Labor Commissioner urges Nebraskans to file for unemployment benefits online during COVID-19 pandemic

Commissioner of Labor John H. Albin encourages workers and businesses to utilize resources available through the Nebraska Department of Labor as they respond to COVID-19.

“We understand this is a time of uncertainty for all Nebraskans, and we are here to support workers and employers as they navigate this challenging situation,” said Commissioner Albin.

Unemployment Insurance Benefits

Any workers in a non-paid status due to COVID-19 may file a claim for unemployment insurance benefits. Unemployment claims in Nebraska are filed online at NEworks.nebraska.gov. The NEworks mobile app is available to download for free.

On Tuesday, Governor Ricketts announced that from March 22 through May 2, NDOL would be waiving the requirement to search for work, as well as the requirement to serve an unpaid waiting week once eligibility is determined. Employers whose workers file claims tied to COVID-19 will also not be charged for those benefits. Nebraska’s Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund will instead be used. The Governor’s press release and Executive Order can be viewed here.

If an employer is laying off a large number of workers, they may file a claim in NEworks on behalf of these workers. Instructions are found on the NDOL website at:

https://dol.nebraska.gov/UIBenefits

Short-Time Compensation

In addition to regular unemployment insurance benefits, employers also have the option of utilizing Short-Time Compensation (STC). The Short-Time Compensation program helps prevent layoffs by allowing employers to uniformly reduce affected employees’ hours by 10 to 60 percent while permitting the employees to receive a prorated unemployment benefit. For more information, see the information on this page:

https://dol.nebraska.gov/stc

Assistance

Due to high call volume, unemployment insurance questions should be emailed to ndol.nichelp@nebraska.gov and should include contact information. Live chat assistance is available on

NEworks.nebraska.gov.

Questions specific to short-time compensation should be sent to NDOL.STCLegal@nebraska.gov

There is no requirement to visit a job center to access these benefit programs. The job centers are adhering to social distancing guidance to protect the health of customers and the NDOL team. Job center locations and numbers are listed here.