Miss. Code Ann. § 71-5-11 (2026)

As used in this chapter, unless the context clearly requires otherwise:

• A. "Base period" means the first four (4) of the last five (5) completed calendar quarters immediately preceding the first day of an individual's benefit year.

• B. "Benefit year" with respect to any individual means the period beginning with the first day of the first week with respect to which he or she first files a valid claim for benefits, and ending with the day preceding the same day of the same month in the next calendar year; and, thereafter, the period beginning with the first day of the first week with respect to which he or she next files his or her valid claim for benefits, and ending with the day preceding the same day of the same month in the next calendar year. Any claim for benefits made in accordance with Section 71-5-515 shall be deemed to be a "valid claim" for purposes of this subsection if the individual has been paid the wages for insured work required under Section 71-5-511(e).

• C. "Contributions" means the money payments to the State Unemployment Compensation Fund required by this chapter.

• D. "Calendar quarter" means the period of three (3) consecutive calendar months ending on March 31, June 30, September 30, or December 31.

• E. "Department" or "commission" means the Mississippi Department of Employment Security, Office of the Governor.

• F. "Executive director" means the Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Employment Security, Office of the Governor, appointed under Section 71-5-107.

• G. "Employing unit" means this state or another state or any instrumentalities or any political subdivisions thereof or any of their instrumentalities or any instrumentality of more than one (1) of the foregoing or any instrumentality of any of the foregoing and one or more other states or political subdivisions, any Indian tribe as defined in Section 3306(u) of the Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA), which includes any subdivision, subsidiary or business enterprise wholly owned by such Indian tribe, any individual or type of organization, including any partnership, association, trust, estate, joint-stock company, insurance company, or corporation, whether domestic or foreign, or the receiver, trustee in bankruptcy, trustee or successor thereof, or the legal representative of a deceased person, which has or had in its employ one or more individuals performing services for it within this state. All individuals performing services within this state for any employing unit which maintains two (2) or more separate establishments within this state shall be deemed to be employed by a single employing unit for all the purposes of this chapter. Each individual employed to perform or to assist in performing the work of any agent or employee of an employing unit shall be deemed to be employed by such employing unit for all purposes of this chapter, whether such individual was hired or paid directly by such employing unit or by such agent or employee, provided the employing unit had actual or constructive knowledge of the work. All individuals performing services in the employ of an elected fee-paid county official, other than those related by blood or marriage within the third degree computed by the rule of the civil law to such fee-paid county official, shall be deemed to be employed by such county as the employing unit for all the purposes of this chapter. For purposes of defining an "employing unit" which shall pay contributions on remuneration paid to individuals, if two (2) or more related corporations concurrently employ the same individual and compensate such individual through a common paymaster which is one (1) of such corporations, then each such corporation shall be considered to have paid as remuneration to such individual only the amounts actually disbursed by it to such individual and shall not be considered to have paid as remuneration to such individual such amounts actually disbursed to such individual by another of such corporations.

