How Does Michigan Grocery Stores Stay Open Yet Unemployment Insurance Agency Still Closed?
I know this has been known but I never really put two and two together until I read a piece published yesterday in the Detroit News. In that piece they wrote:
“The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency plans to reopen its 12 offices by mid-July after a more than 15-month closure and a record number of claimants...The offices have been closed since March 2020 because of safety concerns for claimants and employees as well as the belief that employees can better serve claimants over the phone or online.”
I first thought about all the real heroes who woke up every day and actually put on a pair of pants or a dress and went to their place of employment to work. I immediately thought of all of the grocery store workers who probably make much less than half of what State workers make when you account for benefits.
Not many people are pointing this out but I will continue to do so.
I then thought if they believe “that employees can better serve claimants over the phone or online” why are they reopening their offices. The state should save us all some money and stop paying rent or if we own them sell the buildings.
At a time when they were needed the employees of the grocery stores stood up and did their jobs as heroes do.
People who were laid off by Governor Whitmer need money to buy groceries. During this time the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency failed those people. People from many parts of Michigan contacted me as well as their Representatives to inform us they were not being paid their unemployment and waited for, hours on the phone and in many cases disconnected. In fact, many waited for months to get their unemployment claims processed. Perhaps if the offices were open the major problems that many were experiencing could have been resolved faster.
If the grocery stores found a way to serve their customers the State of Michigan certainly could have.
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