1085-1098
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE CODE
SECTION 1085-1098
1085. Every employing unit shall keep a true and accurate work record of: (a) All his workers and their status, i.e., employed, on layoff or leave of absence. (b) The wages paid by him to each worker. (c) Such other information as the director deems necessary to proper administration of this division. 1086. (a) Each employing unit within 15 days after becoming an employer as defined in this part shall register with the department on a form prescribed by the department. (b) (1) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), any Indian tribe (as described by subsection (u) of Section 3306 of Title 26 of the United States Code) that employed one or more workers on or after December 21, 2000, and prior to the operative date of the statute adding this subdivision at the 2001 portion of the 2001-02 Regular Session of the Legislature that has not registered with the department by the operative date of the statute, shall register with the department within 15 days of that operative date. (2) The subject date for employers who register with the department under the provisions of paragraph (1) shall be December 21, 2000, or the date that employer first hired an employee, whichever is later. 1087. Any officer or employee of the Sales and Use Tax Division of the Board of Equalization who is authorized to accept an application for a seller's permit under Section 6066 of the Revenue and Taxation Code or authorized to register a retailer under Section 6226 of the Revenue and Taxation Code is a duly authorized agent of the Employment Development Department for purposes of accepting registration of employers as required in this part. The department shall reimburse the Board of Equalization for any additional costs incurred by reason of services by any of its officers or employees to the department pursuant to this section. 1088. (a) (1) Each employer shall file with the director within the time required by subdivision (a) or (d) of Section 1110 for payment of employer contributions, a report of contributions, a quarterly return, and a report of wages paid to his or her workers in the form and containing any information as the director prescribes. An electronic funds transfer of contributions pursuant to subdivision (f) of Section 1110 shall satisfy the requirement for a report of contributions. The quarterly return shall include the total amount of wages, employer contributions required under Sections 976 and 976.6, worker contributions required under Section 984, the amounts required to be withheld under Section 13020, or withheld under Section 13028, and any other information as the director shall prescribe. The report of wages shall include individual amounts required to be withheld under Section 13020 or withheld under Section 13028. (2) (A) In order to enhance efforts to reduce tax fraud and to reduce the personal income tax reporting burden, effective January 1, 1997, the report of wages shall also include the full first name of the employee and total wages, as defined in Section 13009, paid to each employee. This paragraph shall apply to reports of wages for all periods ending on or before December 31, 1999. (B) For all periods beginning on or after January 1, 2000, the report of wages shall also include total wages subject to personal income tax, as defined in Section 13009.5, paid to each employee. (b) Each employer shall file with the director within the time required by subdivision (b) or (d) of Section 1110 for payment of worker contributions, a report of contributions containing the employer's business name, address, and account number, the total amount of worker contributions due, and any other information as the director shall prescribe. The director shall prescribe the form for the report of contributions. An electronic funds transfer of contributions pursuant to subdivision (f) of Section 1110 shall satisfy the requirement for a report of contributions. (c) In addition to the report of contributions, quarterly return, and report of wages required by employers under subdivision (a), an individual who has elected coverage under subdivision (a) of Section 708 is also required to file a separate report of contributions, and quarterly return, subject to Part 2 (commencing with Section 2601). (d) Any employer making an election under subdivision (d) of Section 1110 shall submit the report of wages described in subdivision (a), within the time required for submitting employer contributions under subdivision (a) of Section 1110. (e) (1) In addition to the report of contributions, quarterly return, and report of wages described in subdivision (a), each employer shall file with the director an annual reconciliation return showing the total amount of wages, employer contributions required under Sections 976 and 976.6, worker contributions required under Section 984, the amounts required to be withheld under Section 13020 or withheld under Section 13028, and any other information as the director shall prescribe. This annual reconciliation return shall be due on the first day of January following the close of the prior calendar year and shall become delinquent if not filed on or before the last day of that month. (2) This subdivision shall not apply to individuals electing coverage under Section 708 or 708.5 or employers electing financing under Section 821. (3) The requirement to file the annual reconciliation return for the prior calendar year under this subdivision shall not apply to the 2012 calendar year and thereafter. (f) For purposes of making a report of wages under subdivision (a), employers who are required under Section 6011 of the Internal Revenue Code and authorized regulations thereunder