Just after 5 p.m. on Oct. 31, 2022, the final day for submitting claims for Vesting Periods 1 and 2, the New York State Department of Health (DOH) quietly announced via email that the HWB Portal would remain open to claims submissions until Nov. 30, 2022. This extension apparently applies to all qualified employers, but it will come as a particular relief to education sector employers, many of whom have been unable to log on to the Portal.

Because it is embedded in the HWB legislation, the official deadline remains unchanged. The announcement merely indicates that DOH will keep the Portal open for submissions and, presumably, defer enforcement actions based on “late” submissions through Dec. 1, 2022. For this reason, employers submitting claims after the Oct. 31, 2022 deadline should retain documentation demonstrating the reason why their submissions were “late” in case of future audit or investigation. For education sector employers, this documentation will primarily reflect unsuccessful attempts to log into the Portal.

Bond will continue to monitor HWB developments, provide updates, and advocate for program improvements, such as correcting problems with the Portal that have stymied education sector employers.