• H. "Employer" means:
  • (1) Any employing unit which,
    • (a) In any calendar quarter in either the current or preceding calendar year paid for service in employment wages of One Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($1,500.00) or more, except as provided in paragraph (9) of this subsection, or
    • (b) For some portion of a day in each of twenty (20) different calendar weeks, whether or not such weeks were consecutive, in either the current or the preceding calendar year had in employment at least one (1) individual (irrespective of whether the same individual was in employment in each such day), except as provided in paragraph (9) of this subsection;
  • (2) Any employing unit for which service in employment, as defined in subsection I(3) of this section, is performed;
  • (3) Any employing unit for which service in employment, as defined in subsection I(4) of this section, is performed;
  • (4)
    • (a) Any employing unit for which agricultural labor, as defined in subsection I(6) of this section, is performed;
    • (b) Any employing unit for which domestic service in employment, as defined in subsection I(7) of this section, is performed;
  • (5) Any individual or employing unit which acquired the organization, trade, business, or substantially all the assets thereof, of another which at the time of such acquisition was an employer subject to this chapter;
  • (6) Any individual or employing unit which acquired its organization, trade, business, or substantially all the assets thereof, from another employing unit, if the employment record of the acquiring individual or employing unit subsequent to such acquisition, together with the employment record of the acquired organization, trade, or business prior to such acquisition, both within the same calendar year, would be sufficient to constitute an employing unit as an employer subject to this chapter under paragraph (1) or (3) of this subsection;
  • (7) Any employing unit which, having become an employer under paragraph (1), (3), (5) or (6) of this subsection or under any other provisions of this chapter, has not, under Section 71-5-361, ceased to be an employer subject to this chapter;
  • (8) For the effective period of its election pursuant to Section 71-5-361(3), any other employing unit which has elected to become subject to this chapter;
  • (9)
    • (a) In determining whether or not an employing unit for which service other than domestic service is also performed is an employer under paragraph (1) or (4)(a) of this subsection, the wages earned or the employment of an employee performing domestic service, shall not be taken into account;
    • (b) In determining whether or not an employing unit for which service other than agricultural labor is also performed is an employer under paragraph (1) or (4)(b) of this subsection, the wages earned or the employment of an employee performing services in agricultural labor, shall not be taken into account. If an employing unit is determined an employer of agricultural labor, such employing unit shall be determined an employer for purposes of paragraph (1) of this subsection;
  • (10) All entities utilizing the services of any employee leasing firm shall be considered the employer of the individuals leased from the employee leasing firm. Temporary help firms shall be considered the employer of the individuals they provide to perform services for other individuals or organizations.

• I. "Employment" means and includes:
  • (1) Any service performed, which was employment as defined in this section and, subject to the other provisions of this subsection, including service in interstate commerce, performed for wages or under any contract of hire, written or oral, express or implied.
  • (2) Services performed for remuneration for a principal:
    • (a) As an agent-driver or commission-driver engaged in distributing meat products, vegetable products, fruit products, bakery products, beverages (other than milk), or laundry or dry-cleaning services;
    • (b) As a traveling or city salesman, other than as an agent-driver or commission-driver, engaged upon a full-time basis in the solicitation on behalf of, and the transmission to, a principal (except for sideline sales activities on behalf of some other person) of orders from wholesalers, retailers, contractors, or operator of hotels, restaurants, or other similar establishments for merchandise for resale or supplies for use in their business operations.

      However, for purposes of this subsection, the term "employment" shall include services described in paragraphs (2)(a) and (b) of this subsection, only if:

