Applying For Florida Unemployment? – The Missing “Step One” Ingredient
Many people across the state of Florida are aggrieved that they can’t get online to file for unemployment benefits. Right they are! I have spent countless hours attempting the same task. The issues range from getting 400 and 404 errors to being told that the site is not available at this time. Several weeks ago, using a different web site and application form, my wife successfully submitted her package…at 3 o’clock in the morning!
Many of my readers know that I’m not bashful when it comes to digging for information. This situation was no different.
First, I searched the web. Trying numerous word combinations and key words, I found several sites that seemed to fit the bill. Alas, many of these were sites that were in “ad” mode. In short, they were selling services.
Finally, I reached http://www.floridajobs.org and discovered the official link to the Florida unemployment application form: http://www.floridajobs.org/RAAplication.
Unfortunately, the online form returned with the usual 404 and 404 errors. I had now come full circle.
Undaunted, I called the 800 phone number provided at the main web site and discovered a new number for general help: 1-833-353-6799. Note that this number is not for help with specific unemployment cases.
I called and spoke with a supportive representative. After several minutes of continuing our full circle discussions, she asked me what browser I was using. I responded, “Chrome.”
She immediately told me that I needed to use either Internet Explorer or the new Microsoft Edge browser. Fortunately, I had just installed Edge on my Mac. So, keeping her on the phone, I entered the link into Edge. The page immediate loaded.
Twenty minutes later (although the form’s questions and options were often contradictory…hence, another story in the making), my unemployment application was completed.
All the while, the local TV station in Fort Myers was reporting (my TV ia always on in the background) about all the people who couldn’t get into the Department of Economic Opportunity web site.
You know where I’m going as soon as I post the story. Yep, the local TV station followed by a letter to Governor DeSantis. The fix is easy. Simply tell people upfront (i.e. STEP ONE) which browser they need to use; clearly, the application submission, at least, will go a lot smoother. The internal processing piece is a separate matter. I will, however, be sure to tell the governor that I’m available for hire, if he’s interested.
It is too bad that people, the media, and government bureaucracies are intent on complex solutions. KISS (Keep It Simple Smarty), coupled with clear instructions, usually works a whole lot better.
© H. Michael Mogil, 2020
H. Michael Mogil is a Naples-based, science-based writer who thrives on life-long learning (his own and that of others). He supports consumer awareness, science understanding, and applications of anything to real-life situations. When he’s not so serious, he often writes tongue-in-cheek pieces poking fun at anything that moves (or doesn’t move).