to file magnetic media returns, shall, within 90 days of becoming subject to this requirement, do one of the following: (1) Submit a magnetic media format to the department for approval, and upon receiving approval from the department, submit any subsequent reports of wages on magnetic media. (2) Establish to the satisfaction of the director that there is a lack of automation, a severe economic hardship, a current exemption from submitting magnetic media information returns for federal purposes, or other good cause for not complying with the provisions of this subdivision. Approved waivers shall be valid for six months or longer, at the discretion of the director. (g) The Franchise Tax Board shall be allowed access to the information filed with the department pursuant to this section. (h) The requirement in subdivision (a) to file a quarterly return shall begin with the first calendar quarter of the 2011 calendar year. 1088.5. (a) In addition to information reported in accordance with Section 1088, effective July 1, 1998, each employer shall file, with the department, the information provided for in subdivision (b) on new employees. (b) Each employer shall report the hiring of any employee who works in this state and to whom the employer anticipates paying wages. (c) (1) This section shall not apply to any department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States. (2) State agency employers shall not be required to report employees performing intelligence or counterintelligence functions, if the head of the agency has determined that reporting pursuant to this section would endanger the safety of the employee or compromise an ongoing investigation or intelligence mission. (d) (1) Employers shall submit a report as described in paragraph (4) within 20 days of hiring any employee whom the employer is required to report pursuant to this section. (2) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), employers transmitting reports magnetically or electronically shall submit the report by two monthly transmissions not less than 12 days no more than 16 days apart. (3) For purposes of this section, an employer that has employees in two or more states and that transmits reports magnetically or electronically may designate one state in which the employer has employees to which the employer will transmit the report described in paragraph (4). Any employer that transmits reports pursuant to this paragraph shall notify the Secretary of Health and Human Services in writing as to which state the employer designates for the purpose of sending reports. (4) The report shall contain the following: (A) The name, address, and social security number of the employees. (B) The employer's name, address, state employer identification number (if one has been issued), and identifying number assigned to the employer under Section 6109 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. (C) The first date the employee worked. (5) Employers may report pursuant to this section by submitting a copy of the employee's W-4 form, a form provided by the department, or any other hiring document transmitted by first-class mail, magnetically, or electronically. (e) For each failure to report the hiring of an employee, as required and within the time required by this section, unless the failure is due to good cause, the department may assess a penalty of twenty-four dollars ($24), or four hundred ninety dollars ($490) if the failure is the result of conspiracy between the employer and employee not to supply the required report or to supply a false or incomplete report. (f) Information collected pursuant to this section may be used for the following purposes: (1) Administration of this code. (2) Locating individuals for purposes of establishing paternity and establishing, modifying, and enforcing child support obligations. (3) Administration of employment security and workers' compensation programs. (4) Providing employer or employee information to the Franchise Tax Board for the purpose of tax enforcement. (5) Verification of eligibility of applicants for, or recipients of, the public assistance programs listed in Section 1320b-7(b) of Title 42 of the United States Code. (g) For purposes of this section, "employer" includes a labor union hiring hall. (h) This section shall become operative on July 1, 1998. 1088.6. Each employer, pursuant to authorized regulations, shall furnish a written statement to the worker showing the excess of the worker contributions required with respect to wages included in Section 927 and subdivision (n) of Section 13009 over the worker contributions withheld pursuant to Sections 984 and 13020, and shall file a copy of this statement with the director. If the employer fails to furnish the statement, as required by this section and authorized regulations, he or she shall be liable for the excess of the worker contributions. 1088.8. (a) Effective January 1, 2001, any service-recipient, as defined in subdivision (b), who makes or is required to make a return to the Internal Revenue Service, in accordance with subdivision (a) of Section 6041A of the Internal Revenue Code (relating to payments made to a service-provider as compensation for services) shall file with the department information as required under subdivision (c). (b) For purposes of this section: (1) "Service-recipient" means any individual, person, corporation, association, or partnership, or agent thereof, doing business in this state, deriving trade or business income from sources within this state, or in any manner in the course of a trade or business subject to the laws of this state. "Service-recipient" also includes the State of California or any political subdivision thereof, including the Regents of the University