      • (i) The contract of service contemplates that substantially all of the services are to be performed personally by such individual;
      • (ii) The individual does not have a substantial investment in facilities used in connection with the performance of the services (other than in facilities for transportation); and
      • (iii) The services are not in the nature of a single transaction that is not part of a continuing relationship with the person for whom the services are performed.
  • (3) Service performed in the employ of this state or any of its instrumentalities or any political subdivision thereof or any of its instrumentalities or any instrumentality of more than one (1) of the foregoing or any instrumentality of any of the foregoing and one or more other states or political subdivisions or any Indian tribe as defined in Section 3306(u) of the Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA), which includes any subdivision, subsidiary or business enterprise wholly owned by such Indian tribe; however, such service is excluded from "employment" as defined in the Federal Unemployment Tax Act by Section 3306(c)(7) of that act and is not excluded from "employment" under paragraph (5) of this subsection.
  • (4)
    • (a) Services performed in the employ of a religious, charitable, educational, or other organization, but only if the service is excluded from "employment" as defined in the Federal Unemployment Tax Act, 26 USCS Section 3306(c)(8), and
    • (b) The organization had four (4) or more individuals in employment for some portion of a day in each of twenty (20) different weeks, whether or not such weeks were consecutive, within the current or preceding calendar year, regardless of whether they were employed at the same moment of time.
  • (5) For the purposes of paragraphs (3) and (4) of this subsection, the term "employment" does not apply to service performed:
    • (a) In the employ of:
      • (i) A church or convention or association of churches; or
      • (ii) An organization which is operated primarily for religious purposes and which is operated, supervised, controlled, or principally supported by a church or convention or association of churches; or
    • (b) By a duly ordained, commissioned, or licensed minister of a church in the exercise of his or her ministry, or by a member of a religious order in the exercise of duties required by such order; or
    • (c) In the employ of a governmental entity referred to in paragraph (3) of this subsection, if such service is performed by an individual in the exercise of duties:
      • (i) As an elected official;
      • (ii) As a member of a legislative body, or a member of the judiciary, of a state or political subdivision or a member of an Indian tribal council;
      • (iii) As a member of the State National Guard or Air National Guard;
      • (iv) As an employee serving on a temporary basis in case of fire, storm, snow, earthquake, flood or similar emergency;
      • (v) In a position which, under or pursuant to the laws of this state or laws of an Indian tribe, is designated as:
        • 1. A major nontenured policy-making or advisory position, or
        • 2. A policy-making or advisory position the performance of the duties of which ordinarily does not require more than eight (8) hours per week; or
    • (d) In a facility conducted for the purpose of carrying out a program of rehabilitation for individuals whose earning capacity is impaired by age or physical or mental deficiency or injury, or providing remunerative work for individuals who because of their impaired physical or mental capacity cannot be readily absorbed in the competitive labor market, by an individual receiving such rehabilitation or remunerative work; or
    • (e) By an inmate of a custodial or penal institution; or
    • (f) As part of an unemployment work-relief or work-training program assisted or financed, in whole or in part, by any federal agency or agency of a state or political subdivision thereof or of an Indian tribe, by an individual receiving such work relief or work training, unless coverage of such service is required by federal law or regulation.
  • (6) Service performed by an individual in agricultural labor as defined in paragraph (15)(a) of this subsection when:
    • (a) Such service is performed for a person who:
      • (i) During any calendar quarter in either the current or the preceding calendar year paid remuneration in cash of Twenty Thousand Dollars ($20,000.00) or more to individuals employed in agricultural labor, or
      • (ii) For some portion of a day in each of twenty (20) different calendar weeks, whether or not such weeks were consecutive, in either the current or the preceding calendar year, employed in agricultural labor ten (10) or more individuals, regardless of whether they were employed at the same moment of time.
    • (b) For the purposes of this paragraph (6) any individual who is a member of a crew furnished by a crew leader to perform service in agricultural labor for any other person shall be treated as an employee of such crew leader:
      • (i) If such crew leader holds a valid certificate of registration under the Farm Labor Contractor Registration Act of 1963; or substantially all the members of such crew operate or maintain tractors, mechanized harvesting or crop dusting equipment, or any other mechanized equipment, which is provided by such crew leader; and
      • (ii) If such individual is not an employee of such other person within the meaning of paragraph (1) of this subsection.
    • (c) For the purpose of subsection I(6), in the case of any individual who is furnished by a crew leader to perform service in agricultural labor for any other person and who is not treated as an employee of such crew leader under paragraph (6)(b) of this subsection:
