DEW answers some of your unemployment questions

The Department of Workforce and Unemployment answers some of your questions about unemployment.

WE’LL FINALLY FOR UNEMPLOYMENTIS PROVING VERY DIFFICULT FORMANY IN SOUTH CAROLINA VIEWERSREACHED OUT TO WYFF NEWS 4INVESTIGATES TELLING US THEYMADE HUNDREDS OF CALLS TO THEDEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT ANDWORKFORCE, BUT THEY’RE STILLLEFT WITHOUT ANSWERS.SO WE TOOK THOSE VIEWERQUESTIONS STRAIGHT TO THE AGENCYCHIEF OF STAFF JAN FOR EXAMPLEIS LAID OFF MARCH 27TH ANDAPPLIED FOR BENEFITS TWO DAYSLATER MORE THAN THREE WEEKS.PAST AND SHE STARTED TO WORRYABOUT HER APPLICATION, BUT SHEHAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO CONNECTWITH ANYONE AT THE AGENCY WHOCOULD HELP HER.WOULDN’T WANT TO KNOW WHATTHEY’RE DOING.DIFFERENTLY IN THIS PANDEMICHELP THE INFLUX OF PEOPLE THATREALLY NEED HELP BECAUSE I WOULDWANT AN I WOULD WANT TO KNOW WHODO I TALK TO YOU.HOW I GET THIS RESOLVED?BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE NOBODYKNOWS WHAT THEY’RE DOING ANDNOBODY HAS THE ANSWERS FOR ME.OUR HEARTS GO OUT TO JAN AND WEUNDERSTAND THAT IT’S BEEN APAINFUL AND CHALLENGINGEXPERIENCE.WHAT ARE WE DOING DIFFERENTEVERY DAY?WE’RE TRYING TO LOOK ATFLEXIBILITIES WITH IN NAVIINTERACTIVE VOICE RESPONSE UNIT.LOOKING AT OUR CALL CENTERSTAFF.IS THERE A DIFFERENT WAY TO PUTOUR OUR AGENTS IN A WAY THATTHEY CAN RECEIVE?PROVIDE SERVICE TO THOSE WHOGOING TO CALL FOCUS.MAYBE GETTING HUNG UP OR GETTINGCAUGHT UP MICHAEL TOLD US HISREGULAR UNEMPLOYMENT RAN OUTBEFORE THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMICUNABLE TO START A NEW JOB.HE WANTED TO FIND OUT IF HISBENEFITS COULD BE EXTENDED.FIRST HE WAS TOLD YES, BUT NEVERGOT APPROVED.AFTER FINALLY GETTING THROUGH ONTHE PHONE SYSTEM AGAIN, HE WASTOLD HE DID.QUALIFY HERE IS HIS QUESTIONABOUT WHO IS TAKING THOSE CALLS.WHO WAS TRAINING THEM?AND WHY ARE THEY NOT ALL ON THESAME PAGE?OUR STAFFING LEVEL IN REGARDS TOOUR DEDICATED CONTACT CENTER WASA TEAM OF 50 INDIVIDUALS THATCOULD SATISFY THE NEEDS OF THECONTACT CENTER WEEK OVER WEEK.OBVIOUSLY WHEN YOU HAVE SO MANYINDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE LOST THEIRJOB TEMPORARY SEPARATIONSFURLOUGHS, WHATEVER IT MAY BE.WE TRIED OUR BEST TO SWELL ANDADD ADDITIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE.I THINK NOW WE’VE GONE FROM 50TO CLOSE TO 500.THAT LED TO OUR FINAL QUESTIONBY MARCH 21ST, THE NUMBER OFWEEKLY CLAIMS WITH 17 TIMESHIGHER THAN THEY WERE TWO WEEKSEARLIER.THERE WERE 47 TIMES HIGHER BYAPRIL 11TH.CALL CENTER STAFFING INCREASEDBY ABOUT NINE TIMES.OUR QUESTION WAS THE RESPONSE TOTHE INFLUX OF CALLS?ENOUGH GOOD QUESTION.I’MA TELL YOU IT’S NOT ALLMATHEMATICAL.AS MUCH AS I’D LIKE TO SAY THATTHERE’S A RATIO BETWEEN THOSEARE IN NEED.PAIGE IS THAT IT TAKES TO FEELOR SATISFY THE VOLUME OF CALLS.IS THE COMPLEXITY OF THE PROGRAMIS THE TIME THAT IT TAKES FOR USTO?THIRTY MINUTES ON THE CALL OFANOTHER INDIVIDUAL FOR 30SECONDS TO REDIRECT A CALL TOTRANSFER A CALL.THROUGH THE BACKLOG.WHATEVER MAY BE COMING INTO THESYSTEM.AGAIN, I DON’T THINK THERE’S ANYWAY THAT WE COULD HAVE PREPAREDFOR THIS AND WE’VE PROVIDEDSUBER’S FULL ANSWERS TO THOSEQUESTIONS.ON THE WYFF NEWS 4 INVESTIGATES