City of Hattiesburg officials have filed for unemployment benefits through the Mississippi Department of Employment Security “en masse” for each of the employees affected by the city’s recent layoff measures.
Samantha McCain, chief communications officer for the city, said the measure was created by MDES to ensure that all laid-off employees are able to access the maximum unemployment benefits allowable from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.
The act, also known as the CARES Act, is paying more than $2 trillion in economic assistance for American workers, families and small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Knowing that reductions in force might be inevitable for many organizations, businesses and government agencies, (MDES) created a systematic approach to helping employers file on behalf of their employees – en masse,” McCain said. “Very simply, the City of Hattiesburg cut out a significant step in what can be a cumbersome process for individuals filing for unemployment and helped each set up an online account that will help he or she certify weekly.
“From there, each is responsible for certifying their unemployment account via MDES’ suite of online tools/apps each week. If at any time each is faced with an obstacle regarding their unemployment process, he or she can call the city’s HR department to troubleshoot and receive help.”
One employee in the city’s human resources department has been designated as a primary resource to specifically help employees navigate the process.
The amount of compensation for employees will vary, depending on each employee’s situation.
“Due to the timeline and availability of funding, our employees affected by the reduction in force are able to take full advantage of enhanced unemployment benefits due to the CARES Act,” McCain said. “Helping them through that process was a guiding priority, which required working specifically with our HR department to build a relationship with MDES that would work to their benefit.”