      • (i) Such other person and not the crew leader shall be treated as the employer of such individual; and
      • (ii) Such other person shall be treated as having paid cash remuneration to such individual in an amount equal to the amount of cash remuneration paid to such individual by the crew leader (either on his or her own behalf or on behalf of such other person) for the service in agricultural labor performed for such other person.
    • (d) For the purposes of this paragraph (6) the term "crew leader" means an individual who:
      • (i) Furnishes individuals to perform service in agricultural labor for any other person;
      • (ii) Pays (either on his or her own behalf or on behalf of such other person) the individuals so furnished by him or her for the service in agricultural labor performed by them; and
      • (iii) Has not entered into a written agreement with such other person under which such individual is designated as an employee of such other person.
  • (7) The term "employment" shall include domestic service in a private home, local college club or local chapter of a college fraternity or sorority performed for an employing unit which paid cash remuneration of One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) or more in any calendar quarter in the current or the preceding calendar year to individuals employed in such domestic service. For the purpose of this subsection, the term "employment" does not apply to service performed as a "sitter" at a hospital in the employ of an individual.
  • (8) An individual's entire service, performed within or both within and without this state, if:
    • (a) The service is localized in this state; or
    • (b) The service is not localized in any state but some of the service is performed in this state; and
      • (i) The base of operations or, if there is no base of operations, the place from which such service is directed or controlled is in this state; or
      • (ii) The base of operations or place from which such service is directed or controlled is not in any state in which some part of the service is performed, but the individual's residence is in this state.
  • (9) Services not covered under paragraph (8) of this subsection and performed entirely without this state, with respect to no part of which contributions are required and paid under an unemployment compensation law of any other state or of the federal government, shall be deemed to be employment subject to this chapter if the individual performing such services is a resident of this state and the department approves the election of the employing unit for whom such services are performed that the entire service of such individual shall be deemed to be employment subject to this chapter.
  • (10) Service shall be deemed to be localized within a state if:
    • (a) The service is performed entirely within such state; or
    • (b) The service is performed both within and without such state, but the service performed without such state is incidental to the individual's service within the state; for example, is temporary or transitory in nature or consists of isolated transactions.
  • (11) The services of an individual who is a citizen of the United States, performed outside the United States (except in Canada), in the employ of an American employer (other than service which is deemed "employment" under the provisions of paragraph (8), (9) or (10) of this subsection or the parallel provisions of another state's law), if:
    • (a) The employer's principal place of business in the United States is located in this state; or
    • (b) The employer has no place of business in the United States; but
      • (i) The employer is an individual who is a resident of this state; or
      • (ii) The employer is a corporation which is organized under the laws of this state; or
      • (iii) The employer is a partnership or a trust and the number of the partners or trustees who are residents of this state is greater than the number who are residents of any one (1) other state; or
    • (c) None of the criteria of subparagraphs (a) and (b) of this paragraph are met but the employer has elected coverage in this state or, the employer having failed to elect coverage in any state, the individual has filed a claim for benefits, based on such service, under the law of this state; or
    • (d) An "American employer," for purposes of this paragraph, means a person who is:
      • (i) An individual who is a resident of the United States; or
      • (ii) A partnership if two-thirds (2/3) or more of the partners are residents of the United States; or
      • (iii) A trust if all of the trustees are residents of the United States; or
      • (iv) A corporation organized under the laws of the United States or of any state.
  • (12) All services performed by an officer or member of the crew of an American vessel on or in connection with such vessel, if the operating office from which the operations of such vessel operating on navigable waters within, or within and without, the United States are ordinarily and regularly supervised, managed, directed and controlled, is within this state, notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (8) of this subsection.
  • (13) Service with respect to which a tax is required to be paid under any federal law imposing a tax against which credit may be taken for contributions required to be paid into a state unemployment fund, or which as a condition for full tax credit against the tax imposed by the Federal Unemployment Tax Act, 26 USCS Section 3301 et seq., is required to be covered under this chapter, notwithstanding any other provisions of this subsection.
