Lawmakers want IDES offices opened to the public

From SJ-R.com – Over a year after Illinois Department of Employment Security offices were shuttered and services moved online during the pandemic, the offices remain closed even as the state begins returning to normal.

Lawmakers say there is no excuse for them to remain closed. 

“In-person services have been open by the secretary of state since June with little interruption. There is absolutely no reason why the unemployment offices are not available to serve our constituents,” said state Rep. Joe Sosnowski, R-Rockford. 

Lawmakers say they are still hearing from constituents about having a hard time getting help from IDES or dealing with fraudulent unemployment benefits. On top of that, state Rep. Martin McLaughlin, R-Barrington Hills, said customer service from IDES employees has been rude, with staffers even hanging up on people seeking help. 

In a statement to The State Journal-Register on Thursday, IDES spokeswoman Rebecca Cisco said physical safety at unemployment and department offices was a serious concern. 

“A local office was vandalized and had a large piece of equipment thrown through the office window while another local office experienced a bomb threat; police reports were filed in both incidents. While there have been other physical incidents of this nature, staff routinely experience verbal threats from individuals via the phone and through email.  Collectively, this remains a concern, and is being considered as the Department looks for a way to move forward with a phased reopening,” Cisco said.