of California, any charter city, or any political body not a subdivision or agency of the state, and any person, employee, department, or agent thereof. (2) "Service-provider" means an individual who is not an employee of the service-recipient for California purposes and who received compensation or executes a contract for services performed for that service-recipient within or without the state. (c) Each service-recipient shall report all of the following information to the department, within 20 days of the earlier of first making payments that in the aggregate equal or exceed six hundred dollars ($600) in any year to a service-provider, or entering into a contract or contracts with a service-provider providing for payments that in the aggregate equal or exceed six hundred dollars ($600) in any year: (1) The full name, address, and social security number of the service-provider. (2) The service-recipient's name, business name, address, and telephone number. (3) The service-recipient's federal employer identification number, California state employer account number, social security number, or other identifying number as required by the Employment Development Department in consultation with the Franchise Tax Board. (4) The date the contract is executed, or if no contract, the date payments in the aggregate first equal or exceed six hundred dollars ($600). (5) The total dollar amount of the contract, if any, and the contract expiration date. (d) The department shall retain information collected pursuant to this section until November 1 following the tax year in which the contract is executed, or if no contract, the tax year in which the aggregate payments first equal or exceed six hundred dollars ($600). (e) For each failure to fully comply with subdivision (c), unless the failure is due to good cause, the department may assess a penalty of twenty-four dollars ($24), or four hundred ninety dollars ($490) if the failure is the result of conspiracy between the service recipient and service provider not to supply the required report or to supply a false or incomplete report. (f) Information obtained by the department pursuant to this section may be released only for purposes of establishing, modifying, or enforcing child support obligations under Section 17400 of the Family Code and for child support collection purposes authorized under Article 5 (commencing with Section 19271) of Chapter 5 of Part 10.2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, or to the Franchise Tax Board for tax enforcement purposes or for the administration of this code. (g) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2001. 1089. Each employer shall post and maintain in places readily accessible to individuals in his service such printed statements concerning benefit rights and other matters as may be prescribed by authorized regulations. Each employer shall, pursuant to authorized regulations, supply each individual at the time he becomes unemployed with copies of printed statements or materials relating to claims for benefits. Each employer shall immediately notify each employee of any change in his relationship with said employer. Failure to comply with this section by an employer shall constitute a misdemeanor. Such printed statements shall be supplied by the director to each employer without cost to him. 1090. (a) Every assignee, receiver, trustee in bankruptcy, or other representative of an insolvent employing unit, and every administrator or executor of the estate of a deceased employing unit, shall within 30 days after assuming office send notice in writing of the name and address of the employing unit, his own name and address, and such other information as may be required by the director. (b) Within four months after the mailing of the notice required of every administrator or executor of the estate of a deceased employing unit under subdivision (a), the director shall file or present his claim for contributions, penalty, and interest based upon wages paid by the employing unit during his lifetime. The administrator or executor of the estate of a deceased employing unit shall succeed to all the rights and obligations of the deceased employing unit under this division. 1092. Every employing unit shall furnish to the director, administrative law judge, or deputy, upon demand, a sworn statement of the matters contained in the records required by Section 1085. If such records are kept pursuant to contract with a financial institution as defined in Section 7465 of the Government Code, the employing unit shall also furnish to the director or the director's authorized representative an authorization for disclosure of such account or accounts. The authorization for disclosure shall be that provided for in Section 7473 of the Government Code. Such records shall be open to inspection and shall be subject to being copied by the director or his authorized representative at any time during the business hours of the employing unit. Any claimant or his authorized representative at a hearing before a deputy or administrative law judge or the appeals board shall be supplied with information from such records to the extent necessary for the proper presentation of his claim. 