation, written arguments and briefs. 
•    Also secure pertinent information and, where appropriate, process, in a timely manner, the information and file a detailed protest of the payment and/or charging of benefits. 
•    Expertise in state unemployment laws and regulations and all contractor's hearing representatives will be supervised by a licensed attorney (state).
•    Assist with case analysis, witness preparation, and document review in preparation for a hearing.
•    Manage the appeal process including stating appropriate arguments and filing appropriate paperwork. 
•    Attend all unemployment hearings on behalf of the city, with appropriate city personnel in attendance as needed. 
•    Prepare city staff for the hearing in a pre-hearing conference; advise city staff regarding hearing procedures; review all elements of the case; and examine documentation and review those elements to secure a favorable decision.
•    Consult with the city to determine if an unfavorable decision by a hearing officer should be appealed. 
•    Appeal such decision in a timely manner on the city's behalf. 
•    Prepare all written arguments to appeal a hearing officer's decision.
•    Research precedent decisions, and a written or oral argument will be presented to the appropriate review board.
- Benefit Charge Audit Requirements
•    Ensure that benefit charges are made only to current or former employees entitled to such benefits.
•    Carefully audit 100% of charges and identify erroneous charges pursuant to state unemployment requirements and will verify corresponding credits to the city's state accounts within 30 days of charges to the city. 
•    Additionally, contractor will conduct regular reviews of the city's unemployment reports, including review of wage reports, payments, and verification of billing; and contractor will file adjustment reports as required.
•    Effectively protest and resolve any identified erroneous charges. 
•    As necessary, contractor will appeal any unfavorable charge statement rulings.
•    Actively pursue protests and any refunds or credits due as a result of such protests.
•    Provide cost control strategies and compliance support.
- Reporting Requirements
•    Provide the city with access to clear and accurate reporting of detailed activity of claims, appeals, decisions, and charges.
•    Provide access to real-time data for the purposes of audits and process improvements as they relate to claims, appeals, decisions, and charges.
•    Reports to include ad-hoc reporting at no additional cost to the city.
•    Transmit all favorable and/or unfavorable determinations to the city through an individual claim report and, with final decisions that are unfavorable, provide any feedback to avoid future unfavorable determinations. 
•    Provide claims activity and summary reports by city department. 
•    Each report will include a complete, detailed listing of unemployment claims activity for the city. 
•    Each report will contain a summary listed by; "type of separation" and by protested charges/credits. 
•    Additional reporting may be requested by the city.
- Legislative Update Requirements
•    Provide the city with legislative updates that pertain to unemployment laws.
•    Updates will be provided within 30 days of legislation being passed into law.
•    Updates will include information relevant to the city’s responsibilities under the law.
•    Updates may be provided by email or during a scheduled meeting or training if the update is not urgent.

- Contract Period/Term: 5 years
- Pre-Offer Conference (Non-Mandatory) Date: August 28, 2025
- Questions/Inquires Deadline: September 3, 2025