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The Reemployment Assistance Program (RAP) offers temporary benefits to eligible workers who
are unemployed through no fault of their own. All workers in an employee/employer relationship, including both
salaried and OPS, can apply for benefits.
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Human Resources within the Justice Administrative Commission (JAC) is responsible for
managing claims filed with Florida Commerce (formerly the Department of Economic Opportunity)
by employees who are no longer employed by JAC or the agencies we serve. Claims should primarily be received
through the RECONNECT system, which enables JROs to access and respond to claims online in a timely manner.
If JAC receives any claims directly, HR will foward them to the appropriate JRO for response through RECONNECT.
JROs have 14 calendar days from the date of the claim to submit a response. When crafting this response, the
agency should consider the relevant facts surrounding the claimant's separation and prepare an appropriate response through
RECONNECT. After the response is submitted, Florida Commerce will determine whether to approve or deny benefits to the claimant
based on the information provided by both the claimant and the agency.
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JROs are encouraged to work directly with
Florida Commerce to establish a username and password for their RECONNECT account and request password resets.
To do this, they can email Keita Davis at Keita.Davis@commerce.fl.gov.
JAC will continue to forward any documents received from Florida Commerce to the appropriate JRO.
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If you have questions about the process or determinations, please contact Monica Thomas at Monica.Thomas@justiceadmin.org or Jamie Johnson at Jamie.Johnson@justiceadmin.org.
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Reemployment Assistance Information
RECONNECT Information and Training
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Who is eligible to receive Reemployment Assistance Benefits?
All unemployed workers covered under the Florida Reemployment Assistance Law can receive weekly benefits if eligible and are fully qualified.
Florida Commerce must determine the eligibility of the claim; therefore, please respond promptly to all Florida Commerce requests in a timely manner.
Are OPS employees eligible for RA benefits and if so, why?
OPS employees can receive weekly benefits if eligible and are fully qualified. It is a fact that they are considered a temporary employee and are usually hired for a certain period, but at the end of their employment the office would be considered the moving party. The only time an OPS employee is not eligible is if they were terminated for misconduct and if they left the office voluntarily.
How is it possible that a current employee is able to receive RA benefits?
If an individual is working part-time and is earning below their determined maximum weekly benefit amount, which could be up to $275.00, than they are eligible to receive the difference between what they earn and the maximum benefit amount.
(For example, if a current employee is working 20 hours a week, earns $10 an hour, and files for unemployment they could be eligible for a benefit from RA of $75.00 per week.)
According to RA, this is called Partial Unemployment. It is the responsibility of the claimant to file weekly earnings and for Florida Commerce to monitor those earnings.
Any employee who is working part-time and earns $275.00 or more per week would not be eligible.
(Note: if an employee works 40 hours a week and does not earn at least $275.00 a week is not eligible for RA because they are working fulltime.)
When an employee retires from the state and receives a retirement benefit, can they also receive RA benefits?
Retirees are disqualified from RA benefits if the retirees benefit is more than the determined maximum weekly benefit amount of the claim (if the retiree weekly benefit amount is over $275.00 than they are not eligible for a weekly RA benefit). If the retiree receives a RA benefit less than the determined maximum benefit then they can receive a benefit if determined otherwise eligible and fully qualified.
What happens when an employer wins an appeal and the claimant was already receiving a benefit from RA? Is the office immediately reimbursed?
Any benefits received for which a claimant was not entitled are overpayments and subject to recovery.
RA request the claimant to payback 10% of the overpayment each month until their debt is paid in full to RA. They do not require it.
Once RA begins to receive installments of the overpayment, they will record it on the next scheduled Quarterly Invoice. This process could take multiple invoices before all of the overpayment is credited to the offices’s account.
Why is the office being charged RA benefits if they are not the last employer and they separated from them voluntarily?
When a claimant files a claim Florida Commerce first determines who the last employer was, and then they determine the base period, and then determine how many employers fell within that claimant’s base period.
If it is determined that we are not the last employer then Florida Commerce will base their decision on the circumstances as to why they separated from that employer.
If it is determined, that the claimant should receive benefits then we would be responsible for a percentage of the claim even if they left us voluntarily or for misconduct.
