Section 815.1 - DefinitionsThe following words and terms, when used in this chapter, shall have the following meanings, unless the statute or context in which the word or phrase is used clearly indicates otherwise.
(1) Act--The Texas Unemployment Compensation Act, Texas Labor Code Annotated, Title 4, Subtitle A, as amended.(2) Additional claim--A notice of new unemployment filed at the beginning of a second or subsequent series of claims within a benefit year or within a period of eligibility when a break of one week or more has occurred in the claim series with intervening employment. The employer named on an additional claim will have 14 days from the date notice of the claim is mailed to reply to the notice. The additional claim reopens a claim series and is not a payable claim since it is not a claim for seven days of compensable unemployment.(3) Adequate notification--A notification of adverse facts, including any subsequent notification, affecting a claim for benefits, as provided in the Act, Chapter 208. (A) Notification to the Commission is adequate as long as the employer or its agent gives a reason, supported by facts, directly related to the allegation raised regarding the claimant's right to benefits.(B) The employer or its agent may demonstrate good cause for failing to provide adequate notice. Good cause is established solely by showing that the employer or its agent was prevented from providing adequate notification due to compelling circumstances beyond the control of the employer or its agent.(C) Examples of adequate notification of adverse facts include, but are not limited to, the following: (i) The claimant was discharged for misconduct connected with his work because he was fighting on the job in violation of written company policy.(ii) The claimant abandoned her job when she failed to contact her supervisor in violation of written company policy and previous warnings.(D) A notification is not adequate if it provides only a general conclusion without substantiating facts. A general statement that a worker has been discharged for misconduct connected with the work is inadequate. The allegation may be supported by a summary of the events, which may include facts documenting the specific reason for the worker's discharge, such as, but not limited to: (i) policies or procedures;(iii) performance reviews;(4) Agency--The unit of state government that is presided over by the Commission and under the direction of the executive director, which operates the integrated workforce development system and administers the unemployment compensation insurance program in this state as established under Texas Labor Code, Chapter 301. It may also be referred to as the Texas Workforce Commission.(5) Appeal--A submission by a party requesting the Agency or the Commission to review a determination or decision that is adverse to that party. The determination or decision must be appealable and pertain to entitlement to unemployment benefits; chargeback as provided in the Act, Chapter 204, Chapter 208, and Chapter 212; fraud as provided in the Act, Chapter 214; tax coverage or contributions or reimbursements. This definition does not grant rights to a party.(6) Base period with respect to an individual--The first four consecutive completed calendar quarters within the last five completed calendar quarters immediately preceding the first day of the individual's benefit year, or any other alternate base period as allowed by the Act.(7) Benefit period--The period of seven consecutive calendar days, ending at midnight on Saturday, with respect to which entitlement to benefits is claimed, measured, computed, or determined. (8) Benefit wage credits--Wages used to determine an individual's monetary eligibility for benefits. Benefit wage credits consist of those wages an individual received for employment from an employer during the individual's base period as well as any wages ordered to be paid to an individual by a final Commission order, pursuant to its authority under Texas Labor Code, Chapter 61. Benefit wage credits awarded by a final Commission order that were due to be paid to the individual by an employer during the individual's base period shall be credited to the quarter in which the wages were originally due to be paid.(9) Board--Local Workforce Development Board created pursuant to Texas Government Code § 2308.253 and certified by the Governor pursuant to Texas Government Code § 2308.261. This includes a Board when functioning as the Local Workforce Investment Board as described in the Workforce Investment Act §117 ( 29 U.S.C.A. § 2832 ), including those functions required of a Youth Council, as provided for under the Workforce Investment Act §117(i) (also referred to as an LWDB).(10) Commission--The three-member body of governance composed of Governor-appointed members in which there is one representative of labor, one representative of employers, and one representative of the public as established in Texas Labor Code § 301.002, which includes the three-member governing body acting under the Act, Chapter 212, Subchapter D, and in Agency hearings involving unemployment insurance issues regarding tax coverage, contributions or reimbursements.(11) Day--A calendar day.(12) Landman--An individual who is qualified to do field work in the purchasing of right-of-way and leases of mineral interests, record searches, and related real property title determinations, and who is primarily engaged in performing the field work.(13) Person--May include a corporation, organization, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, association, and any other legal entity. (14) Places accessible--Locations in which an employer shall provide required notices to an employee as provided in the Act, Chapter 208. This includes: (A) Notices providing general information about filing a claim for unemployment benefits shall be displayed in a manner reasonably calculated to be encountered by all employees; and (B) Upon separation from employment, an employer shall provide an employee individual notice of general information about filing a claim for unemployment benefits as set out in the printed notice referenced in §208.001(b) of the Act. As the notice is provided directly to the individual, the employer has significant flexibility in how this information may be made known. Such information may be provided: (i) in a paper format, including by mail or with separation paperwork; (iv) by other means reasonably calculated to ensure the individual receives the required notification.(15) Reopened claim--The first claim filed following a break in claim series during a benefit year which was caused by other than intervening employment, i.e., illness, disqualification, unavailability, or failure to report for any reason other than job attachment. The reopened claim reopens a claim series and is not a payable claim since it is not a claim for seven days of compensable unemployment.(16) Week--A period of seven consecutive calendar days ending at midnight on Saturday.40 Tex. Admin. Code § 815.1
The provisions of this §815.1 adopted to be effective November 6, 2000, 25 TexReg 11093; amended to be effective September 20, 2010, 35 TexReg 8504; amended to be effective June 30, 2014, 39 TexReg 4965; Amended by Texas Register, Volume 45, Number 19, May 8, 2020, TexReg 2953, eff. 4/28/2020 and expired 8/25/2020; Amended by Texas Register, Volume 45, Number 34, August 21, 2020, TexReg 5715, eff. 4/28/2020and expired 10/24/2020; Amended by Texas Register, Volume 45, Number 41, October 9, 2020, TexReg 7277, eff. 10/12/2020