  • (14) Services performed by an individual for wages shall be deemed to be employment subject to this chapter unless and until it is shown to the satisfaction of the department that such individual has been and will continue to be free from control and direction over the performance of such services both under his or her contract of service and in fact; and the relationship of employer and employee shall be determined in accordance with the principles of the common law governing the relation of master and servant.
  • (15) The term "employment" shall not include:
    • (a) Agricultural labor, except as provided in paragraph (6) of this subsection. The term "agricultural labor" includes all services performed:
      • (i) On a farm or in a forest in the employ of any employing unit in connection with cultivating the soil, in connection with cutting, planting, deadening, marking or otherwise improving timber, or in connection with raising or harvesting any agricultural or horticultural commodity, including the raising, shearing, feeding, caring for, training, and management of livestock, bees, poultry, fur-bearing animals and wildlife;
      • (ii) In the employ of the owner or tenant or other operator of a farm, in connection with the operation, management, conservation, improvement or maintenance of such farm and its tools and equipment, or in salvaging timber or clearing land of brush and other debris left by a hurricane, if the major part of such service is performed on a farm;
      • (iii) In connection with the production or harvesting of naval stores products or any commodity defined in the Federal Agricultural Marketing Act, 12 USCS Section 1141j(f), or in connection with the raising or harvesting of mushrooms, or in connection with the ginning of cotton, or in connection with the operation or maintenance of ditches, canals, reservoirs, or waterways not owned or operated for profit, used exclusively for supplying and storing water for farming purposes;
      • (iv)
        • (A) In the employ of the operator of a farm in handling, planting, drying, packing, packaging, processing, freezing, grading, storing or delivering to storage or to market or to a carrier for transportation to market, in its unmanufactured state, any agricultural or horticultural commodity; but only if such operator produced more than one-half (1/2) of the commodity with respect to which such service is performed;
        • (B) In the employ of a group of operators of farms (or a cooperative organization of which such operators are members) in the performance of service described in subitem (A), but only if such operators produced more than one-half (1/2) of the commodity with respect to which such service is performed;
        • (C) The provisions of subitems (A) and (B) shall not be deemed to be applicable with respect to service performed in connection with commercial canning or commercial freezing or in connection with any agricultural or horticultural commodity after its delivery to a terminal market for distribution for consumption;
      • (v) On a farm operated for profit if such service is not in the course of the employer's trade or business;
      • (vi) As used in paragraph (15)(a) of this subsection, the term "farm" includes stock, dairy, poultry, fruit, fur-bearing animals, and truck farms, plantations, ranches, nurseries, ranges, greenhouses, or other similar structures used primarily for the raising of agricultural or horticultural commodities, and orchards.
    • (b) Domestic service in a private home, local college club, or local chapter of a college fraternity or sorority, except as provided in paragraph (7) of this subsection, or service performed as a "sitter" at a hospital in the employ of an individual.
    • (c) Casual labor not in the usual course of the employing unit's trade or business.
    • (d) Service performed by an individual in the employ of his or her son, daughter, or spouse, and service performed by a child under the age of twenty-one (21) in the employ of his or her father or mother.
    • (e) Service performed in the employ of the United States government or of an instrumentality wholly owned by the United States; except that if the Congress of the United States shall permit states to require any instrumentalities of the United States to make payments into an unemployment fund under a state unemployment compensation act, then to the extent permitted by Congress and from and after the date as of which such permission becomes effective, all of the provisions of this chapter shall be applicable to such instrumentalities and to services performed by employees for such instrumentalities in the same manner, to the same extent, and on the same terms as to all other employers and employing units. If this state should not be certified under the Federal Unemployment Tax Act, 26 USCS Section 3304(c), for any year, then the payment required by such instrumentality with respect to such year shall be deemed to have been erroneously collected and shall be refunded by the department from the fund in accordance with the provisions of Section 71-5-383.
