Effective: October 1, 2020
Latest Legislation: House Bill 614 - 133rd General Assembly
(A) In addition to all other duties imposed on the director of job and family services and powers granted by this chapter, the director may:
(1) Adopt and enforce reasonable rules relative to the exercise of the director's powers and authority, and proper rules to govern the director's proceedings and to regulate the mode and manner of all investigations and hearings;
(2) Prescribe the time, place, and manner of making claims for benefits under such sections, the kind and character of notices required thereunder, the procedure for investigating, hearing, and deciding claims, the nature and extent of the proofs and evidence and the method of furnishing and taking such proofs and evidence to establish the right to benefits, and the method and time within which adjudication and awards shall be made;
(3) Adopt rules with respect to the collection, maintenance, and disbursement of the unemployment and administrative funds;
(4) Amend and modify any of the director's rules from time to time in such respects as the director finds necessary or desirable;
(5) Authorize a designee to hold or undertake an investigation, inquiry, or hearing that the director is authorized to hold or undertake. An order of a designee authorized pursuant to this section is the order of the director.
(6) Appoint advisors or advisory employment committees, by local districts or by industries, who shall, without compensation but with reimbursements for necessary expenses, assist the director in the execution of the director's duties;
(7) Require all employers, including employers not otherwise subject to this chapter, to furnish to the director information concerning the amount of wages paid, the number of employees employed and the regularity of their employment, the number of employees hired, laid off, and discharged from time to time and the reasons therefor and the numbers that quit voluntarily, and other and further information respecting any other facts required for the proper administration of this chapter;
(8) Classify generally industries, businesses, occupations, and employments, and employers individually, as to the hazard of unemployment in each business, industry, occupation, or employment, and as to the particular hazard of each employer, having special reference to the conditions of regularity and irregularity of the employment provided by such employer and of the fluctuations in payrolls of such employer;
(9) Determine the contribution rates upon employers subject to this chapter, and provide for the levy and collection of the contributions from such employers;
(10) Receive, hear, and decide claims for unemployment benefits, and provide for the payment of such claims as are allowed;
(11) Promote the regularization of employment and the prevention of unemployment;
(12) Encourage and assist in the adoption of practical methods of vocational training, retraining, and vocational guidance;
(13) Investigate, recommend, and advise and assist in the establishment and operation by municipal corporations, counties, school districts, and the state of prosperity reserves of public work to be prosecuted in times of business depression and unemployment;
(14) Promote the re-employment of unemployed workers throughout the state in any other way that may be feasible, and take all appropriate steps within the director's means to reduce and prevent unemployment;
(15) Carry on and publish the results of any investigations and research that the director deems relevant;
(16) Make such reports to the proper agency of the United States created by the "Social Security Act" as that agency requires, and comply with such provisions as the agency finds necessary to assure the correctness and verification of such reports;
(17) Make available upon request to any agency of the United States charged with the administration of public works or assistance through public employment the name, address, ordinary occupation, and employment status of each recipient of unemployment benefits under this chapter, and a statement of such recipient's rights to further benefits under this chapter;
(18) Make such investigations, secure and transmit such information, make available such services and facilities, and exercise such of the other powers provided by this section with respect to the administration of this chapter, as the director deems necessary or appropriate to facilitate the administration of the unemployment compensation law or public employment service laws of this state and of other states and the United States, and in like manner accept and utilize information, services, and facilities made available to this state by the agency charged with the administration of any such other unemployment compensation or public employment service laws;
(19) Enter into or cooperate in arrangements whereby facilities and services provided under the unemployment compensation law of Canada may be utilized for the taking of claims and the payment of benefits under the unemployment compensation law of this state or under a similar law of Canada;
(20) Transfer surplus computers and computer equipment directly to a chartered public school within the state, notwithstanding sections 125.12 to 125.14 of the Revised Code. The computers and computer equipment may be repaired or refurbished prior to the transfer, and the public school may be charged a service fee not to exceed the direct cost of repair or refurbishing.
(B)(1) The director shall do all of the following:
(a) Develop a written strategic staffing plan to be implemented whenever there is a substantial increase or a substantial decrease in the number of inquiries or claims for benefits and review the plan in accordance with division (B)(3) of this section;
(b) Create, in a single place on the web site maintained by the director, a list of all of the points of contact through which an applicant for or a recipient of benefits under this chapter or an employer may submit inquiries related to this chapter;
(c) Adopt rules creating a uniform process through which an applicant for or a recipient of benefits under this chapter or an employer may submit a complaint related to the service the applicant, recipient, or employer received.
(2) The director shall include all of the following in the plan required under division (B)(1)(a) of this section:
(a) An explanation of how, if at all, the director will utilize employees employed by the director who do not ordinarily perform services related to unemployment compensation;
(b) An explanation of how, if at all, the director will utilize employees employed by other state agencies;
(c) An explanation of how, if at all, the director will utilize employees provided by private entities.
(3) For purposes of division (B)(1)(a) of this section, the director shall develop the initial plan required under that division and, not later than the date that is six months after the first meeting of the unemployment compensation modernization and improvement council, provide it to the council, the president of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the governor. The director shall review the plan at least once a year. If, after reviewing the plan, the director determines that the plan should be revised, the director shall revise the plan. After each review of the plan required under this division, the director shall provide the most recent version of the plan to the council, the president of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the governor. The director shall post the most recent version of the plan on a publicly viewable web site maintained by the director.