It’s no surprise to hear, that for most employers, unemployment taxes are a high cost item. The taxes often reach tens to hundreds of thousands, and in some cases, millions of dollars. Of course you can protest improper claims, but it can be a stressful, and unfortunately, it’s not always easy to win. In fact, the average employer only wins about 50% of the protests they file.

Does this sound like a problem your business is dealing with? This post is dedicated to helping you win your unemployment insurance claim with three different steps, so read on.

1. Get It Right from the Start

The problem is that most employers don’t try to win the UI case until the claim is filed. The process needs to begin long before a claim is even thought about being filed. This may surprise you, but the process actually needs to begin the moment an employee is hired. If you start off right, you’re already setting your business up for success. Devote the proper time needed in the beginning by ensuring that your application for employment and all new hire paperwork contains the right questions (such as availability, experience, training, etc). Be sure to document everything, so you can easily go back and find information when needed.

2. Create Your Own Policies and Follow Them

Having a well thought out and updated employee handbook is very important. Create policies that you feel comfortable following and enforcing, and you’ll be much more likely to win your UI protests. Be sure to follow employment and unemployment laws, or you could end up in a lawsuit when the times comes to protest a claim. Creating and updating your policies is one thing and applying them consistently is another. You must be certain to follow the same steps for every employee so future problems don’t arise.

3. Ensure You Have Proper Documentation

It’s easy to let poor employee behavior go unnoticed, but if you document everything properly from the beginning, you’ll thank yourself later. Be sure to document every employee’s disciplinary/corrective action correctly, so you have proper information to defend your employment decisions in a hearing. You don’t want it to get to the point where it’s your word against theirs. Remember, it’s likely that the former employee is preparing to win as well, but there’s no going against proper documentation.

Utilize these three tips in order to win your unemployment insurance claim and if you’re looking for more information on how to win check out these six tips for employers.  It would also be wise to take a look at the many ways former employees might be preparing. This will help you when preparing to file your own claim. If you’re still looking for more information, we recommend contacting an unemployment insurance expert for more information and details on how to improve your chance of winning.