    • (f) Service performed in the employ of an "employer" as defined by the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act, 45 USCS Section 351(a), or as an "employee representative" as defined by the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act, 45 USCS Section 351(f), and service with respect to which unemployment compensation is payable under an unemployment compensation system for maritime employees, or under any other unemployment compensation system established by an act of Congress; however, the department is authorized and directed to enter into agreements with the proper agencies under such act or acts of Congress, which agreements shall become effective ten (10) days after publication thereof in the manner provided in Section 71-5-117 for general rules, to provide reciprocal treatment to individuals who have, after acquiring potential rights to benefits under this chapter, acquired rights to unemployment compensation under such act or acts of Congress or who have, after acquiring potential rights to unemployment compensation under such act or acts of Congress, acquired rights to benefits under this chapter.
    • (g) Service performed in any calendar quarter in the employ of any organization exempt from income tax under the Internal Revenue Code, 26 USCS Section 501(a) (other than an organization described in 26 USCS Section 401(a)), or exempt from income tax under 26 USCS Section 521 if the remuneration for such service is less than Fifty Dollars ($50.00).
    • (h) Service performed in the employ of a school, college, or university if such service is performed:
      • (i) By a student who is enrolled and is regularly attending classes at such school, college or university, or
      • (ii) By the spouse of such a student if such spouse is advised, at the time such spouse commences to perform such service, that
        • (A) The employment of such spouse to perform such service is provided under a program to provide financial assistance to such student by such school, college, or university, and
        • (B) Such employment will not be covered by any program of unemployment insurance.
    • (i) Service performed by an individual under the age of twenty-two (22) who is enrolled at a nonprofit or public educational institution which normally maintains a regular faculty and curriculum and normally has a regularly organized body of students in attendance at the place where its educational activities are carried on, as a student in a full-time program taken for credit at such institution, which combines academic instruction with work experience, if such service is an integral part of such program and such institution has so certified to the employer, except that this subparagraph shall not apply to service performed in a program established for or on behalf of an employer or group of employers.
    • (j) Service performed in the employ of a hospital, if such service is performed by a patient of the hospital, as defined in subsection M of this section.
    • (k) Service performed as a student nurse in the employ of a hospital or a nurses' training school by an individual who is enrolled and is regularly attending classes in a nurses' training school chartered or approved pursuant to state law; and services performed as an intern in the employ of a hospital by an individual who has completed a four-year course in a medical school chartered or approved pursuant to state law.
    • (l) Service performed by an individual as an insurance agent or as an insurance solicitor, if all such service performed by such individual is performed for remuneration solely by way of commission.
    • (m) Service performed by an individual in the delivery or distribution of newspapers or shopping news, not including delivery or distribution to any point for subsequent delivery or distribution, except those employed by political subdivisions, state and local governments, nonprofit organizations and Indian tribes, as defined by this chapter, or any other entities for which coverage is required by federal statute and regulation.
    • (n) If the services performed during one-half (1/2) or more of any pay period by an employee for the employing unit employing him or her constitute employment, all the services of such employee for such period shall be deemed to be employment; but if the services performed during more than one-half (1/2) of any such pay period by an employee for the employing unit employing him or her do not constitute employment, then none of the services of such employee for such period shall be deemed to be employment. As used in this subsection, the term "pay period" means a period (of not more than thirty-one (31) consecutive days) for which a payment of remuneration is ordinarily made to the employee by the employing unit employing him or her.
    • (o) Service performed by a barber or beautician whose work station is leased to him or her by the owner of the shop in which he or she works and who is compensated directly by the patrons he or she serves and who is free from direction and control by the lessor.
    • (p) Service performed by a "direct seller" if:
      • (i) Such person is engaged in the trade or business of selling (or soliciting the sale of) consumer products to any buyer on a buy-sell basis, a deposit-commission basis, or any similar basis which the department prescribes by regulations, for resale (by the buyer or any other person) in the home or otherwise than in a permanent retail establishment; or such person is engaged in the trade or business of selling (or soliciting the sale of) consumer products in the home or otherwise than in a permanent retail establishment;
      • (ii) Substantially all the remuneration (whether or not paid in cash) for the performance of the services described in item (i) of this subparagraph is directly related to sales or other output (including the performance of services) rather than to the number of hours worked; and
      • (iii) The services performed by the person are performed pursuant to a written contract between such person and the person for whom the services are performed and such contract provides that the person will not be treated as an employee with respect to such services for federal tax purposes.

