The Connecticut UC-61 separation notice is the unemployment notice an employer must give to every departing worker at the time employment ends, so the person has what they need to file an unemployment insurance claim with the state Department of Labor. It goes to everyone who leaves, regardless of reason — layoff, discharge, resignation, or anything else.1Connecticut State Library. Unemployment Notice, Form UC-61
One thing to sort out first. The Connecticut Department of Labor now distributes the notice inside a larger separation packet called Form UC-21A, where the unemployment notice appears as Section E.2Connecticut Department of Labor. UC-21A – Separation Packet If your HR materials still say “UC-61,” the obligation is unchanged: hand the complete packet to the worker when they separate. The packet also carries claims-filing instructions and contact information for the Department of Labor.
When You Have to Provide It
Give the packet at the time of separation. Not a week later, not by mail if it can be avoided. This is true whether the person is being laid off in a reduction in force, being fired for cause, or walking out on their own. The Department of Labor’s guidance to employers preparing for layoffs treats the separation packet as a standard piece of the off-boarding process.3Connecticut Department of Labor. How Can I Help Laid Off Workers Apply for Unemployment Insurance?
Keep a copy for your files. If eligibility for benefits ends up disputed, what you wrote on the separation notice becomes part of the record the agency reviews.
What to Fill In
The packet asks for straightforward identifying and employment information. Exact layout depends on which version you have, but plan to provide:
- Employer identification: business name, address, Connecticut employer account number (EAN), and Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN).
- Employee identification: full name and Social Security number.
- Employment dates: start date and last day of work.
- Reason for separation: laid off, discharged, quit, or other. Be specific. Vague entries like “no longer needed” invite follow-up from the Department of Labor.
- Wage information: recent earnings, which the agency uses to calculate potential benefit amounts.
- Return-to-work date: if the layoff is temporary and you expect to recall the worker, put in the anticipated date.
The reason for separation and the last day worked are the fields that most directly shape how the agency evaluates the claim. Incomplete or careless entries can delay processing and trigger inquiries you’d rather not field.
What Happens After the Worker Files
Once a former employee files a claim, the Department of Labor contacts you to verify the details. Connecticut employers respond through SIDES, the State Information Data Exchange System, which handles electronic communication with the agency.3Connecticut Department of Labor. How Can I Help Laid Off Workers Apply for Unemployment Insurance? If you miss the response window, the agency decides on the information it has, which may be only the claimant’s account.
Make sure your SIDES response matches the separation notice. Inconsistencies between the two are exactly what draws additional scrutiny and stretches out the resolution.
Who Has to Provide It
Every Connecticut employer with covered employees has this obligation, including nonprofits. A 501(c)(3) organization is exempt from federal unemployment tax,4Internal Revenue Service. Section 501(c)(3) Organizations – FUTA Exemption and at the state level can choose between paying contributions or electing reimbursable status.5Connecticut Department of Labor. Other Conditions of Liability Either way, the nonprofit still registers with the Department of Labor and still gives separating employees the packet.
An employer becomes liable for Connecticut unemployment contributions under Section 31-223 once it pays $1,500 or more in wages in any calendar quarter of the current or preceding year, or employs at least one person for part of a day in each of 20 different weeks (not necessarily consecutive) in the current or preceding year. A business that acquires substantially all of another employer’s assets or operations is immediately subject to the unemployment compensation law as a successor.6Justia Law. Connecticut Code Title 31 Chapter 567 Section 31-223
Registration itself happens online through the ReEmployCT portal at reemploycttax.dol.ct.gov, where new employers select “Apply Here” under the New Employer section.7Connecticut Department of Labor. Welcome to ReEmployCT, Connecticut’s Tax and Wage Reporting You’ll need your EAN on every separation packet you complete, so registering before you have anyone to off-board is the practical move.
The EAN Format You’ll Write on the Form
Once registered, you receive an employer account number. In ReEmployCT it appears in two forms: an eight-digit version, which is the original EAN with a single trailing zero (XX-XXXXX-X), and a ten-digit version with three trailing zeros (XX-XXXXX-X-XX) used for most transactions.8Connecticut Department of Labor. ReEmployCT for Employers Overview
What Skipping the Notice Costs You
The direct penalty risk sits alongside your other unemployment obligations. Connecticut charges 1% per month in interest on unpaid unemployment taxes, and failing to register, failing to file quarterly reports, or failing to provide separation packets can each trigger administrative penalties.9Connecticut Department of Labor. Statutory Fees Interest Penalties and Fines
The practical cost matters at least as much. If a former employee files a claim and the Department of Labor has no record of you providing the notice, your later account of the separation carries less weight. Employers who register, pay on time, and hand every departing worker a completed packet have a much easier time when claims arrive.