1093. In the event any employer shall fail to keep and furnish to the director, upon notice, any required records or reports necessary for a full determination, decision on appeal, or other proper disposition of any claim for benefits in any proceeding under this division, within such reasonable time as the director may by rule, regulation, or procedure prescribe, it shall be conclusively presumed that the claimant is entitled to the maximum total amount of benefits payable under this division unless it is established by other evidence which the director deems sufficient that a lesser total amount of benefits is properly due and owing to the claimant. If so established by other evidence upon default of the employer, after notice, such lesser total amount of benefits thus determined shall be conclusive. In all cases in which such presumptions shall apply, if the claimant has earned wages in employment for more than one employer during his base period, the accounts of the employer or employers who have properly kept and furnished the required records or reports shall not be charged with benefits in an amount exceeding that which such accounts would have been charged had the claimant been entitled only to benefits determined by the total of the wages earned and the number of calendar quarters worked for them and all benefits paid in excess thereof shall be charged solely against the accounts of the employer or employers who have failed to keep or furnish the required records or reports. 1094. (a) Except as otherwise specifically provided in this code, the information obtained in the administration of this code is confidential, not open to the public, and shall be for the exclusive use and information of the director in discharge of his or her duties. (b) The information released to authorized entities pursuant to other provisions of the code shall not be admissible in evidence in any action or special proceeding, other than one arising out of the provisions of this code or one described in Section 1095. (c) The information may be tabulated and published in statistical form for use by federal, state, and local governmental departments and agencies, and the public, except that the name of the employing unit or of any worker shall never be divulged in the course of the tabulation or publication. (d) Wages as defined by Section 13009 and amounts required to be deducted and withheld under Section 13020 shall not be disclosed except as provided in Article 2 (commencing with Section 19542) of Chapter 7 of Part 10.2 of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code. (e) Any employee or his or her representative may receive his or her wage information upon written request by the employee. The information shall be provided without charge. (f) Any person who knowingly accesses, uses, or discloses any confidential information without authorization is in violation of this section and is guilty of a misdemeanor. 1095. The director shall permit the use of any information in his or her possession to the extent necessary for any of the following purposes and may require reimbursement for all direct costs incurred in providing any and all information specified in this section, except information specified in subdivisions (a) to (e), inclusive: (a) To enable the director or his or her representative to carry out his or her responsibilities under this code. (b) To properly present a claim for benefits. (c) To acquaint a worker or his or her authorized agent with his or her existing or prospective right to benefits. (d) To furnish an employer or his or her authorized agent with information to enable him or her to fully discharge his or her obligations or safeguard his or her rights under this division or Division 3 (commencing with Section 9000). (e) To enable an employer to receive a reduction in contribution rate. (f) To enable federal, state, or local government departments or agencies, subject to federal law, to verify or determine the eligibility or entitlement of an applicant for, or a recipient of, public social services provided pursuant to Division 9 (commencing with Section 10000) of the Welfare and Institutions Code, or Part A of Title IV of the Social Security Act, where the verification or determination is directly connected with, and limited to, the administration of public social services. (g) To enable county administrators of general relief or assistance, or their representatives, to determine entitlement to locally provided general relief or assistance, where the determination is directly connected with, and limited to, the administration of general relief or assistance. (h) To enable state or local governmental departments or agencies to seek criminal, civil, or administrative remedies in connection with the unlawful application for, or receipt of, relief provided under Division 9 (commencing with Section 10000) of the Welfare and Institutions Code or to enable the collection of expenditures for medical assistance services pursuant to Part 5 (commencing with Section 17000) of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. (i) To provide any law enforcement agency with the name, address, telephone number, birth date, social security number, physical description, and names and addresses of present and past employers, of any victim, suspect, missing person, potential witness, or person for whom a felony arrest warrant has been issued, when a request for this information is made by any investigator or peace officer as defined by Sections 830.1 and 830.2 of the Penal Code, or by any federal law enforcement officer to whom the Attorney General has delegated authority to enforce federal search warrants, as defined under Sections 60.2 and 60.3 of Title 28 of the Code of Federal Regulations, as amended, and when the requesting officer has been designated by the head of the law enforcement agency and requests this information in the course of and as a part of an investigation into the commission of a crime when there is a reasonable suspicion that the crime is a felony and that the information would lead to relevant evidence. The information provided pursuant to this subdivision shall be provided to the extent permitted by federal law and regulations, and to the extent the information is available and accessible