Connecticut Department of Labor
Reviews and Complaints

I have been out of work for two months. I filed a claim the day after I was laid off of my seasonal job and was offered a wage that didn’t even make sense being how long I’ve been employed with the company. To make a long story short I was told to invalidate my claim for a new one the same day I started my new claim I did so. It has been two months since I originally filed, I can’t speak with an actual person, I don’t receive response on emails, callbacks are two/ threes weeks out just for a callback. It’s ridiculous I can barely feed myself because of this constant delay and non communication. No one even calls or emails on status updates. It’s ridiculous. The automated system just hangs up on you without even getting a chance to speak with someone.

Please be advised that there are multiple employees that are being paid cash and are obviously not of legal status. Those on payroll having many irregular and inconsistent paychecks according to hours worked and tips accrued. Joe criscuolo the owner physically walks around and hands out cash to illegal employees who cannot provide legal or citizenship status.

Rowayton pizza

104 rowayton avenue

Rowayton, ct 06853

[protected]

Owner: joe criscuolo

I was fired from a tattoo shop November 15, 2022 for telling the owner he was misclassifying employees as independent contractors. I filed Unemployment the next day. The DOL had a tax agent call the very next day to collect their taxes but 8 months later I’m learning more and more that the DOL doesn’t care about employees.

Todd Startz and Mary Toner in Wage and Standards are extremely rude and then will lie and say you were the one rude to them. Their boss Tom W. said I was lying and they were telling the truth even though I recorded the whole thing. They sent me a letter saying I was banned from all DOL offices and American Job centers for 3 months even though they don’t have jurisdiction to do so. I was given no way to appeal this punishment without due process.

This was all because 8 months into the investigation Todd Startz hasn’t even really investigated anything. I was told “disagreeing with a Wage and Standards officer is the same as yelling fire in a theater.

All the workers just tell you they are under staffed as an excuse for their incompetence.

We have been trying to be paid by the department of labor since December 19, 2022. No one returns calls, you cannot speak to a live person and the appointments are two weeks out each time you sign up for a call back. The wait time and turn around time to speak to someone is unacceptable given the fact that your family needs the benefits to pay for food, clothing and housing for your family. How is a family to make ends meet with no pay for almost 2 months since filing for the first time benefit.

I've been trying to reach the Contact Center for over 2 weeks now to get some answers to my Eligibility Issue status on my claim for Unemployment Benefits.

I sign up for a callback as the system directs. I receive a callback, but end up waiting on hold for hours at a time and no representative/agent ever answers the call.

I'm just trying to talk to someone to resolve my Eligibility Issue, but I can never get the chance to talk to anyone.

Initial callback - Tuesday, January 3rd - 8:45 - Agent had no answers for me. Just told me to continue to file.

signed up for another callback- Thursday Jan 5th - 1:45 - on hold for over an hour. No agent ever picked up.

signed up for another callback - Wed Jan 11th - 7:45 - on hold for almost an hour and no agent ever picked up.

signed up for another callback by calling directly and leaving my number for callback today (Jan 11th -) but no one has called me back yet.

PLEASE HELP!

how can an automated system make me wait a week to unlock my account… only to lock itself out immediately because software doesn’t like existing password after unlock>> AND THEN, automated system won’t allow me another support date for another 7 days. I haven’t gotten a check for a month. And internally this began because intake software no longer requires a return to work date when you are job attached ! Who knew?

I work as a server $6.38/hr. My job was pocketing half of my tips. I reported this illegal tip skimming to DOL. I was then fired for contacting DOL. The state did a terrible investigation and brushed me off which is what Boston Federal told me in their own words. Boston said this time a real investigation would take place. Again she said State already ruled on this matter and she did not investigate the theft of my tips as she said she would. She lied to me. She also did nothing about the fact that the employer fired me for contacting DOL back in July 2022. This investigation just wrapped up this week by Ivette Rosario. The employer in the past was charged with kick back scheme and felonies. Now the state of CT allowed them to steal my wages and didn’t have my back when I tried to go up against these corrupt owners. Had she done her job she would have found tons of violations including tax evasion! But she didn’t do her job!

