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Show Temporary Tax' should be eliminated BOUNTIFUL Congress should not be allowed to continue using a "temporary tax" levied against employers, especially if it doesn't benefit those paying it, Davis County business leaders have been told. A portion of the Federal Unemployment Unem-ployment Tax Act that includes unemployment un-employment insurance taxes paid by employers could be used by Congress to "pay off outstanding bills" such as those under the federal fed-eral deficit, said Peter Dietz, who is supervisor of rerorts and account country, with similar groups formed on a state and national level. "This 'temporary tax' was first enacted in 1976," Mr. Dietz said. "Job Services are not affected. Our funding has been going down. There is plenty of money (in the unemployment insurance program)," prog-ram)," he emphasized. Responding to questions, he noted changes in paying of unemployment unem-ployment benefits enacted in 1985. Rates paid by employers are now more dependent on the amount of make those workers ineligible, however, he continued. The example was given of a firm knowing work would be seasonal. Unemployment insurance could be set up to assist those hurt by layoffs through no fault of their own. In response to another question, Mr. Dietz said employers should not keep employees on the payroll they determine aren't qualified to perform the work required. If an employee claims he-she can type 100 words a minute but can only do 20, that would be considered deception. de-ception. Under new guidelines, employers can't afford to keep employees if the employees can't do the job. If they can't work out in two or three weeks, you only have to pay maybe one-twelfth the benefit costs if an employee is retained for more time. Further information about the FUTA program is available by calling call-ing Clearfield Job Service at 773-8380. unemployment from each firm re- 1 quiring payment of unemployment insurance benefits. If an employer is justified in laying a person off then there should be no problems arising from a former employee insisting he was mistreated and wants benefits he may not be entitled to, Mr. Dietz said. "If a person is consistently late, for example, make sure you keep complete records, and have the employee sign them. By the same token, you need to be consistent in your policy," he continued, noting leniency for one can't be allowed vs. "hard line" for another. If an employee "voluntarily left to take another job" and the ex-employee ex-employee was laid off from that new job after a month, he'd be eligible eli-gible for benefits but not from your funds as long as records were kept and you (employer) responded to requests for information-verification information-verification from Job Service, Mr. Dietz said. Seasonal Workers aren't disqualified disqual-ified from receiving unemployment unemploy-ment benefits if sufficient money has been earned, he emphasized. Some have sought legislation to service with Utah Job Service in Salt Lake City. He addressed the quarterly Davis County Employment Job Service Committee meeting recently re-cently held at the Red Flame Restaurant. Res-taurant. A "temporary" two-tenths of one percent FUTA tax implemented im-plemented to build cash reserves to help cover unemployment insurance insur-ance benefits was to have been eliminated eli-minated in 1987 but has been extended ex-tended until 1990, Mr. Dietz said. Those funds don't benefit Utah Job Service, only the federal coffers, cof-fers, he told those assembled. He urged those heading up the local Job Service Committee to make their feelings known to their national na-tional counterparts so action can be taken to eliminate the tax. He said such funds could be allocated allo-cated to help pay off the federal deficit, could go into the general fund "to make the deficit look smaller." Those monies should go for, unemployment insurance-related insurance-related programs or for something benefiting the employers who've ., contributed, he continued. 0"The National Employment Job ervice Committee is your watchdog. watch-dog. They should watch items such as this very carefully," said Jack Bailey, Clearfield Job Service manager. Fran Meyer of Albertson's Albert-son's Distribution Center in North Salt Lake is the local committee chairperson. The group includes 1 1 members drawn from large and small businesses from across the |