As they process unemployment benefits, the Louisiana Workforce Commission (LWC) asks that unemployed workers be sure to file for weekly benefits EVERY week that they are not working or their work hours have been reduced. It is important to remember if they don’t file weekly, they won’t get paid. To access the online application, click HERE.
If workers had technical issues with their username/password, please try again. Updates have been made to the system. If they are still having difficulty, please email HiRE@lwc.la.gov. Provide name, phone and last 4 of your SSN. LWC’s Call Center hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., 7 days a week.
As part of their efforts to help unemployed workers during the COVID-19 crisis, the LWC is also hosting a Facebook page to help connect job seekers with immediate jobs all across the state. To access the page, click HERE. If you are an employer or know of an employer who is currently hiring, please submit your information to hdaigrepont@lwc.la.gov.
Unemployed workers in Louisiana receive a maximum weekly benefit of up to $247. The addition of the federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) expands the weekly benefit amount to $847.
The additional federal benefit is to be paid only to “persons whose unemployment is directly due to the impact of COVID-19 or due to their inability to get to their job or work site because they are sick, isolated or quarantined, caring for a sick family member, or when an employees’ child’s school is closed as determined by the administrator of the state’s unemployment compensation program.”
Therefore, if an employee quits, and none of these COVID-19 criteria are operational in his or her case, employers should immediately inform the Louisiana Workforce Commission via its Form 77 – Separation Notice, linked HERE. Employers must note that the business is still open and the employee’s function is required. Employers must also note that, to their knowledge, there are no COVID-19 circumstances necessitating the individual’s decision to quit. Please note that this Separation Notice must be filed within 3 days of the date the employee leaves employment.