I have been working two full time jobs for 30 years. I was fired from one full time job that provided 2/3 of my income.

I was given a call by the STATE after filling Unemployment of CT online for several weeks and not being sent any checks. Elizabeth Maldonado Adjudication person /specialist from the State of CT called and told me I was not allowed unemployment because I have a job the same job I have had for many years. She is supposed to be contacting my last employer not calling me up stating I can't collect unemployment because I am working a job I had while working the job I just lost. Her phone is [protected]

I was filing unemployment for the other full-time job of 19 years.

She was rude and cold and said it doesn't matter if you were working 2 full time jobs for many years.

You cannot collect unemployment if you still have one job.

I wanted to file an appeal and she said I can't until the system is finished with my unemployment case.

Yet she told us it was finished I would not receive any unemployment, but I would still have to go without any money from unemployment and still prolong the wait to file the appeal.

I am a hard worker and worked two full time jobs to be able to pay rent and bills in Norwalk CT. My wife can't work she is a cancer survivor. I paid taxes from both full-time jobs that goes toward unemployment. I work now only 1 full time job while interviewing and filling out applications every single day.

I use my breaks and lunch to skype interviews from my phone and yet unemployment denies my right to collect unemployment while out of work!

I filed unemployment from a full time job I lost after 19 years also I work another full time job and have been doing so for 19 years.

I talked to several people and they say their is an investigation also they do not know how long it takes. I look on their website and they have next to my filings excessive income.

This organization is the worst. I want to work and look for work and interview skype from my other job every day. I worked two full time jobs plus overtime everyweek.

I worked 7 days a week 131/2 hours 3 days a week and 10 hours or more the rest of the week and would put in at least 8 hours of O.T. not for the hell of it to live a decent life which was paying Bills and High Rent and work, work, work.

Now that I need the unemployment, they aren't giving it to me!

I don't want it I rather work but I paid into it, and it probably is going to the government and people who collect money from the government who don't want to work.

Our government stabs the working people in the back and condones the lazy people who live off the government this needs to STOP!

PAY MY UNEMPLOYMENT THAT I CONTRIBUTED TO FOR OVER 19 YEARS TILL I GET A JOB!

Stop holding back money from people who are Workers and Looking for Work!

I was laid off three months ago, after filing my claim with unemployment, it got approved and I thought everything would be okay, and I would recieve my benefits. After countless phone calls and waiting, "issues", technical problems, two cases with the unemployed workers advocacy group, calls to lawyers, emails to the attourney general and senator, NO ONE seems to be able to help, and everyone just deflects the problems to someone else. It has now been three months, and I am on my second claim due to issues on there end, and I am officially homeless. It honestly just feels like a bad joke, and makes me wonder if the system is in fact designed to make it hard for people. How am I supposed to be looking for a job when I am recieving ZERO support from a system I have paid into my whole life?

Hello,

My current employer sends us our schedule on a digital platform, through the Homebase App, 2 to 3 days before our 1st scheduled shift. This is not enough time for any employee to plan their week for doctor appts., dentist appts., car service appts., or life in general. This happens on a weekly basis, every Sunday night or Monday morning. I'm reaching out to see if this is a violation of a Labor Law. My place of employment has been open for nearly a year now and this has been occurring the whole time. There is no manager, and the owner is never there. I work at WeHa Brewing and Roasting Co. in West Hartford, CT. The phone number is [protected]. It is, however, a business cell phone that the owner rarely answers. I apologize in advance if this is not a violation. Thank you for looking into it.

On June 14th 2022 I went to AFC for care. The receptionist told me I didn't have Ins, but I knew that was incorrect as I have worked for the State of CT, for many years. They only agreed to see me if I paid up front. So I did.

The a few days later, after I contacted my employer, they got my card online again, so I cared AFC and asked if they could use it and reimburse me, they said no.

