Kansas Department of Labor
Reviews and Complaints

Well it’s been over 2 years now and when I call the KDOL and try to wait to speak to a representative (if I don’t get a message saying “Hold time is 5 to 8 hrs call back later!”) the only answer I get is my PUA is still in review and they have no time frame that it will be resolved in! I am NOT fraudulent and have provided all the documentation necessary to receive my PUA. I don’t understand what’s really going on here and would like some answers! There is no way possible it would take this long to look at my case and determine an answer for me. It makes me wonder what is even going on with the public officials in office and if the money has been pocketed or just mysteriously vanished in to thin air (yeah right!)? In any case I think KDOL needs to be investigated and needs a very much needed overhaul of the whole system! For the officials running it to the employees working there...

I applied for unemployment insurance in March 2020 and was approved for PUA I started my weekly claims that ran from March 2020 to December 2020 but didn’t start receiving payments until the last week of September 2020 so I still had 29 weeks that I claimed that were not paid and couldn’t get in contact with KDOL resolve issue..I understood they were overwhelmed and had thousands of backlogged claims so I figured all I could do is be patient and eventually I would receive payment but instead I received a letter in April 2021,a whole year after qualifying for benefits saying that I was disqualified for the first 29 weeks which didn’t make sense why I was disqualified for those weeks but the last 12 weeks I received payment so I filed an appeal and didn’t get a hearing until another year later on April 19 which I felt was a long time to have to wait for a appeal and today is May 19 a month later and haven’t received a determination yet I don’t understand why it takes a year to get an appeal hearing and over a month for a determination on a simple case

I filed an appeal with the Kansas Department of Labor Office of Appeals. The appeal was received by the Office of Appeals, located at 401 SW Topeka BLVD Topeka, KS 66603 on November 5, 2021. With the holidays coming, I did not expect to receive any information on my appeal until after the holidays. On February 1, 2022, I called the Office of Appeals to get information regarding the status of my appeal. I was informed that there was no appeal filed for my account. I told the woman on the phone that I have a tracking number that shows that it was received by their office. She instructed me to refile my appeal and that it would start my appeal process over from the beginning. I asked what happened to the appeal that I filed that has my personal information on it. She responded that she did not know what happened to my appeal and that their office never received it. I told her that it was received by their office and that it was not okay that my personal information had been lost. She then transferred me to a supervisor who told me to email her my proof of tracking showing the date received. I did so and received a response via email "Ma'am, why have you sent this email to us?" I never received any other correspondence to confirm that my appeal was even filed until I called again to confirm it was filed.

The department of labor in Kansas has been overwhelmed with fraudulent claims we all get that. but there are people who have filed claims that arent getting paid when they should be we are suffering and loosing everything we have behind misuse of government funds. we have jumped through hoops bent over backwards won appeals and still havent been paid this is a kick in the pants to those of us who have legitmate claims and something should be done it didnt take this long to pay out a bunch of fraudulent claims why dont someone do something there is no one to help get the claims completed

I applied for benefits in November 2020. In May recieved an email stating I was eligable for benefits. Had: phone interview with regular Unemployment⁷ and was told Pua had its own investigation process. And that was a year ago and not a thing has changed. I think it's sad that people like me slip between the cracks. They offer me benefits to help with being self employed during a pandemic and they give out billions of dollars to people performing fraud on their dinosaur system so now I'm in a fraud hold for over a year no change. I mean I was homeless and about to be again. Their customer service is the worst of the worst. They lie, never tell the truth, hang up on you, and give out incorrect information and can't keep their stories straight from one rep to another. I'm about to be on the streets homelss I able to see why it wud make a person want to blow up a building. Not just no payment but the fact nothing is even being done about it... b*!

I was talking to Trent with the 316 area code in Wichita, Kansas explaining the error KDOL subjected me to by locking me out of its system over five months, told me to appeal. I appealed back in December of 2021, called today, February 8th, 2022, and was lied to by an appealing representative. I was told they told me in December my appeal was voided which was the reason WHY I appealed in the first place. Then the appeal's department told me I had to go back to the Kansas Department of Labor to address the matter with them. And the nut in the nut shall, Trent hung up in my face as he told me he was a supervisor. Hmm. What a bunch of inefficient people working in this state office positions.

I just got off the phone after a terminal hold with a terrible customer service representative on the 800 line to KDOL.

