Vermont stopped online unemployment claims after fraud spike reformer.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from reformer.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Chief: Motel housing homeless during virus straining police
April 28, 2021 GMT
BERLIN, Vt. (AP) Criminal activity at a central Vermont motel that is serving as a homeless shelter during the coronavirus pandemic is straining the Berlin Police Department, according to its police chief.
“It doesn’t seem to be lessening, it just seems to be getting worse,” Chief James Pontbriand told the select board during a virtual meeting this week, the Times Argus reported. The Hilltop Inn has been the source of a range of criminal activity, from sex and drug offenses to disputes, with 46 complaints this quarter, compared to 41 last year and 12 the year before that, he said.
3:33
Vermont is ending the suspension on the work search requirement for those on unemployment. That was a key topic during the governor’s regular COVID briefing today.
Before the pandemic people claiming unemployment were required to look for work each week and notify the Department of Labor what jobs they had applied for. During the pandemic the work search requirement was suspended due to safety concerns. State Labor Commissioner Michael Harrington announced the suspension is being lifted. “The VT Forward Plan is in place and moving forward and vaccine distribution is continuing at a steady pace. Vermont is moving forward to more normalcy because our health officials feel it is safe to do so. This means more opportunities for Vermonters to return to work and we know employers are actively seeking people to fill open jobs. With all of this in mind the department is announcing the reinstatement of the work search requirement beginning the week of May 9th. This means indivi
“With over 20,000 individuals collecting regular unemployment, we are hopeful that reinstating the work search will encourage claimants to take advantage of the job opportunities available in Vermont,” said Harrington, in a news release following the news conference.
The decision will impact people receiving benefits under the state s regular unemployment insurance program, as well as federal extended benefits programs.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Labor Department had waived the work search requirement in order to ensure the safety of thousands of Vermonters, Harrington said.
Now, as laid-off workers complete their weekly unemployment claims online, they will have to report to the department any job searches they have conducted over the course of the week they were unemployed.
Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Department of Labor Commissioner Michael Harrington today issued the following statement:
“On Monday April 26, 2021, the Vermont Department of Labor received formal notification from Koffee Kup Bakery (KKB), in the form of a Notice of Potential Layoff (also referred to as a WARN Notice), that the company was ceasing operations at its Burlington and Brattleboro facilities effective immediately. In an effort to immediately support the roughly 250 Vermonters who have lost their jobs, our Workforce Development and Unemployment Insurance divisions have begun the process of coordinating Rapid Response services. Additionally, a number of employers across the state have contacted the Department of Labor interested in hiring individuals who were impacted by this closure.