• J. "Employment office" means a free public employment office or branch thereof, operated by this state or maintained as a part of the state controlled system of public employment offices.

• K. "Public employment service" means the operation of a program that offers free placement and referral services to applicants and employers, including job development.

• L. "Fund" means the Unemployment Compensation Fund established by this chapter, to which all contributions required and from which all benefits provided under this chapter shall be paid.

• M. "Hospital" means an institution which has been licensed, certified, or approved by the State Department of Health as a hospital.

• N. "Institution of higher learning," for the purposes of this section, means an educational institution which:
  • (1) Admits as regular students only individuals having a certificate of graduation from a high school, or the recognized equivalent of such a certificate;
  • (2) Is legally authorized in this state to provide a program of education beyond high school;
  • (3) Provides an educational program for which it awards a bachelor's or higher degree, or provides a program which is acceptable for full credit toward such a degree, a program of postgraduate or postdoctoral studies, or a program of training to prepare students for gainful employment in a recognized occupation;
  • (4) Is a public or other nonprofit institution;
  • (5) Notwithstanding any of the foregoing provisions of this subsection, all colleges and universities in this state are institutions of higher learning for purposes of this section.

• O. "Re-employment assistance" means money payments payable to an individual as provided in this chapter and in accordance with Section 3304(a)(4) and 3306(h) of the Federal Unemployment Tax Act and Section 303(a)(5) of the Social Security Act, with respect to his or her unemployment through no fault of his or her own. Wherever the terms "benefits" or "unemployment benefits" appear in this chapter, they shall mean re-employment assistance.

• P.
  • (1) "State" includes, in addition to the states of the United States of America, the District of Columbia, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
  • (2) The term "United States" when used in a geographical sense includes the states, the District of Columbia, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
  • (3) The provisions of paragraphs (1) and (2) of this subsection P, as including the Virgin Islands, shall become effective on the day after the day on which the United States Secretary of Labor approves for the first time under Section 3304(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 an unemployment compensation law submitted to the secretary by the Virgin Islands for such approval.

• Q. "Unemployment."
  • (1) An individual shall be deemed "unemployed" in any week during which he or she performs no services and with respect to which no wages are payable to him or her, or in any week of less than full-time work if the wages payable to him or her with respect to such week are less than his or her weekly benefit amount as computed and adjusted in Section 71-5-505. This definition shall exclude individuals receiving voluntary payments from employers, from any source, that are in lieu of the worker's regular wages. However, individuals receiving voluntary payments of less than their set full weekly wage, as well as individuals who do not work a specified number of hours each week resulting in inconsistent weekly wages, and who are receiving voluntary payments for partial wage substitution, may be considered "unemployed," but would be required to report the gross amount of the voluntary payments to be treated as wages so the appropriate deductions to the weekly benefit amount can be made. The department shall prescribe regulations applicable to unemployed individuals, making such distinctions in the procedure as to total unemployment, part-total unemployment, partial unemployment of individuals attached to their regular jobs, and other forms of short-time work, as the department deems necessary.
  • (2) An individual's week of total unemployment shall be deemed to commence only after his registration with an employment office, except as the department may by regulation otherwise prescribe.
  • (3) Unemployment shall not include administrative leave for any week with respect to which:
    • (a) An employer has designated their employee as being on official administrative leave;
    • (b) The administrative leave is for a specified period of time;
    • (c) There is no apparent permanent job separation; and
    • (d) The employee has received compensation equal to his or her standard compensation.
  • (4) If the individual on official administrative leave, as designated by the employer, does not receive full compensation in line with his or her standard hours or salary, the individual may be eligible for unemployment insurance benefits as partially unemployed for the wages they are missing.
  • (5) Any individual on official administrative leave is required to report all compensation received.

• R.
  • (1) "Wages" means all remuneration for personal services, including commissions and bonuses and the cash value of all remuneration in any medium other than cash, except that "wages," for purposes of determining employer's coverage and payment of contributions for agricultural and domestic service means cash remuneration only. Wages shall include payments from employers, from any source, and for any reason, that are in lieu of the employee's regular wages. The reasonable cash value of remuneration in any medium other than cash shall be estimated and determined in accordance with rules prescribed by the department; however, that the term "wages" shall not include:
    • (a) The amount of any payment made to, or on behalf of, an employee under a plan or system established by an employer which makes provision for his or her employees generally or for a class or classes of his or her employees (including any amount paid by an employer for insurance or annuities, or into a fund, to provide for any such payment), on account of:
      • (i) Retirement, or
      • (ii) Sickness or accident disability, or
      • (iii) Medical or hospitalization expenses in connection with sickness or actual disability, or
      • (iv) Death, provided the employee:
        • (A) Has not the option to receive, instead of provision for such death benefit, any part of such payment or, if such death benefit is insured, any part of the premiums (or contributions to premiums) paid by his or her employer, and
        • (B) Has not the right, under the provisions of the plan or system or policy of insurance providing for such death benefit, to assign such benefit or to receive a cash consideration in lieu of such benefit, either upon his or her withdrawal from the plan or system providing for such benefit or upon termination of such plan or system or policy of insurance or of his or her employment with such employer;
    • (b) Dismissal payments which the employer is not legally required to make;
    • (c) Payment by an employer (without deduction from the remuneration of an employee) of the tax imposed by the Internal Revenue Code, 26 USCS Section 3101;
    • (d) From and after January 1, 1992, the amount of any payment made to or on behalf of an employee for a "cafeteria" plan, which meets the following requirements:
      • (i) Qualifies under Section 125 of the Internal Revenue Code;
      • (ii) Covers only employees;
      • (iii) Covers only noncash benefits;
      • (iv) Does not include deferred compensation plans.
  • (2) [Not enacted].

