Pandemic Unemployment

Good Afternoon,

This email is a partial response to your FOIA request and a request for clarification of 3 of your 4 requests.

You requested:

1. number of citizens who have filed for unemployment between March 2020 and September 2020 in regard to Covid-19
2. complaints received during March 2020 and September 2020
3. distribution of funds toward unemployed between March 2020 and September 2020
4. Documents of fund distribution from government to DES for pandemic relief

With regard to request 1, the requested information is publicly available at https://does.dc.gov/publication/unemployment-compensation-claims-data.
With regard to request 2, please define "complaints". Once we have your clarifying response, we will process this request. It is currently on hold, pending your clarification.
With regard to request 3, DOES interprets this to mean, "how much has been paid to unemployed claimants, between March 2020 and September 2020. Please confirm this interpretation or clarify your request. Once we have your confirming/clarifying response, we will process this request. It is currently on hold, pending your confirmation/clarification.
With regard to request 4, please define "government". Once we have your clarifying response, we will process this request. It is currently on hold, pending your clarification.
Please feel free to contact me with additional questions or concerns. Thanks, TAR

Tonya A. Robinson
General Counsel, Office of the General Counsel
Department of Employment Services
4058 Minnesota Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20019, Suite 5800 <x-apple-data-detectors://1/0>
Office: 202.671.1195 | Cell: 202.345.5808 | eFax: 202.724.7472
Email: tonya.robinson@dc.gov<mailto:tonya.robinson@dc.gov> Website: www.does.dc.gov<http://www.does.dc.gov/>
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This email is from an attorney. The information contained in this e-mail is intended only for the personal and confidential use of the designated recipients. This message may be an attorney-client communication, or attorney work product, and as such is privileged and confidential under applicable law. If the reader of this e-mail is not an intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any review, use, dissemination, forwarding or copying of this message is strictly prohibited. Please notify me immediately by reply e-mail or telephone, and delete the original e-mail and all attachments from your system. Thank you.

Good Morning,

Please note that the processing of your request is tolled until December 31, 2020, as a result of the declared public health emergency, pursuant to the attached Mayor's Order and DC Code § 2-532 (c)(1) that provides, "(c)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, a public body, upon request reasonably describing any public record, shall within 15 days (except Saturdays, Sundays, days of a COVID-19 closure, and legal public holidays) of the receipt of any such request either make the requested public record accessible or notify the person making such request of its determination not to make the requested public record or any part thereof accessible and the reasons therefor." (emphasis added). Thus, your request will be processed, once the public health emergency is lifted.

Please be advised that pursuant to D.C. Official Code § 2-537 and 1 DCMR § 412, you have the right to appeal this response to the Mayor or to the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.

If you elect to appeal to the Mayor your appeal must be in writing and contain "Freedom of Information Act Appeal" or "FOIA Appeal" in the subject line of the letter as well as on the outside of the envelope. The appeal must include (1) a copy of the original request; (2) a copy of any written denial; (3) a statement of the circumstances, reasons and/or arguments advanced in support of disclosure; and (4) a daytime telephone number and email and/or U.S. mailing address at which you can be reached. The appeal must be mailed to:
The Mayor's Correspondence Unit
FOIA Appeal
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Suite 407
Washington, DC 20004

Electronic versions of the same information can also be emailed to the Mayor's Correspondence Unit at foia.appeals@dc.gov<mailto:foia.appeals@dc.gov>. Further, a copy of all correspondence regarding the appeal must be forwarded to the Freedom of Information Officer of the involved agency or to the head of that agency if there is no designated FOIA Officer there. A failure to follow these administrative steps will result in a delay in the processing and commencement of a response to your appeal to the Mayor or to the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.

If you have any questions, I can be reached by email at tonya.robinson@dc.gov<mailto:tonya.robinson@dc.gov> or by phone at (202) 671-1195.

Happy Holidays!!

Thanks, TAR

Tonya A. Robinson
General Counsel, Office of the General Counsel
Department of Employment Services
4058 Minnesota Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20019, Suite 5800 <x-apple-data-detectors://1/0>
Office: 202.671.1195 | Cell: 202.345.5808 | eFax: 202.724.7472
Email: tonya.robinson@dc.gov<mailto:tonya.robinson@dc.gov> Website: www.does.dc.gov<http://www.does.dc.gov/>
[A picture containing object Description automatically generated]
[signature_3866564]
This email is from an attorney. The information contained in this e-mail is intended only for the personal and confidential use of the designated recipients. This message may be an attorney-client communication, or attorney work product, and as such is privileged and confidential under applicable law. If the reader of this e-mail is not an intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any review, use, dissemination, forwarding or copying of this message is strictly prohibited. Please notify me immediately by reply e-mail or telephone, and delete the original e-mail and all attachments from your system. Thank you.

