The State of Connecticut, Department of Labor (DOL) is recruiting Labor Department Community Services Representatives to work in our Consumer Contact Center located in Wethersfield, CT.
Position Highlights:
- Full-time, 40 hours per week
- First (1st) shift
- Monday - Friday
- 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
- May be required to travel to the Department of Labor’s Wethersfield location for operational needs and training.
The Role:
In the Consumer Contact Center, the Labor Department Community Services Representative
- Serves as a front-line service provider for all services necessary for the determination of monetary eligibility for Unemployment Compensation benefits
- Correspond with Claimants on a variety of matters related to Unemployment Compensation claims;
- Provide technical support in pertinent areas; create, update, and maintain claim management; obtain and verify data
- Apply federal and/or state laws and guidelines process new, additional, and continued unemployment insurance claims
- Perform customer call-backs via telephone and/or online
- Reviews application and secures additional data needed; analyzes work history to determine appropriate benefit program
- Assesses need for non-monetary hearing based on reason for separation or any barriers to employability
- Makes appropriate adjustments to system wage file or refers to a field auditor as needed
- Processes adjustments to claims
- Investigates and resolves held claims and exceptions
- Enter work search waivers
- Process information requests
- Data enters Field Office Denials
- Processes Statements of Late Filings. Reviews, analyzes, and corrects claims under a variety of special programs including military, federal, out of state or multistate claims and claims involving reduced hours, pensions, child support or shared work.
- Applies federal and/or state laws and guidelines to make monetary determinations and other disposition of claims; Corresponds with employers, Claimants, and their representatives on variety of matters; Creates, updates, and maintains case management files.
About Us:
The Department of Labor (DOL) is committed to protecting and promoting the interests of Connecticut workers. In order to accomplish this in a constantly evolving environment, we assist workers and employers to become competitive in the global economy. We take a comprehensive approach to meeting the needs of workers and employers, and the other agencies that serve them. We ensure the supply of high-quality integrated services that serve the needs of our customers.
What’s In It For You:
Visit our new State Employee Benefits Overview page!
- Professional growth and paid professional development opportunities.
- A healthy work-life balance to all employees.
- State of Connecticut is an eligible Public Service Loan Forgiveness employer, meaning you may be eligible to have qualifying student loan forgiveness after 10 years of service. Click here for more information.
Discover the opportunity to:
- Engage in a rewarding career
- Assist our employees so they can achieve success
- Make a difference in the public sector
- Work together in a collaborative team environment
FOR ASSISTANCE IN APPLYING:
Check out our Applicant Tips on How to Apply! Need more resources? Visit our Applicant Reference Library for additional support throughout the recruitment process.
BEFORE YOU APPLY:
- Meet Minimum Qualifications: Ensure you meet the Minimum Qualifications listed on the job opening by the job closing date. You must specify your qualifications on your application. The minimum experience and training requirements listed must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified.
- Educational Credits: List your earned credits and degrees from accredited institutions accurately on your application. To receive educational credits towards qualification, the institution must be accredited. If the institution of higher learning is located outside of the U.S., you are responsible for providing documentation from a recognized USA accrediting service which specializes in determining foreign education equivalencies to the contact listed below.
- Resume Policy: Per Public Act 21-69, resumes are not accepted during the initial application process. As the recruitment process progresses, candidates may be required to submit additional documentation to support their qualification(s) for this position. This documentation may include: a cover letter, resume, transcripts, diplomas, performance reviews, attendance records, supervisory references, licensure, etc., at the request and discretion of the hiring agency.
- Preferred Shift/Location: Select all location(s) and shift(s) you are willing to work on your application. Failure to do so may result in not being considered for vacancies in that specific location or shift.
- Timely Submission: All application materials must be received by the job posting deadline. You will be unable to make revisions once you officially submit your application to the State. Late submissions are rarely accepted, with exceptions only for documented events that incapacitate individuals during the entire duration of the job posting. Request exceptions by emailing [email protected].
- Salary Calculations: For current state employees, salary calculations are not necessarily comparable from one of the three branches of state government (i.e., Executive, Legislative, Judicial) to the other.
- Note: The only way to apply to this posting is via the ‘Apply’ or ‘Apply Online’ buttons on the official State of Connecticut Online Employment Center job posting.
AFTER YOU APPLY:
- Some email providers may experience delays or issues delivering messages. To avoid missing important updates—such as referral questionnaires or interview scheduling links—please check your Personal Status Board regularly. For added convenience, you can also enable text (SMS) notifications. To do this, log in to your Personal Status Board and select “Update My Contact Information.”
- Referral Questions: This posting may require completion of additional Referral Questions (RQs), which must be completed by the questionnaire’s expiration date. If requested, RQs can be accessed via an email sent to you after the job close date or by visiting your JobAps Personal Status Board (Certification Questionnaires section).
- Prepare For An Interview: Interviews are limited to those whose experience and training are most aligned with the role. To prepare, review this helpful Interview Preparation Guide to make the best impression!
- Stay connected! Log in daily to your JobAps Personal Status Board to track your status and check email (including spam/junk folders) for updates and tasks.
