OLYMPIA, Wash. – The Washington Employment Security Department (ESD) has announced a change in unemployment benefits call center hours as part of a 90-day pilot project.
ESD said in a release that it wants to address the increasing volume of claims and expedite payments to claimants.
Starting this week, the call center will operate on adjusted hours. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, call center hours are from 8:00 a.m. to noon, allowing customer service representatives to focus on processing claims from noon to 4:00 p.m.
“We’re trying to move the needle and get people paid more quickly with the resources we have,” said Employment Security Commissioner Cami Feek. “We don’t have the budget for overtime or additional hires. We are constantly looking for ways to more efficiently process claims and believe this change will help decrease our growing backlog of outstanding claims.”
The need for this change is driven by several factors, including a 20% increase in ongoing unemployment claims compared to last year. The backlog of claims is rising, partly due to seasonal layoffs and the federal government shutdown.
“Giving people focused time to work on claims on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons allows them to do more follow-up and customer outreach to resolve questions or issues that may delay paying benefits,” said JR Richards, director of Employment Security’s Insurance Services Division
Customers are encouraged to visit the Employment Security Department website for resources on applying for benefits and managing their claims. They can also check the status of their claims through their eServices account, reducing the need to call.
“This is truly an all-hands-on-deck approach to help our customers get paid,” said Feek. “We understand the frustration of not getting through on our phone lines. We’ll evaluate this plan weekly and adjust as needed.”
