IOWA FACT FINDING INTERVIEW, Don’t make this mistake, MOST IMPORTANT
You and your employer will have a fact-finding interview with a representative from Iowa Workforce Development (IWD). Both you and your employer will get a “Notice of Unemployment Insurance Fact-Finding Interview.” This notice will tell you the date and time of the interview. It will also have the telephone number IWD will use to call you. Right now, “Fact Finding Interviews” are not being scheduled and “Notices of Unemployment Insurance Fact-Finding Interviews” are not being sent out unless you specifically request a scheduled fact-finding interview when IWD “cold calls” you.
Due to the high numbers of unemployment claims right now because of the pandemic, Iowa Workforce Development (IWD) has started a new process where a representative from IWD will “cold call” you on the phone at an unscheduled time and ask you questions about your claim at the time of the call. IWD will also “cold call” your employer to ask them to provide a statement as well.
If IWD tries to call you and can’t reach you, they may try a second time within 48 hours. If IWD calls you and gets your voice mail, they may leave a voice mail with callback information and give you a two-day deadline to return the call and provide your version of the facts related to your unemployment case.
If you answer the phone, the IWD representative will ask you questions about your unemployment case right then. The representative should tell you that you can still choose instead to have a scheduled “Fact Finding Interview” phone call at a set date and time in the future. This set date and time is a traditional “fact finding interview” (described in more detail below). You still have the right to choose this option. However, providing your statement and version of the facts to the IWD representative whenever they “cold call” you will likely result in faster processing of your claim.
A request for rehearing must be made within 20 days of the date of the EABs decision. An appeal to the Iowa District Court must be filed within either 30 days of the EABs decision, or within 30 days of the EAB denying your request for rehearing. If the EAB takes no action on a request for rehearing within 20 days of receiving it, the request for rehearing is considered to be denied.
Fact-finding interviews are usually concerned with the reasons for departure from previous employment; however, interviews may include questions about severance pay and whether you’re able to continue to work, a writer from Maine Equal Justice notes. According to 501(c) Agencies Trust, the reason for departure from previous employment will determine whom the department speaks to first, regardless of who is present in the interview.
Other reasons for quitting could include an unsafe work environment or mistreatment by your employer. Regardless of the claimant’s reason, they will have to provide proof to verify. If the claimant was discharged from their previous employment, then the employer will have to provide proof that the firing was because of the claimant’s negligence or intentional harm towards the employer or business.
When clarifying the circumstances surrounding a claimant quitting, the department questions the claimant first. When clarifying the circumstances surrounding a claimant’s discharge, the department questions the employer first. The interviewer will ask about hiring dates, last physical workday, termination date and other employment specifics. They will also inquire about your departure circumstances, such as who was involved, when and why it happened, and whether it could have been avoided.
When filing a claim for unemployment benefits, the state’s department may wish to clarify your claim with a fact-finding unemployment interview by issuing a UIA 1575 PUA form.
501(c) Agencies Trust writers strongly recommend participating in these interviews in-person if possible; however, a fact-finding questionnaire may be accepted in certain situations. Other states may conduct these interviews over the phone, interviewing an employer first, if necessary, then calling the claimant with follow-up questions, the team at Maine Equal Justice notes.
FAQ
What should I say in an unemployment interview?
Make sure that your answers are equally short and specific. If you are asked “What was the reason that the employer gave you for your termination?”, just answer that question. You don’t need to explain whether it’s fair, and whether you agree with that reason.
What is fact-finding in unemployment Iowa?
What is a fact-finding interview?
How long does it take to get a fact-finding interview?
