Rep. Jami Cate Criticizes OED's Reduced Unemployment Customer Service Hours

May 16, 2024 – Jami Cate: Facebook Post

To better serve Oregonians needing help receiving unemployment benefits, OED announced today they will be REDUCING the hours they will answer phone calls from those Oregonians starting June 3rd.

One of the reasons given? “Many callers are simply seeking updates on their claims. However, our data shows that roughly one third of the time, we can do nothing more over the phone.” So Oregonians with bills to pay and no paycheck aren’t supposed to want an update of when they can expect their benefits. And this is improved customer service. Riiiiight.

From the email:

Please help us get the word out to your constituents as we make these changes in June.

· Phone lines will be closed for Unemployment Insurance, Paid Leave Oregon, and Contributions & Recovery on Mondays, starting Monday, June 3.
· The phone hour changes go into effect on Tuesday, June 4.
    o Staff will answer inbound calls from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
    o Staff will answer calls on hold until about 6 p.m.
    o This change will also affect live chat for UI.
· The most efficient way to contact us is by messaging us through a Frances Online account or by using the Contact Us form.
    o Please do not send more than one request for the same issue.
    o If customers have questions about the status of their claim, they should log into their Frances Online account each day to check their action center, follow any instructions, and respond to any questionnaires they find there.
· Hours for WorkSource Oregon offices and other OED programs will not be affected.
· The weekly claim line, Frances Online, and our online Contact Us form will remain available 24 hours a day.
· Customers can still start the initial claims process using the UI telephone initial claim line 24 hours a day, but they must complete it within phone hours.
· Employers who need to file a payroll report but have no employees will be able to file a report 24 hours a day by phone at 503-378-3981.

We appreciate your understanding and support as we carry out these changes to better serve Oregonians. We understand that they may cause some hardship for some Oregonians in the short term; however, we are confident that our customers will benefit in the long term. We will continue to keep you updated on our progress and any further developments.