They gave me the billing department number and told me I would have to go through them. I called, but every time I call, which has been many, I am put on a 20 minute or longer hold right from the start, which I wait through, and then promptly disconnected. After the third call, I finally reach a person. REALLY?

I explain what has happened, and they assure me a check is in the mail. I finally called the manager David, and the woman I was speaking to told me he said to patch me through his VM. I left a message with my phone number at the beginning of the message and at the end, but it has now been 4 days and I still have net received a call back, or a reimbursement check.

I improperly filled out my Job search on Sunday and my payments have been put on hold. I need to talk to someone but I have to wait 5-8 hours for someone to call me back. Most times I don't get a call back . If they do and I am not sitting on the phone, no return phone number is left on the recorder for me to return the call.
I need someone to talk to to fill out the form that was emailed to me. I don't have enough information to get the form accepted! I don't have a case number for opening the file so I can correct it!

What an ordeal I have had with the DOL. I applied March 26, 2021 after being on an unpaid leave due to Covid restrictions at my job since November 9, 2020 and then being terminated. I received my confirmation email from the DOL shortly after.
It is now May 6, 2021. I've been calling the DOL every day for weeks trying to find out why there's been so long of a delay. Every time, I get a recorded message stating they're too busy and cannot answer, and are not scheduling call backs at this time, then disconnected. Yesterday, I called the governors office. They weren't very nice, told me to start calling the DOL at 7:00am in order to schedule a call back.
This morning I did, and got a recording to call back later because it was outside normal the hours of 8am - 4pm
I called back at 7:55 am, and was able to input my number for a call back. They called back and when I (very politely) asked why it had been so long, the rep hung up on me. Just hung up, no explanation at all. I called the number they called from back immediately and got a different rep. After about a 20 minute wait, she said the application department apologizes that they never contacted me they had no explanation, just "oops" sorry… They said they needed more documents emailed to them, and now they're saying it will take another 6 to 8 weeks to process this claim.
My tires are bad. Struts are gone. Insurance is due in 5 days, registration is expired, savings is GONE, no health insurance, owe the electric company over $1k, phone is shut off and internet is next.
I will be applying for food stamps ASAP.
This is unacceptable.

I am an Independent Contractor who has suffered temporary shutdown due to COVID-19.

The CT DOL customer service number 860/967-0493 is not accepting messages and emails are not replied to. My claim has been in effect on or before March 29, 2020. I have NOT received any monies from UI benefits that I have paid via gainful employment since the age of 16-years old. I have made at least 100 calls and emails. ‘Melvin' a DOL employee called me back two months ago only to hang up on me hen I questioned why the weeks CTDOL held in my benefits was not applied to an overpayment that I had disputed.

The State and its reps need to take lack of manpower at DOL seriously. Too many claims are erroneously or negligently processed. My family is suffering needlessly.

I filed for unemployment 5 months agobut today was the last straw I collapased today in a wallgreens today and almost died becuase I couldnt count out my 7 dollars in quarters fast enough for a pack of [censored]ing benadryl I dont even care that I havent gotten they money yet im just utterly discusted in the lack of conection between the people and the goverment especially in times like these all I want is an email that says your working on it or something I dont know if I can survive another week

I've been claiming unemployment for about 5 wks. I've been out of work due to the Covid-19 Virus since May 2020. I haven't recieved any unemployment payments, not even qualified to apply for the Covid Pandemic benifits when I'lm out of work due to Covid-19. CT Dept of Labor needs to take care of CT Residents and pay us our money to be able to live

I have been waiting for a response from the Connecticut Department of Labor for many weeks now. Finally I open my mailbox which is attached to the unit where I live and needs a key to open to get the mail.

I finally received the letter with the envelope wripped open which of course someone had to open it and read it.

I blame the mail delivery person who might have put my mail in a different unit. It happens all the time. This letter is very personal and confidential which also has my social security number printed in the front page.

I wish something could be done about this. Of course the person who got my mail had no business openning my mail and reading it.