• S. "Week" means calendar week or such period of seven (7) consecutive days as the department may by regulation prescribe. The department may by regulation prescribe that a week shall be deemed to be in, within, or during any benefit year which includes any part of such week.

• T. "Insured work" means "employment" for "employers."

• U. The term "includes" and "including," when used in a definition contained in this chapter, shall not be deemed to exclude other things otherwise within the meaning of the term defined.

• V. "Employee leasing arrangement" means any agreement between an employee leasing firm and a client, whereby specified client responsibilities such as payment of wages, reporting of wages for unemployment insurance purposes, payment of unemployment insurance contributions and other such administrative duties are to be performed by an employee leasing firm, on an ongoing basis.

• W. "Employee leasing firm" means any entity which provides specified duties for a client company such as payment of wages, reporting of wages for unemployment insurance purposes, payment of unemployment insurance contributions and other administrative duties, in connection with the client's employees, that are directed and controlled by the client and that are providing ongoing services for the client.

• X.
  • (1) "Temporary help firm" means an entity which hires its own employees and provides those employees to other individuals or organizations to perform some service, to support or supplement the existing workforce in special situations such as employee absences, temporary skill shortages, seasonal workloads and special assignments and projects, with the expectation that the worker's position will be terminated upon the completion of the specified task or function.
  • (2) "Temporary employee" means an employee assigned to work for the clients of a temporary help firm.

• Y. For the purposes of this chapter, the term "notice" shall include any official communication, statement or other correspondence required under the administration of this chapter, and sent by the department through the United States Postal Service or electronic or digital transfer, via modem or the Internet.

Codes, 1942, § 7440; Laws, 1940, ch. 295, § 13; Laws, 1948, ch. 412, § 10; Laws, 1955, Ex. Sess. ch. 93, § 2; Laws, 1971, ch. 519, § 13; Laws, 1977, ch. 497, § 1; Laws, 1978, ch. 533, § 1; Laws, 1979, ch. 311; Laws, 1981, ch. 343, § 1; Laws, 1983, ch. 371, § 1; Laws, 1985, ch. 406; Laws, 1992, ch. 339, § 1; Laws, 1993, ch. 328, § 1; Laws, 1998, ch. 331, § 1; Laws, 1998, ch. 491, § 1; Laws, 2002, ch. 562, § 1; Laws, 2004, ch. 572, § 9; Laws, 2007, ch. 606, § 3; reenacted without change, Laws, 2008, 1st Ex Sess, ch. 30, § 9; reenacted and amended, Laws, 2011, ch. 471, § 9; Laws, 2012, ch. 414, § 1; reenacted without change, Laws, 2012, ch. 515, § 9, eff. 7/1/2012.

Reenacted without change by Laws, 2023, ch. 510, SB 2810,§ 11, eff. 4/17/2023.

Amended by Laws, 2021, ch. 360, SB 2124,§ 1, eff. 7/1/2021.

Amended by Laws, 2019, ch. 451, SB 2133,§ 58, eff. 4/3/2019.

Reenacted without change by Laws, 2019, ch. 451, SB 2133,§ 9, eff. 4/3/2019.

Amended by Laws, 2013, ch. 309, HB 932, 3, eff. 3/6/2013.