He gave me vague and misleading information in a lackadaisical, non-professional manner. He refused, when asked, to transfer me to another representative or a supervisor.

He told me I needed to be verified by Lexus Nexus to sign in, when asked for the phone #, he gave me his 800#.

I also agreed to complete a survey after the call and told the representative that. I believe he canceled my opportunity to submit the survey because after the call ended, I was not given the opportunity.

Horrible experience, and completely unacceptable.

I had an appeal in October 2021. I received a determination stating that I was cleared for payment. I have not received any further communication or any payment since that time. I am owed for the weeks 04/01/21 through the end of the PEUC. I received my form for taxes last week.

Why have I not been advised about the status of my claim? I need to know what is happening and what I need to do to receive payment for the weeks claimed.

Jody Honeyman

This complaint is for the KS unemployment Dept.
I attempted to file for unemployment 11/21 became unemployed early Nov. 2021 I understand the increase of unemployment cases and why.
I was denied unemployment for reasons not understood. Employer told me he didn't not deny or dispute unemployment claim. Terry's Hauling Kansas City KS.
I did quit so I understand my claim was looked at more closely but again the reasons I left were safety reason outlined by OSHA and The Dept. Of Transportation. My safety and health were in question and the public's safety due to equipment that failed DOT roadside inspections twice thus causing my PSP report and CSA points to be greatly increased making me a risky new hire or not hirable at all. I'm a driver of 25 years and never have I been ticketed or been given such a huge number of points in my career due to the companies failure to preform maintenance repairs specified by law DOT. Yet I lost income, denied unployment, turned down a potential new job due to points on my almost perfect PSP report.
Also the company I quit from did not give me the raise promised, or any vacation pay for the year of 2021, or any bonus like the year before.
Then I missed my phone interview with the unemoyment person because I was on the phone with the unemployment office trying to figure out why I couldn't log on to getksbenifits.gov because of a typo with my email address. Which was never fixed. I called twice to resolve issue.
Paul M. Rodriguez 3773
2427 n. 68th pl Kcks 66109
[protected]
Last time I got unemployment was in 2015 and M&S the company I was laid off from during the winter fired me while on unemployment for job searching as instructed by the state of ks. Because a potential employer call them to inquire about my employment. I had to call said company Transwood of Edwardsville ks and demand a job because of this action. I don't know if you can help me but I truly feel I needed assistance and was pushed to the side for no reason. This has been a huge burden of my family I'm a single home owner. I'm currently employed part time but 4aly cold of used ks unemployment's help for just a short time.

I have had a horrible time trying to get unemployment. I started in June 2021 I had a injury happened. Was on LOA was told I was able to receive unemployment benefits. I had filled out everything. Ended up needing surgery oct 28 was let go from my job two weeks later. Then dec1 had a phone interview and I was denied benefits because I was not released from my dr. Bye then I applied for an appeal called them numerous times and days nothing faxed over my documents they need saying I was released by dr I called they told me to not call them to call the call center I do. Nothing is getting done nobody is constant on the information to provided, who to call and what's going on I'm very frustrated and something needs to happen. Please help

I have been trying to get benefits due me for well over a month. I am unable to reach a live person, & I am unable to apply online. What the hell am I supposed to do? Please, for God's sake, reach out & talk to me. What do I have to do? Sue the State of KS?
I am at 816.678.6017/[protected]@gmail.com.

Please, please, please, please, please help me!

I have witnessed the exact same experience, step by step of your story, with the KDOL system. It seems like the only fraud going on is within KDOL itself. Today is 01/18/2022. After 2 years, I have yet to be able to get through to an agent, never received my benefits as I received the same error this other complaintant did...got approved.. couldn't file claim online due to website errors which then routed me to contact customer service...but couldn't get through...the hold que was and to this day is always full with no option of waiting on hold. Then the claim time expired. I processed an appeal and emailed the necessary paperwork. Nothing.
This is services not being rendered. Critical assistance is not being provided.. I've emailed them, doesn't help. No response and no way to contact anyone. I've since reapplied and tried changing my address since I moved. Errors doing that on their website as well (screenshot attached). I verified the address was entered correctly according to USPS. It was. Still error messages. Tried calling KDOL. Hold que full and all reps are busy... disconnected me. So now my mail will be going to my old address...to strangers. Way to go on battling fraud KDOL. They're the biggest part of the problem! Why isn't anybody doing anything about this?
KDOL has had plenty of time to correct the website issues and hire enough staff to handle the call volume but they have not done so. Two years is beyond unacceptable to wait for assistance in a time of need.

