Beginning in July, employers and third-party administrators will notice a change that will require a new password for MiWAM accounts every 90 days.
After July 1, users will be automatically asked to change their password every 90 days. Currently, a password reset is required every six months.
The change is designed to better protect the integrity of Michigan Web Account Manager accounts from bad actors. Password protected MiWAM accounts are one of the many robust safeguards the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency has in place to combat fraud.
Bad actors are always looking for their next victim. According to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners’ 2022 Global Fraud Study, a typicalbusinessloses an average of 5% of income each year due to fraud.
Rules for choosing a password
To create a strong password under the new, 90-day policy, follow these simple guidelines:
- It should be at least eight characters.
- It should include characters from three of these categories:
- Uppercase letters.
- Lowercase letters.
- Numerals between 0-9.
- Symbols such as !, $, # or %.
- When resetting a password, at least one character must be changed.
- Do not reuse any of the previous 24 passwords.
Employers who have a third-party administrator who can access their MiWAM account should inform all account users of this updated policy. Likewise, administrators should inform the employers they work with who also have access to MiWAM but do not login as often.
If your password has expired
If logging into MiWAM and the account password has expired, you will be redirected to a screen where you can set a new password following the rules above. Once a new password is chosen, hit "Save" and you will receive a prompt that says: “Your password has been updated.” The new password can be now used to log into MiWAM.
How to reset account passwords
If you want to reset your password at any time, follow this easy, five-step process:
- Login to your account.
- Click on Settings.
- Click on Profile.
- Click on Change Password.
- Type in your current password, your new password (following the rules listed), and confirm your new password.
We are excited to see Michigan growing and thriving with new businesses and jobs. Here is helpful information to assist with the process of registering with the UIA.
The Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) continues to support its employer community through outreach efforts and individual interactions.
UIA staff attended the 13th Annual Supplier Diversity Matchmaker event, hosted by the Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (MHCC). The event took place May 23 at the M1 Concourse in Pontiac and focused on supplier diversity and increased opportunities for minority and small business owners.
Agency Director Julia Dale was the featured speaker and discussed Agency reforms and her heritage as the UIA’s first Hispanic director. Director Dale also spoke about UIA programs – such as the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) – that support businesses, the agency’s progress on implementing the U.S. Department of Labor’s Equity Grant, fighting fraud, and the rollout of the new Deloitte UFACTS computer system.
Director Dale also urged businesses to participate in two State of Michigan opportunities: the Geographically Disadvantaged Business Enterprise and Michigan Supplier Community programs. Both give employers an opportunity to become vendors with the state.
Janeen Taylor and Shelly Khan from the UIA’s Office of Employer Ombudsman (OEO) staffed the UIA's event table, which featured Work Share, WOTC, and Employer Filed Claims (EFC) program materials including pens, notepads, informational flyers, and the ever-popular chip clip magnet.
Mackinac Policy Conference Networking
Director Dale also participated in the Mackinac Policy Conference, hosted by the Detroit Regional Chamber earlier this month.
The annual event takes place on Mackinac Island and brings together stakeholders from business, state government, non-profits and others for substantive discussions, goal setting, and problem solving.
Director Dale shared with others how she leads the agency with an empathetic approach, which includes listening, understanding needs, and putting people first to realize concrete, measurable results.
The director also addressed many of the changes she has instituted as cornerstones of her effort to transform the UIA into a national model for fair, fast, and fraud-free service. Reforms include launching the replacement of the agency’s decade-old MiWAM computer system, a plain language and human-centered approach to how UIA corresponds with stakeholders, the kick-off of a U.S. Department of Labor-funded initiative to make it easier for workers in underserved communities to access benefits, overpayment waivers and a pause on certain collections, zero-tolerance for fraud, and the partnerships with the UIA Modernization Workgroup, made up of representatives from business, labor and jobless advocates.
In conjunction with the conference, Director Dale published an opinion column about how the “power of and,” the theme of the policy conference, benefits business and workers and drives her reforms as leader of the UIA.
