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TOPEKA – On Monday, May 18, the Kansas Department of Labor Contact Center will begin operating 10 hours a day during the week but will discontinue its Saturday hours. The move is part of the agency’s continued effort to deploy staff when calls from unemployed Kansans are greatest. Under the new hours of operation, the Labor Department’s Unemployment Contact Center will take calls from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The center will end its Saturday hours on May 16. Until the change, the center will continue to operate on the extended hours schedule of 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. Those hours were implemented on February 9, at the height of the economic crisis. The result was a surge in the number of calls answered and a significant decline in wait times. Agency officials said at the time that the extended hours were temporary but would remain in place as long as they were needed. Nearly three months later, an agency analysis shows that customer service representatives can answer more overall calls if they are fully staffed during peak hours. In fact, wait times are lowest when the center is at full strength and call volumes are at their highest, the analysis shows. While the Saturday hours did offer an alternative, most Kansans continued to call on Mondays and Tuesdays. The solution, agency officials concluded, was to deploy more staff during peak periods while expanding the center’s weekday hours. "Our mission is very clear: We want to have the most people available to handle the most calls from Kansans in need," said Secretary of Labor Jim Garner. "We’ll continue to look at our numbers and make any adjustments we need to meet that challenge." Garner also praised his staff for continuing to find improvements to meet the demands of the unemployment crisis. In addition to expanding Contact Center hours and hiring additional staff, the agency assigned a special team of unemployment insurance experts to tackle the backlog of cases involving Kansans who qualified for extended benefits. That backlog has now been eliminated. Recent system improvements have made it easier for people to change their address, password and other information on the agency’s Web site instead of calling the center. Garner urged Kansans to file their claims online, at the department's unemployment benefits Web site, www.uibenefits.dol.ks.gov The Labor Department offered the following tips for those seeking assistance online or over the phone: • The online filing system is the fastest way to determine your eligibility. You may file your initial claim application for unemployment benefits online on Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. • You can file your continuing weekly claim for unemployment benefits either online or through the department's automated telephone system during the following times: Sunday: Midnight to 6 a.m. and Noon to Midnight Wait times, while cut in half from their peak earlier this year, are still typically shorter on Wednesdays and Thursdays. You can reach the Contact Center by calling one of the following phone numbers: Kansas City area (913) 596-3500 If you have already been approved to receive unemployment benefits and you have questions specifically regarding your Unemployment Benefits Debit Card, please visit www.prepaid.citi.com/kansas or contact Citi’s toll-free Customer Service number at 1-800-582-4910. Kansas Department of Labor News Room Kansas Department of Labor News Room Archive
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