within the constraints and configurations of existing department records. Any person who receives any information under this subdivision shall make a written report of the information to the law enforcement agency that employs him or her, for filing under the normal procedures of that agency. (1) This subdivision shall not be construed to authorize the release to any law enforcement agency of a general list identifying individuals applying for or receiving benefits. (2) The department shall maintain records pursuant to this subdivision only for periods required under regulations or statutes enacted for the administration of its programs. (3) This subdivision shall not be construed as limiting the information provided to law enforcement agencies to that pertaining only to applicants for, or recipients of, benefits. (4) The department shall notify all applicants for benefits that release of confidential information from their records will not be protected should there be a felony arrest warrant issued against the applicant or in the event of an investigation by a law enforcement agency into the commission of a felony. (j) To provide public employee retirement systems in California with information relating to the earnings of any person who has applied for or is receiving a disability income, disability allowance, or disability retirement allowance, from a public employee retirement system. The earnings information shall be released only upon written request from the governing board specifying that the person has applied for or is receiving a disability allowance or disability retirement allowance from its retirement system. The request may be made by the chief executive officer of the system or by an employee of the system so authorized and identified by name and title by the chief executive officer in writing. (k) To enable the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement in the Department of Industrial Relations to seek criminal, civil, or administrative remedies in connection with the failure to pay, or the unlawful payment of, wages pursuant to Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 200) of Part 1 of Division 2 of, and Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 1720) of Part 7 of Division 2 of, the Labor Code. (l) To enable federal, state, or local governmental departments or agencies to administer child support enforcement programs under Title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 651 et seq.). (m) To provide federal, state, or local governmental departments or agencies with wage and claim information in its possession that will assist those departments and agencies in the administration of the Victims of Crime Program or in the location of victims of crime who, by state mandate or court order, are entitled to restitution that has been or can be recovered. (n) To provide federal, state, or local governmental departments or agencies with information concerning any individuals who are or have been: (1) Directed by state mandate or court order to pay restitution, fines, penalties, assessments, or fees as a result of a violation of law. (2) Delinquent or in default on guaranteed student loans or who owe repayment of funds received through other financial assistance programs administered by those agencies. The information released by the director for the purposes of this paragraph shall not include unemployment insurance benefit information. (o) To provide an authorized governmental agency with any or all relevant information that relates to any specific workers' compensation insurance fraud investigation. The information shall be provided to the extent permitted by federal law and regulations. For the purposes of this subdivision, "authorized governmental agency" means the district attorney of any county, the office of the Attorney General, the Department of Industrial Relations, and the Department of Insurance. An authorized governmental agency may disclose this information to the State Bar, the Medical Board of California, or any other licensing board or department whose licensee is the subject of a workers' compensation insurance fraud investigation. This subdivision shall not prevent any authorized governmental agency from reporting to any board or department the suspected misconduct of any licensee of that body. (p) To enable the Director of the Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education, or his or her representatives, to access unemployment insurance quarterly wage data on a case-by-case basis to verify information on school administrators, school staff, and students provided by those schools who are being investigated for possible violations of Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 94700) of Part 59 of the Education Code. (q) To provide employment tax information to the tax officials of Mexico, if a reciprocal agreement exists. For purposes of this subdivision, "reciprocal agreement" means a formal agreement to exchange information between national taxing officials of Mexico and taxing authorities of the State Board of Equalization, the Franchise Tax Board, and the Employment Development Department. Furthermore, the reciprocal agreement shall be limited to the exchange of information that is essential for tax administration purposes only. Taxing authorities of the State of California shall be granted tax information only on California residents. Taxing authorities of Mexico shall be granted tax information only on Mexican nationals. (r) To enable city and county planning agencies to develop economic forecasts for planning purposes. The information shall be limited to businesses within the jurisdiction of the city or county whose planning agency is requesting the information, and shall not