Jobless office handles phone frenzy

Mathis Winkler

Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2001 | 9:47 a.m.

State officials want to keep secret the locations of unemployment call centers.

They worry about the safety of their employees, as laid-off workers are becoming frustrated with the incessant busy signals and long wait times in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks.

But there's another reason for the secrecy, said Dennis Hill, who manages the Las Vegas call center, one of two in the state. (The other is in Carson City).

Nevada officials since April 30 have dealt with unemployment claims solely via the telephone. And, to do so efficiently, officials can't be interrupted by people who drop by to discuss specific cases, he said.

"Many people in Las Vegas are extremely good at hospitality," Hill said. "They use the schmooze."

The number of claims for unemployment insurance has doubled since employers began laying off workers in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks. Hill and other officials say the caseload places a strain on the system.

But they also said the phone system, when compared to personal interviews, allows workers to process claims much faster.

"We feel that we've been able to respond," said Birgit Baker, who heads the state's employment security division and oversees unemployment insurance claims.

The phone system might be more efficient and reduce the amount of time it takes to file a claim. But standing in line with others who have lost their jobs can bring a sense of solidarity, said Simon Gottschalk, a sociology professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

"They're victims of terrorism also," he said.

Gottschalk said that people should have the opportunity to choose between calling and visiting an unemployment claims office.

"Face-to-face is always going to be a different thing," he said. "People should have access to real people, not anonymous voices over the phone."

Hill agreed that the phone system makes it easier for officials to forget about the human on the other end of the line.

"But we constantly remind each other that we need to provide customer service," he said. "We do not want to end up with anyone that's treated poorly."

As in Nevada, states nationwide are switching to similar telephone systems.

Although Arizona still offers people the option to file in person, Utah handles all claims via the telephone.

"It makes it so much easier," said Curt Stewart, a spokesman for the Utah department of work force services. "It takes so many steps out of a person's day."

Nancy Salazar, who oversees unemployment claims in New Mexico, said she is looking forward to that state's new system for filing unemployment claims -- a telephone system similar to Nevada's -- to become operational next spring.

"Customer service has been lacking" she said. "People have been waiting hours and hours in line."

With the exception of Delaware and Louisiana, all states have implemented, or plan to implement, similar telephone systems. Many states, including Nevada, have done so with grants from the federal government, which since 1996 has earmarked about $45 million for phone systems designed to accept unemployment claims.

Nevada officials have hired 40 workers, in addition to the 60 existing employees, to help man the call centers.

State officials also have altered the claims process.

Though unemployed residents usually only receive money from the time they filed their claim, the claims of those who lost their jobs after Sept. 11 will become retroactive to the date they were laid off.

Many of those filing for claims have had difficulty getting into the phone system, in which filers answer questions via an automated system before speaking with someone.

A requirement for people to immediately begin looking for new work has been suspended as well, Baker said.

Calls from people who don't qualify for help contribute to the long wait times, she said.

"The biggest problem right now are people that are calling for information who haven't even been laid off yet," she said. "They're calling to see what they might be entitled to."

For those who have already lost their jobs and are no longer receiving an income, Hill said, "Keep trying and we will get you served as rapidly as we can," he said.

To file an unemployment insurance claim, call (702) 486-0350 in Southern Nevada,(775) 684-0350 in Northern Nevada and (888) 890-8211 in rural areas. All calls are routed to the next available agent.

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