Skip to Content

Frustrations mount as workers file for unemployment: Website crashes, on hold for hours

unemployment rate generic
MGN

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment announced assistance for workers and employers during temporary closures amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

But many workers are having difficulty filing due to a website backlog issue. Some Colorado Springs residents are saying they've experienced website crashes, backlogs, no one answering calls and even being on hold for over four hours. Many people are just giving up entirely.

Christine Morse says, "I called this morning and it was a busy signal for well over an hour. I finally did get through to hear a message that said, 'we have no further information for you at this time, please check back.'”

Some people worry they'll be forced to wait an additional six to 12 weeks before their unemployment is approved. And once approved, they're uncertain on how to move forward if everything’s shut down.

"Next week, it’s going to get really bad. What do we do? Where do we go if everything’s closed, are they going to send us a check? Well if the banks are closed, what do we do with that check?" said Morse.

Frustrations grow as the website continues to crash in the process.

A spokeswoman for the labor department said on Tuesday there were over 6,800 "attempts to file" for unemployment insurance on the state's system.

Cher Haavind, from the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, says, "With some systems, downtime to perform maintenance and page load slowness and other things that are a result of this unprecedented amount of volume in this short period of time."

She adds that there are high traffic times that could be avoided and recommends trying to file for unemployment late at night or very early in the morning.

"There are two ways to apply for benefits," said Haavind. "The preferred way is online. You can call in, [but] again we suggest against it because you could be experiencing long hold times."

As the week progresses, Cher Haavind expects to see thousands continue to file for unemployment and asks for everyone's patience. "All of this is a result of a very large volume of users that have come through the system in a short period of time," she adds.

Article Topic Follows: News

Jump to comments ↓

Author Profile Photo

Kerjan Donovan

BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION

KRDO NewsChannel 13 is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation.

Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here

If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here.

Skip to content