include information regarding individual employees. (s) To provide the State Department of Developmental Services with wage and employer information that will assist in the collection of moneys owed by the recipient, parent, or any other legally liable individual for services and supports provided pursuant to Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 4775) of Division 4.5 of, and Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 7200) and Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 7500) of Division 7 of, the Welfare and Institutions Code. (t) To provide the State Board of Equalization with employment tax information that will assist in the administration of tax programs. The information shall be limited to the exchange of employment tax information essential for tax administration purposes to the extent permitted by federal law and regulations. (u) Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize or permit the use of information obtained in the administration of this code by any private collection agency. (v) The disclosure of the name and address of an individual or business entity that was issued an assessment that included penalties under Section 1128 or 1128.1 shall not be in violation of Section 1094 if the assessment is final. The disclosure may also include any of the following: (1) The total amount of the assessment. (2) The amount of the penalty imposed under Section 1128 or 1128.1 that is included in the assessment. (3) The facts that resulted in the charging of the penalty under Section 1128 or 1128.1. (w) To enable the Contractors' State License Board to verify the employment history of an individual applying for licensure pursuant to Section 7068 of the Business and Professions Code. (x) To provide any peace officer with the Division of Investigation in the Department of Consumer Affairs information pursuant to subdivision (i) when the requesting peace officer has been designated by the Chief of the Division of Investigation and requests this information in the course of and as part of an investigation into the commission of a crime or other unlawful act when there is reasonable suspicion to believe that the crime or act may be connected to the information requested and would lead to relevant information regarding the crime or unlawful act. (y) To enable the Labor Commissioner of the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement in the Department of Industrial Relations to identify, pursuant to Section 90.3 of the Labor Code, unlawfully uninsured employers. The information shall be provided to the extent permitted by federal law and regulations. (z) To enable the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, in accordance with the requirements of Section 84754.5 of the Education Code, to obtain quarterly wage data, commencing January 1, 1993, on students who have attended one or more community colleges, to assess the impact of education on the employment and earnings of students, to conduct the annual evaluation of district-level and individual college performance in achieving priority educational outcomes, and to submit the required reports to the Legislature and the Governor. The information shall be provided to the extent permitted by federal statutes and regulations. (aa) To enable the Public Employees' Retirement System to seek criminal, civil, or administrative remedies in connection with the unlawful application for, or receipt of, benefits provided under Part 3 (commencing with Section 20000) of Division 5 of Title 2 of the Government Code. (ab) To enable the State Department of Education, the University of California, the California State University, and the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, pursuant to the requirements prescribed by the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5), to obtain quarterly wage data, commencing July 1, 2010, on students who have attended their respective systems to assess the impact of education on the employment and earnings of those students, to conduct the annual analysis of district-level and individual district or postsecondary education system performance in achieving priority educational outcomes, and to submit the required reports to the Legislature and the Governor. The information shall be provided to the extent permitted by federal statutes and regulations. 1096. Where a number of workers are normally employed in employment in the course of a year by several employers, such employers, with the approval of the director, may appoint an agent. The agent may maintain records and prepare and file returns and reports required under this division with respect to such workers, including returns and reports of wages paid to the workers, and may pay the employers' and workers' contributions levied under this division with respect to wages paid to such workers and perform such other acts on behalf of such employers as the director may authorize all in the same manner as though the agent were the employer of the workers. 1097. The manner of crediting to each employer the employment experience of the group of employers who have appointed an agent pursuant to Section 1096, for the purpose of any classification of employers made pursuant to this division for the determinations of future rates of employers' contributions, may be prescribed by authorized regulations. Employers who operate or do business in more than one place may, with the approval of the director, appoint a separate agent in each such place. 1098. Nothing contained in Sections 1096 or 1097 shall be construed to make the agent the employer of the workers, or relieve any employer of his obligations to comply with this division, except to the extent that his obligations are discharged by the agent.