Plan aids education support staff

Nevada would grant unemployment benefits for this summer

Nevada’s education support staff would be eligible for unemployment benefits for the upcoming summer under a new proposal, state officials said Friday.

The state Department of

Employment, Training and Rehabilitation said that its proposed emergency regulation, if approved, would make benefits available to the Nevada’s education support staff this summer.

“We understand the state’s education support employees are in a unique situation due to the pandemic. Many will be able to return to their jobs this summer. This proposed emergency regulation will provide targeted relief for those employees who don’t have that option,” said Lynda Parven, DETR’S Employment Security Division administrator, in a news release Friday.

Currently, education support staffers are not eligible for unemployment insurance benefits in the summer term except in limited circumstances. DETR, however, has the authority under Senate Bill 3 from the 2020 special legislative session, to propose emergency regulations.

Elisa Cafferata, head of DETR, told state lawmakers Friday that the proposal is a one-time solution from the aid in President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan.

“What we have worked on with the (Nevada State Education Association) is that

“Las Vegas is still at 10 percent unemployment, so a company owner feels like there should be a pretty good pool of candidates. They’re going about their traditional hiring method,” said Garcia, regional vice president for professional staffing company Robert Half. “But on the candidate side, oh, my gosh, I can’t tell you how many people I talk to every single day that will take less money — significantly less money — if it’s remote.”

Romero, who also runs Sunrise Coffee, said she’s looking to hire a large number of people. Typically, the company is able to hire job seekers who stop by the cafe with a resume in hand, but it’s also started using online job boards.

“It’s been very difficult,” she said. “The other thing is people coming in wanting to work and then feeling it’s just too soon … because, yeah, cafes are not the lowest-risk jobs in the world. You’re not sitting at your home office working away getting paid. You do have to get in contact with customers.”

The pandemic forced employers to implement remote work and the once-unusual setup has led many workers to prefer staying at home.

Advance Auto Parts Senior Human Resource Manager Greg Brown admits applicants are still concerned about working in a setting that demands face-to-face customer interaction.

“We have noticed the overall candidate pool has receded,” Brown said in an emailed statement. “There’s still a hesitancy for some people regarding working in a retail setting with increased in-person interaction, even with our strict cleaning and social distancing protocols.”

The auto parts and accessories retailer has about 100 job openings in Southern Nevada. It’s also planning to open five more Advance locations in the area this year.

Basso of Heart Attack Grill said one thing he’s doing differently is advertising positions, noting that the restaurant needs about five more workers.

“For the first time, I’ve actually had to take out ads and try to bring people in,” he said. “I will be performing most of those $12 an hour tasks myself because we simply can’t find people.”