- The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class.
- Note: This position will be filled in accordance with contractual language, reemployment, SEBAC, transfer, promotion and merit employment rules. Candidates who are offered and accept a position with the State of Connecticut are bound by the State Code of Ethics for Public Officials and State employees, available at www.ct.gov/ethics.
QUESTIONS? WE’RE HERE TO HELP:
Due to high volume, we are unable to confirm receipt or provide status updates directly. For recruitment updates, please check your Personal Status Board and review our Frequently Asked Questions. If you have additional questions about the recruitment process, reach out to at [email protected].
Join the State of Connecticut and take your next career step with confidence!
In the Department of Labor this class is accountable for providing client services in the areas of unemployment insurance, assessment of clients needs, placement of workers and employer services; in a Central Unit this class is accountable for performing basic technical tasks in the following functional areas: claims examination, benefit payment control and merit rating.
CENTRAL UNIT:
- Performs basic technical tasks within operational support functional areas of claims examination, benefit payment control and merit rating;
- Reviews employer protest to unemployment insurance benefit charges, researches issues and makes initial charge/non-charge decisions;
- Audits and recalculates employer tax rates based on protest determinations;
- Participates in compilation and dissemination of quarterly and annual employer accounts statements;
- Conducts fraud audits by reviewing quarterly cross match reports and automated files;
- Obtains information needed to verify overpayments;
- Calculates overpayment(s) amounts including penalties;
- Reviews, analyzes and corrects claims under a variety of special programs including military, federal, out of state or multistate claims and claims involving reduced hours, pensions, child support or shared work;
- Obtains and verifies data;
- Applies federal and/or state laws and guidelines to make monetary determinations and other disposition of claims;
- Reviews and processes special program claim appeals;
- Corresponds with employers, claimants and their representatives on variety of matters;
- Provides technical support to local offices in pertinent areas;
- Creates, updates and maintains case management files;
- Maintains records and prepares reports;
- May collect overpayments as assigned;
- Performs related duties as required.
FIELD UNIT:
- Serves as a front-line service provider for all services necessary for determination of monetary eligibility for unemployment insurance benefits;
- Reviews benefit application and secures additional data needed;
- Analyzes work history to determine appropriate benefit program;
- Assesses need for non-monetary hearing based on reason for separation or any barriers to employability;
- Makes appropriate adjustments to system wage file or refers to a field auditor as needed;
- Processes adjustments to claims, investigates and resolves held claims and exceptions;
- Provides information, referral, assessment, eligibility determinations and certification for all job service and employment and training programs;
- Determines barriers to employment;
- Assesses needs and refers client to employment counseling, training, employment planning or other support services;
- Develops job opportunities for clients whose skills do not match current listings;
- Periodically assesses continuing eligibility;
- Assists in developing work search plan;
- Customizes and conducts job search and vocational exploration workshops;
- Works with employers to seek, place and follow up on workers with appropriate skills;
- Provides services, including outreach services, to specialized client groups as assigned;
- Provides and explains information on programs, procedures, policies, laws and regulations to clients, employers and others as appropriate;
- May assist in training new or lower-level staff;
- Performs related duties as required.
Knowledge of
- job service, unemployment insurance and employment and training laws, regulations, policies and procedures;
- interviewing techniques and principles;
Skills
- interpersonal skills;
- oral and written communication skills;
- analytical skills;
Ability to
- make decisions;
- establish cooperative relationships with staff, employers, diverse client population and the public;
- use automated systems;
- maintain good public relations;
- understand, apply and explain relevant laws, regulations, policies, programs and procedures;
- create and maintain case management records.
Five (5) years of technical level experience in counseling, employment placement, veterans employment and training support services, public contact work, human service programs, community action programs, job service, unemployment insurance or employment and training functions.
- College training may be substituted for the General Experience on the basis of fifteen (15) hours equalling one-half (1/2) year of experience to a maximum four (4) years for a Bachelor's degree.
- For state employees two (2) years of experience as a Social Services Trainee with the target class of Labor Department Community Services Representative may be substituted for the General Experience.
- For state employees two (2) years of experience as an Employment Security Intermittent Interviewer may be substituted for the General Experience.
- Successful completion of a Connecticut Careers Trainee program approved by the Department of Administrative Services may be substituted for the General Experience.
- Experience with computers and using Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Outlook, Excel, and Teams.
- Experience conversing with Spanish speaking individuals via transcribing and translating Spanish to English and English to Spanish.
- Experience receiving and making a high volume of customer calls in a call center environment.
- Experience working in a fast-paced, call center environment.
- Experience working independently and utilizing resources to resolve customer inquiries.
- Experience using job-related computer systems and independently resolving systems issues to complete assigned tasks.
- Incumbents in this class assigned to veterans program positions will be required to meet the qualifications set forth in Title 38, i.e. must be veterans, preferably disabled veterans, or other qualified, eligible persons. Any employee who bumps a Labor Department Community Service Representative in a veterans program position must meet the eligibility requirements under Title 38.
- Incumbents in this class may be required to speak a foreign language.
- Incumbents in this class may be required to travel.
