What is Hawaii Unemployment Updates & Support Group, exactly? And what’s a hot topic of group discussion?

It is a private membership Facebook group started in early April to fill the void of information for unemployment claimants; we currently have 27,000 members. Through shared member experiences and research, we have compiled the largest library of information in the state and keep it up to date.

We research provisions in federal COVID-19 relief funding, speak with human resources professionals and members of the press that may have just interviewed state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DLIR) officials. We are not recognized as an official news outlet by DLIR. So, efforts to communicate with or interview DLIR officials have not been accepted. We estimate that we can impact about 75,000 claimants, when including immediate family members.

One topic of discussion is payment delays (freezes) stemming from overpayment issues. Currently, in Hawaii, there are as many as 15,000 backlogged overpayment claims. … Other states look to have mitigated most overpayments prior to the junction of exhausting regular UI (unemployment insurance) benefits and the federal extension of PEUC (Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation). … California has an online site to make restitution for overpayments.

Thoughts on the state’s yearlong halt of in-person services for claimants?

Initially, DLIR’s director stated concern about the possibility of COVID-19 outbreak in a UI office, due to in-person appointments. More recently, in addition to health risks, other reasons have included a potential slowdown in processing time, and inability to handle crowd control and security.

Offering in-person services could help fix non-adjudication issues, and could be a more user- friendly option, especially for claimants that do not speak English as their first language. … But it seems offering in-person or virtual appointments would not solve the problem of a shortage of examiners.

What sorts of stories are you hearing that illustrate frustration or absurdity in connection with UI problems?

One member waited 27 weeks for her claim to be sorted out because she changed jobs twice in 2019; she had to rely on her friends to bring her food. Another, a mother of two, was fired for being in the same room as a co-worker who had committed theft; she waited 20 weeks while that issue was sorted out.

What’s your story? Also, as a group moderator, how do you handle the stress tied to assisting stressed-out people?

I was laid off in April (from car rental industry employment on Maui), but belong to a union that holds our seniority for rehire. Business is heating up, and I hope to be rehired in advance of the typically busy summer season.

When laid off, initially, I filled out the web-based claim form, which was a way around the clogged UI website. But when I attempted to register a user name and password, the UI portal responded that it could not find my claim. Turns out they had stacked the web-based applications onto a pile for a manual data entry process into their mainframe system. After no progress for five weeks and unable to file weekly certifications, I called full-time for eight straight days before finally speaking with someone at DLIR. Further complicating my claim was that I had changed jobs twice in 2019. Despite my troubles, I see myself as one of the lucky ones.

I joined the Facebook group in April — and with founder Kanani Elaban and moderator Jaime Taamu, formed the “Three Musketeers.” I generally work from 9 a.m. to midnight. We categorized subjects into more than 70 topics folders, so the Facebook site has become a true self-service resource. In addition to updates and information on unemployment, we have consistent information on food drives as well as updates on rent, mortgage and utility bills aid.

We get gratification from shedding light on the unknown, which can alleviate anxiety for claimants. For my own relief from stress, I take regular walks on the beach, and occasional long drives.

Your group assists a private forum for Japanese- speakers. How’s that effort going? Thoughts on addressing language barriers?

We assist a group of about 30,000, and most are in the Japanese tour and hospitality industry. We work through an intermediary who translates into their forum. Their PEUC post had 109,000 views. … DLIR could better address language barriers by offering a question-answer guide in multiple languages to identify glitches and matters that stall claims, and recommended actions to take. We are maintaining a Q&A of our own, and we’re in the process of having foreign language members review our Q&A — and our entire Facebook page — as translated by a Facebook function.

We are also looking for a way to place the DLIR Claimant’s Handbook on pdf to be translated by third-party software.

THE BIO FILE

>> Title: Hawaii Unemployment Updates & Support Group, volunteer moderator (www.facebook.com/groups/219837182568864)

>> Background: Born in Hong Kong, and raised in San Francisco. Worked in ocean transportation (shipping container lines between the U.S. mainland’s West Coast and South Pacific islands) and ground transportation, real estate (commercial property sales), trade and tourism promotion (between the U.S. and South Pacific nations, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development), and — for six years now — the car rental industry.

>> One more thing: I have a passion for cooking, including barbecue, so I’m a bit of a foodie. My baby is a copper four-burner Weber grill.