I have filed a Pua claim February 2020 all the way through September of 2021 my claim has been put on hold for over 2 years. I've uploaded all necessary documents the account has been flagged for fraud due to me being self-employed the flag has never been lifted

KDOL - Claim filed feb 1 2020

Received emails stating I qualify for PUA money.

KDOL has placed a hold on releasing PUA money since Feb 2020

Want PUA money to be released to me asap.

Michele Krzysztow
3/2/70

I filed for unemployment insurance in January, 2021, was approved, and began receiving payments. I received two payments. After this, I stopped receiving payments and instead got a message that said "No weekly claim has been processed for this week. If you filed this weekly claim more than 7 days ago, please telephone the Unemployment Contact Center for assistance."

I tried calling that number daily, 3, 4 times a day, and the que was always full and I never got through. I continued filing every week, but continued getting that same message. I continued trying to call, and did not get through.

In February, 2021, the message changed from the above to "Payment for the week has been temporarily suspended because of a question regarding your eligibility. A determination notice will be sent to you." I continued trying to call the provided number and kept getting the que full message (after many minutes of spoken information that had no relevance to me, which was frustrating in itself).

In June, 2021, I finally got through to an agent. He took my information, he clarified my dates of eligibility and advised me that back in February, there had been fraud associated with my account, which is why everything was put on hold. He told me to go in and update/upload my information to the main KDOL page, and he stepped me through that process. He asked me to take a picture of my Social Security card (front/back) and Driver's License (front/back) and send those through the system to KDOL, he stepped me through this. He told me the problem would be taken care of, I should receive all back pay, but don't expect it in a week or two. I then heard nothing for several months.

In August, 2021, I got through to another agent. She advised me that the case had been elevated to the fraud department and that I should expect a phone call from them, after which we could proceed further. I heard nothing from KDOL after that.

In January, 2022, I got through to another agent. He advised me that his records showed that they did indeed receive my SS card and DL information and it looked clear. He told me there was still no record of an attempt for the fraud department to contact me for investigation, and that it is just taking a long time.

At this point, this is completely unacceptable. Using software as old as KDOL uses, it is no surprise at all that they were hacked and so many people became the victims of fraud. But then to not contact those victims, let them know what's going on, and just leave them in total limbo is absurd. To have a phone number that is busy/full que 99.9% of the time is also ridiculous. To then have spoken messages on that number that drone on and on about information that is irrelevant to me (rather than just making the information another key press if I want it) makes me feel like the agency is going out of its way to NOT help people, but to encourage them to hang up and give up on their claims. Finally, to put the most vulnerable people on indefinite hold for receiving any kind of payments which are legitimately due them - is evil. I am sure there are families who could not feed their children, people who were evicted from rentals, etc. etc. because of the complete inadequacy of this agency. This is intolerable.

I wish that the thousands (tens of thousands? hundreds of thousands?) of claimants who have found themselves in this dire limbo could form a coalition and bring a class action lawsuit against KDOL, because there are damages caused by not receiving unemployment payments.

But in the meantime, I just want all my back unemployment benefits, along with the covid additional payments that have been legitimately due me for over a year now.

I have been filling since the end of September. My previous employer Brewster Place paid a scammer when the employment scam was happening and my name was on they did while I was still working there. I filled the fraud online as instructed. The company since then separated my department and the staff.
Trying to get unemployment has been a nightmare. I have mailed in every week. Called. Filled online. I was told by a staff member to fax and email proof of who I am. I did fax it and mail it in. The latest call informed me the fraud dept was supposed to be releasing my payment soon. That was the other week and still nothing. I have faxed and emailed my info to the fraud dept will no answer.
This place is such a scam and just shows that Kansas gives no [censored]s about anyone.

