The Guam Department of Labor says it’s continuing to work out the glitches with its online unemployment application.
GDOL is reporting that at least half of the issues are user-related.
As of this morning, 1240 had already inputted information for around 23,000 affected residents on Guam.
Department of Labor Director David Dell’Isola says he knows everyone’s in a hurry to apply.
“This UI program, you have to be organized and you have to read it very well and you have to make sure that you enter your information correctly. I know that some of the glitches are from the program, but the majority of glitches are because people are putting in the wrong information and not maybe understanding the question,” Dell’Isola said.
Dell’Isola says that’s a major obstacle for them right now — human errors made while applying.
He says they’re trying to finish getting the physical processing center ready so residents can go and get help from trained staff and also gain access to computers and other necessary equipment.
That will be at the Guam Community College by-appointment-only when it opens.
That space will also serve as a call center for people needing help from home.
Among the user-errors that DOL is reporting are employees registering for their company instead of themselves. Wrong social security numbers are also an issue, not knowing the right name of the employer, and people who have used Hire Guam previously but forgetting their username and passwords.
Dell’Isola also says the terminology in the application might not be familiar to everyone.
“The term unemployment, in the UI application, means not only the date that you were unemployed or furloughed, but also the date that you were reduced in hours. Even if you come back at reduced hours, you’re still unemployed, but you’d still input your income every day and then the system calculates what you automatically, what your assistance would be if you still meet the threshold,” Dell’Isola said.
The Department of Administration will be sending out payments — whether electronic deposits or mailed cheques — and Dell’Isola says payments need to be made within 21 days of an approved claim.
##
