State agency needs lesson on preparedness

Here in America, organized efforts are made to get as many people as possible to prepare for emergencies, catastrophes and disasters. Articles, Facebook postings and public service announcements remind us why we should learn to perform CPR, what to do if a confirmed tornado is headed in our direction, or how to respond in the event of an attempted robbery or sexual assault.

Perhaps that same school of thought, which emphasizes the importance of preparing for the worst, could be useful for state unemployment offices that have struggled to help jobless people during the novel coronavirus pandemic.

A recent Associated Press story highlighted how COVID-19 delivered a devastating blow to our nation’s economy that resulted in lost jobs for millions of Americans.

In fact, a May 28 USA Today story stated that 35 million Americans have filed for unemployment since President Donald Trump declared a national emergency in midMarch because of COVID-19.

Sadly, the unemployment offices in many states found themselves unprepared to properly assist the soaring numbers of jobless people who urgently needed help.

Ohio faced an unprecedented surge in unemployment claims almost overnight as the pandemic led to widespread business shutdowns, leaving the state no time to retool its system to respond, the state’s human services chief said May 27 as she testified before Republican lawmakers critical of the state’s reaction.

In contrast to the Great Recession beginning in 2008 when jobless claims arrived gradually, the recent layoffs came immediately “in a tsunami,” Kimberly Hall, director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, told the House Ways and Means Committee.

At the same time, because jobless numbers were so low more recently, the agency’s unemployment staffing had been reduced, Hall said.

“This experience has been unlike anything any of us have ever witnessed,” Hall said.

The state had only about 550 people in its unemployment office when the pandemic started and only 40 fulltime agents in its call center, Hall said.

The state now has 1,250 part-time and full-time call center agents.

Ohio also has been hobbled by the benefit system and call center’s antiquated technology, Hall said.

Ways and Means committee members have heard from many people across Ohio in recent weeks who had problems receiving their unemployment checks, said Rep. Derek Merrin, the committee’s chairman, a Republican from Moncolva in northwestern Ohio.

Merrin criticized the state’s preparation and response, saying the high volume of calls was the result of a broken website that should have been addressed before the pandemic hit.

He also questioned why callers who wait for hours on the phone only to be disconnected aren’t immediately called back.

“We’re in 2020 — how do we not have a phone system that appropriately works?” Merrin said.

Hall agreed that the website is problematic and said it’s in the process of being revamped. She agreed that the hang-ups were frustrating and the problem is being examined.

About 1.3 million people filed jobless claims in Ohio in the past 10 weeks, more than the combined total in the past three years, the agency said this week as it provided the most recent unemployment claims figures.

Hall provided an accurate assessment in saying that Ohio Job and Family Services dealt with an unprecedented situation as the unemployment claims roared in like a tsunami.

But Merrin also made valid points in stating that problems with the agency’s website should have been remedied prior to the pandemic’s arrival. This could have been accomplished through regular monitoring and maintenance, and necessary upgrades, of the agency’s technology.

The JFS also should have come up with a system to respond more promptly to callers who were disconnected. Crisis management is a skill that administrators in all state offices should possess and be able to carry out.

In conclusion, we believe that a message needs to be delivered to directors of state unemployment systems in Ohio and throughout the United States: It’s not just a good idea to assure that your state is prepared to help people affected by a catastrophic event like a pandemic.

It’s your job.