DIRECTIVE	:	UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE PROGRAM LETTER NO. 14-97
TO	:	ALL STATE EMPLOYMENT SECURITY AGENCIES
FROM	:	DAVID L. HENSON Acting Director Unemployment Insurance Service
SUBJECT	:	National Conference for Unemployment Insurance Appeals Staff - A Cooperative Effort of the Unemployment Insurance Service and the National Association of Unemployment Insurance Appellate Boards

1. Purpose. To provide preliminary information on the second triennial joint conference for unemployment insurance appeals personnel. The Unemployment Insurance Service (UIS) is planning its national meeting for unemployment insurance appeals management and key administrative personnel in conjunction with the National Association of Unemployment Insurance Appellate Boards' (NAUIAB) Annual Conference. This conference, a cooperative effort of UIS and NAUIAB, will be held at Shangri La Conference Center near Tulsa, Oklahoma during the week beginning Sunday, June 15, 1997.

2. Participants. The agenda for the conference is being designed to provide forums for all of the key members of the unemployment insurance appellate process to exchange ideas and expertise with their counterparts from other States. The administrative supervisors and managers of the lower and higher authority appeals units do not often have an opportunity for a national discussion of their common concerns about dealing with appeals operational issues. UIS is attempting to provide that opportunity, at least, every three years. The agenda is also being designed for unemployment insurance appellate board and commission members, chief hearing officers and supervisors responsible for lower authority appellate adjudications, and the chief counsels and chief executive officers of the various higher authority boards and commissions.

3. Agenda. Current plans are for the conference to begin late Sunday afternoon, June 15, 1997 and end late Thursday afternoon, June 19, 1997. Tentative agenda topics include the following:

   GENERAL TOPICS

   1.  Service quality;

   2.  Coping with frustration and stress in the administrative adjudication process;

   3.  Ethics - Dealing with and reporting unethical conduct before, during, and after hearings on the part of attorneys; and ethical problems facing administrative staff;

   4.  Automation demonstrations;

   5.  Security and safety issues; and

   6.  Workshop on training, conducting workshops, panels, etc.

   MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE TOPICS

   1.  The changing roles of administrative and professional staff and other personnel issues;

   2.  Process analysis and new ideas for appeals unit operations and procedures;

   3.  Office equipment solutions to various problems;

   4.  Work flow and communication between higher authority and lower authority;

   5.  Ideas for saving hearing time;

   6.  Using management reports and data as tools in managing appellate operations;

   7.  Lower authority workload counting & quality evaluation;

   8.  Telecommuting/flexiplace & flexitime; and

   9.  Obtaining and using interpreters.

   LEGAL ISSUES/TOPICS

   1.  Establishing standards of and for telephone hearings;

   2.  Filing appeals by telephone;

   3.  Records that must be maintained and hearings that must be held when bias or ex parte communication is alleged;

   4.  Drug and drug testing issues;

   5.  Limits of good cause attributable to the employer;

   6.  Walking off the job and intent to quit and medical leave issues;

   7.  Separations under early retirement programs;

   8.  Enforcement of no smoking rules and no-fault attendance policies and misconduct;

   9.  Misconduct cases involving nursing homes and health care workers;

   10.  Decisions based exclusively on hearsay;

   11.  Americans with Disabilities Act and mental and emotional illness;

   12.  Labor standards - scope of labor market for different occupations;

   13.  Precedent value of related administrative/criminal proceedings; and

   14.  Waiver of overpayments - differing standards.

4. Meeting Particulars and Costs. Specific information about hotel accommodations, the final agenda, and related matters will be provided in an Unemployment Insurance Program Letter which will be published at a later date.

   Tentative lodging costs are $95.00 plus tax per night for single or double occupancy. There will be a conference fee of about $200 for each participant. The conference fee is needed to cover the costs of guest speakers' fees and expenses, lunches, two dinners, and various expenses for meeting logistics.

5. Action Required. SESA Administrators are requested to provide this information to the above-described SESA personnel and appellate board members and staff.

6. Inquiries. Direct inquiries to your Regional Office.