Unemployment Stress

I am stressed out about the Unemployment Office itself (much different from my stress over my funemployment!).

For this biweekly claim, I have to call them about filing my claim (this happened on my fabulous birthday week in NYC as well). I get it - they have to follow the rules. I'm not so self-centered that I don't realize there are steps everyone has to take in order to get the unemployment compensation. I am happy to do them most of the time.

This morning, it took me 46 tries to get the phone to even ring! The first 45 times, the phone immediately went to busy. While I was calling back a million times, I checked my email. I received an automated email from the Unemployment Office stating that there has been higher than normal call volume causing significant delays. Try 46 finally got me to the main menu where I was then told that my estimated waiting time for an agent was OVER AN HOUR.

The automated voices keep coming on while I am waiting to tell me that most of these things can be done online. Unfortunately for me, this is one of the things that cannot be done online. I would love to go online and do this. Instead, I have to wait on hold until someone gets to me.

As of December 2, the office only takes calls on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 8-4. Prior to December 2, they took calls on Fridays as well. If there is anything you need to talk to a person about, you have to call on those three days. It is completely insane that I am going to wait on the phone for over an hour (after trying to call starting this morning) to talk to a person. Like...does no one who makes decisions see any correlation between the calls volumes and how often they are taking calls?! I say "who makes the decisions" because I am 100% sure that the employees who actually answer and process the phone calls definitely see this. The theme of people who make the decisions have no idea how anything works isn't limited to any one industry. I realize that they only have half the staff to answer phones due to reduced funding, so I can't be angry at them.

As of right now, I have been on hold for 50 minutes. There hasn't been any update on how long my hold time is (and even those are an estimate based on how long calls usually take). The voice just told me that all reps are busy, but it doesn't update the time.

I'm stressed about the fact that I have to sit here on hold instead of getting anything done. I can do some job applications while I am waiting, but I don't want to do anything too involved in case someone picks up! While I know this is necessary, it is annoying. Although, it is less annoying than dealing with people who make the decisions....

Update: made it through after two hours and fifteen minutes