The Department of Labor & Industrial Relations (DLIR) today announced that the general call queue at its Hawaii Convention Center call center is unavailable today, March 25, as a result of a positive COVID-19 test. One staffer in a ballroom that serves general inquiries tested positive yesterday, and in response the department has shut down operations in that ballroom. The DLIR is conferring with and following the guidance of Department of Health (DOH) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines in response to the positive test and anticipates resuming normal operations on its next business day, Monday March 29.
Individuals with inquiries regarding the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program, employers, and those reporting fraud or identity theft may still call for assistance.
“We have sent home 85 staff, initiated contract tracing, arranged for deep cleaning, and are taking an abundance of caution per DOH and OSHA guidance in response to the situation. This is yet another reminder that we’re still in the midst of the pandemic, and we have to ensure the safety of our public servants who continue to provide critical services,” said DLIR Director Anne Perreira-Eustaquio.
The Hawaii Occupational Safety and Health Division (HIOSH) has previously undertaken an assessment of the affected workplace and found that the Unemployment Insurance Division already had preventative measures and procedures in place to respond to any workplace hazard associate with the COVID-19 Pandemic.
The Biden Administration recently released revised guidance on mitigating and preventing the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace to protect workers and is available at: https://www.osha.gov/coronavirus/safework
For more information about unemployment insurance and other labor issues pertaining to COVID-19 please visit the FAQs at https://labor.hawaii.gov/covid-19-labor-faqs/.