Call centers open Saturdays in January

Wethersfield, Conn. (WTNH) - The Department of Labor's Call centers will be open on Saturdays in January to help with the heavy volume of callers filing unemployment claims.

"The first few weeks in January are traditionally the busiest of the year for us in terms of unemployment claims as a result of shutdowns for school workers, layoffs in the construction industry and seasonal layoffs in retail establishments," noted Labor Commissioner Glenn Marshall.

The Connecticut Department of Labor's TeleBenefits Call Centers will be taking calls on Saturday, January 7 from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

To further assist residents, Call Centers will also be extending their hours during the week. Residents can call from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Fridays.

"With more than 112,000 benefits payments being processed each week, we recognize that with the increased amount of initial claims being filed we must look at innovative ways to help our claimants," noted Commissioner Marshall.

Call Centers will be open on subsequent Saturdays in January to assist claimants that need to file for benefits.

"Additional staff have been asked to help process claims during this busy time and any individual having difficulty reaching a Customer Service Representative will not be penalized if they are unable to file in a timely manner," Commissioner Marshall said.

"We actually had other people working that wouldn't normally. We also worked extended hours this week. Based on the fact that Friday, today is still busy we decided that we need to be open on Saturday," said Nancy Steffens of the State Department of Labor.

Those filing continued claims typically do not need to speak to the Customer Service Representative and are encouraged to file online .