So I got fired from a job that Ive been with for 13 years. I go to claim my employment that I've been paying into the whole time. But they have a question concerning my separation. So while I wait on their responses they want more info. At this time it's been 3 weeks since I got fired that I've been attempting this cause it takes a week for any response. Now stuff is starting to bounce cause bills are still coming. I'm looking for jobs just haven't got anything yet " fingers crossed" anyways now they are saying that they don't have the paperwork they requested from me. The ones that I filled out and had the department of labor workforce fax for me. They still don't have them or not showing them. So they asked for me to send it via thru their portal. I attempted that numerous times and it keeps telling me I don't have enough memory to complete that action. I have a 256gig sd card that's only used 3gifgs and a internal memory of like 32gig of what I'm only using 75% after deleting alot if my apps. It still says not enough memory I've restarted my phone I've tried everything. I've also called them and they just hung up on me when I couldn't upload the documents. Just smooth hung up. And now when I call all of them are busy and the waiting box is full. Wtf? What am I suppose to do. You can't go up there cause it's still close to the public. I'm sinking in my bills with no end in sight. The overdrafts alone are going to take anything I got. It's just a downward spiral and kdol is right at the top flushing me down. Guess that's the thanks I get for being a worker.

Secretary of Labor,

I am an RN and ordained minister currently suspended without pay from Ascension Senior Living/Via Christi Village in Pittsburg, Kansas. Upon hire in 2016 it was known that I request religious exemption from all forms of vaccination. After 5 years of approved exemption I was denied in 2021 for the Covid 19 vaccination, citing risks to the resident population. I have worked for 2 years during this pandemic and complied with all other requirements. I worked out all scheduled days, submitted to twice weekly testing and wore appropriate personal protective equipment throughout my time of employment. I filed an exemption request as required and feel it was improperly denied. As of Nov 12, 2021 I have been placed on unpaid leave. Further the company cancelled my health insurance prematurely. Attempts to communicate locally regarding my current status have been avoided/hindered and I have been denied access to log-in to the online employee network. I do not believe my continued employment with the company would have created undue hardship. They did allow one medical exemption but denied all requests for religious exemptions. I am qualified and capable of performing many tasks within the organization but was not offered a change of position that would remove me from resident care. For example: a vacant position existed in medical records. This was not offered as an option.

I've written them to notify them that my stimulus payment was garnished after some one falsely used my ssn to file for benefits. I wrote to them the IRS the treasury and the ssa to notify them of the error I have never worked or lived out side of Texas and they sent a letter saying that some one used my social to collect benefit and they stopped the payments and were owed money .I have not heard from them I called and the person I spoke to was extremely rude and said that there's nothing they can do obviously they realized it was fraud and still took my stimulus money and now no one respondd to my letters or phone calls

Something has got to be done and it's one thing after another with these people they are non-non-consistent and have told me many different stories about things I need to be turned in and everything I've turned in in my case it still went nowhere it's always something and always in review or this or that and nobody knows what to do and I think the department needs to be fixed and I need my money I've lost everything

My name is Danielle Watts I recently filed for unemployment back in June. I received a Notice of Determination in July 2021 stating I was allowed for unemployment benefits. When benefits were still not received I reached out to your office via email asking for help to get in contact with KDOL as it was impossible to get a live person on the phone. Someone from KDOL contacted me via telephone in July. The man I spoke with after conversating and sorting a few issues out said "the disqualification had been lifted and I should start receiving benefits in 7-10 business days. So again I waited and waited, still nothing. I contacted your office again via email to help get in contact with KDOL. Someone contacted me by phone on August 3rd 2021 that's when I was informed of a freeze still on my account due to a request of more information that was sent via USPS in March 2020. I asked the KDOL employee where the letter was sent too she told me "it was sent to my current address 1625 S Parkwood Ln in Wichita. I told her that's impossible because I have only been at my current address since March of 2021. I was told to file an appeal and how to do it. I immediately filed the appeal that day on August 3rd 2021. My hearing was scheduled for October 14 2021 at 830 am. Now this is just a brief summary of a few of the discrepancies in my case as there are multiple on KDOL'S end.

On the day of my hearing we began then the call was dropped. Now im being denied a second hearing because I don't own a landline phone and only have a cell phone. If you ask me this is unreasonable decision, because I don't know very many people who still have a landline phone these days. My grandmothers don't even have landline phones anymore. I have never had problems with my calls being dropped before as long as I have lived here. But for whatever reason that day and during that specific phone call my call was just "dropped". And now I am being denied a second hearing as well as benefits. This has been a long dragged out process being told one thing then being told another. I have already been close to losing my home and becoming homeless once already for not being able to pay my rent and bills. I am on the verge of losing it again for a second time now. Im looking for work as directed and had found a job but was being given the hours needed to survive so my paychecks didn't cover much.
Please if you could contact me and help resolve these issues I would appreciate it greatly. you can email me or contact me by phone [protected]

Thanks,
Danielle Watts