Good Afternoon,

This constitutes the DC Department of Employment Services’ (DOES) response to your request under the District of Columbia Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), dated 15 September 2020 and clarified on 16 November 2020. At this time, there are no fees associated with this request. The following is a response to your specific requests.

REQUEST #1: Number of citizens who have filed for unemployment between March 2020 and September 2020 in regard to Covid-19.

RESPONSE: The most current documents responsive to this request are publicly available at https://dccouncil.us/labor-and-workforce-development-5/. Responsive information is publicly available at https://does.dc.gov/publication/unemployment-compensation-claims-data.

REQUEST #2: “Complaints received during March 2020 and September 2020” clarified to “Disagreements and/or complaints received from claimants toward/about DOES employees during March 2020 and September 2020”

RESPONSE: The most current documents responsive to this request are publicly available at https://dccouncil.us/labor-and-workforce-development-5/.

REQUEST #3: “Distribution of funds toward unemployed between March 2020 and September 2020” clarified to “Distribution of funds-total amount of money given (unemployment pandemic relief) toward unemployed between March 2020 and September 2020

RESPONSE: The most current documents responsive to this request are publicly available at https://dccouncil.us/labor-and-workforce-development-5/.

REQUEST #4: “Documents of fund distribution from government to DES for pandemic relief” clarified to “Documents of fund distribution from the State of Nevada to DOES for pandemic relief (pandemic relief versus regular unemployment fund distribution)”

RESPONSE: The most current documents responsive to this request are publicly available at https://dccouncil.us/labor-and-workforce-development-5/.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this matter, please e-mail the FOIA Officer at tonya.robinson@dc.gov<mailto:tonya.robinson@dc.gov>.

If for any reason, you interpret this to be a denial of your request, please know that, under D.C. Official Code § 2-537 and 1 DCMR § 412, you have the right to appeal this letter to the Mayor or to the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. An administrative appeal can be submitted to the Mayor online via the DC government Public FOIA Portal, https://foia-dc.gov/App/Index.aspx. An administrative appeal may also be submitted by mail or email. The appeal must include (1) a copy of the original request; (2) a copy of the public body's written denial letter issued to you, if any; (3) a written statement of the arguments, circumstances, or reasons in support of the information sought by your request; and (4) a daytime telephone number, and e-mail and/or U.S. Mail address at which you can be reached. The appeal letter must include "Freedom of Information Act Appeal" or "FOIA Appeal" in the subject line of the letter as well as marked on the outside of the envelope. You may direct the written appeal to:

The Mayor’s Office of Legal Counsel

FOIA Appeal

1350 Pennsylvania Ave, NW

Suite 407

Washington, DC 20004

An electronic version of the same information can be e-mailed to the Mayor’s Office of Legal Counsel at foia.appeals@dc.gov<mailto:foia.appeals@dc.gov>. Further, a copy of all appeal materials must be forwarded to the Freedom of Information Officer of the involved agency or to the agency head if no officer is designated. Failure to follow these administrative steps will result in a delay in the processing and commencement of a response to your appeal to the Mayor.

Respectfully,

Tonya A. Robinson
General Counsel, Office of the General Counsel
Department of Employment Services
4058 Minnesota Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20019, Suite 5800 <x-apple-data-detectors://1/0>
Office: 202.671.1195 | Cell: 202.345.5808 | eFax: 202.724.7472
Email: tonya.robinson@dc.gov<mailto:tonya.robinson@dc.gov> Website: www.does.dc.gov<http://www.does.dc.gov/>
[A picture containing object Description automatically generated]
[signature_3866564]
This email is from an attorney. The information contained in this e-mail is intended only for the personal and confidential use of the designated recipients. This message may be an attorney-client communication, or attorney work product, and as such is privileged and confidential under applicable law. If the reader of this e-mail is not an intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any review, use, dissemination, forwarding or copying of this message is strictly prohibited. Please notify me immediately by reply e-mail or telephone, and delete the original e-mail and all attachments from your system. Thank you.