More than a year into pandemic, Pennsylvania labor officials looking to increase call center staff
(The Center Square) – The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry is increasing call center staff in an effort to provide faster assistance and avoid the backlogs that have plagued the department over the past year.
The department announced recently that it is working with InspiriTec to hire and train up to 1,000 new customer service representatives and 100 new team leaders, with the first wave to start in June. A customer service tracking portal is being implemented to assign tickets and a place in “line” for ongoing claims. About $58 million is being invested in the Unemployment Compensation Service Center improvement.
“Adding at least 500 new customer service representatives accomplishes two important goals. It will make it easier for people to reach us via phone and will enable more experienced staff to focus solely on resolving and processing claims,” Secretary of Labor Jennifer Berrier said.
The mandate for nonessential businesses to shut down on March 16, 2020, along with the revised federal rules of qualification for unemployment compensation prompted 2.4 million residents to file unemployment claims in 2020.
The drastic 1.2 million increase in applications overwhelmed L&the department and delayed payments being sent out. The department doubled staffing efforts but struggled to retain 50% of employees due to the taxing nature of the job.
A live call to L&I attempted by Rep. Natalie Mihalek, R-Allegheny, during the department’s budget hearing before the Pennsylvania House Appropriations Committee showcased how Pennsylvanians receive a busy signal when calling for assistance with unemployment claims.
“I am trying to get in touch with someone at the Department of Labor and Industry. I have been all morning. I have been for 11 months,” Rep. Mihalek said during the hearing. “This is the number one frustration that we hear every single day in our district offices.”
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