Getting Results
BACKGROUND – two-thirds of the employees I laid off five weeks ago have yet to receive their unemployment checks. I worked one issue last week through and to successful conclusion. Then this morning another employee came into my office and asked for my assistance. After getting inconclusive results, I typed this request for assistance onto Governor Baldacci’s web page. Within an hour, my phone was ringing and progress will be made.
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Dear Governor Baldacci;
I write to you today to express my concerns and disappointment over the
lack of consistency and promptness with the processing of unemployment
claims.
I am a human resource manager. Five weeks ago, my company laid off 13
good employees. Some of these employees had their claims promptly
processed and are receiving their checks. Others are stuck in the limbo
land of waiting for a Fact Finding Interview. The earliest of these FFIs
is scheduled for tomorrow with several scheduled for next week – their
sixth week of unemployment.
The FFI will reveal in five minutes or less the reason for the delay.
They received accrued vacation pay in their final paycheck. THAT AFFECTS
ONLY THE FIRST WEEK OR TWO OF UNEMPLOYMENT ELIGIBLITY. The information
needed to make this determination is on the initial Request For
Separation / Wage Information.
The State of Maine can do better than this. We need to take care of our
citizens by ensuring them prompt processing of Unemployment Claims.
Christmas is next week. I had one former employee in my office this
morning. We called and spoke with **** at the UC Claim Center. The
apparent timeline is that this one citizen may not receive his first
unemployment check until after the first of the year.
Governor Baldacci – What message of clarification and explanation would
you like for me to pass to him?
Sincerely,
Robert M. Smith, Jr., SPHR
