Private firm handles job services for Kansas
By Bobbi Mlynar (Contact)
Originally published 02:10 p.m., January 28, 2008
Updated 02:10 p.m., January 28, 2008
The state of Kansas expects to announce plans this afternoon about help that will be available to Tyson Foods workers who will be displaced when the slaughter division closes within the next 60 days.
A representative of the Kansas Department of Commerce said this morning that work on the plan has begun.
Tyson representatives already have planned meetings this week with workers affected by Friday’s shutdown announcement.
Tyson spokesman Gary Mickelson said that human resources personnel will talk with those workers about the decision itself, as well as answer questions and discuss other employment opportunities within the company.
Mickelson said that the last day of slaughter has not been set.
“We will continue to provide pay and benefits to those affected for 60 days, even though they will probably not be working that entire period of time,” he said. “We’re providing the 60 days of pay and benefits in accordance with federal law.”
The Workers Adjustment and Retaining Notification (WARN) Act mandates what must be done during that 60-day period.
The Kansas Department of Commerce also will play a major role in helping the laid-off workers. The department traditionally has offered a broad variety of services through a rapid response team organized through the local Job Services Center.
Betty Senn, now director of the Emporia Convention and Visitors Bureau, formerly was manager of the Emporia and Paola job services centers. She was one of many state employees whose jobs were eliminated when the state ceded its operation of job services centers to Dynamic Educational Systems, a private business.
Senn was contacted this morning to gain information about what Tyson workers might expect in the way of hands-on assistance from the state.
She emphasized that she is no longer a part of that system, but was willing to talk about services offered in similar situations in the past. She expects those types of services to continue.
“I have full confidence that the state and the private contracting company ... will move forward rapidly and in unison and get the assistance needed to the individuals who need it,” Senn said.
The traditional way of handling sizable layoffs or closures was to bring in a team of representatives from pertinent organizations and state agencies, including a representative from the state unemployment insurance division. Senn worked with employees who had lost jobs at Modine, Lenze and other companies.
“We would set up a rapid response, trying to work with company officials, in the past,” she said.
“We included mental health, Lyon County Health Department; we included financial advisors, state unemployment insurance. Any entity, like the tech college, that could provide education.”
At those times, BN&SF Railway needed workers and always sent representatives to provide information about their railroad school program operated at Johnson County Community College.
“We would contact as many educational entities as we could and have them there to let people know there were educational opportunities,” Senn said.
She also brought in representatives from the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services.
“SRS has a lot of programs that people don’t normally think of that they might be eligible for at a time like that,” she said.
The rapid response helped disseminate information quickly and directly to the workers, rather than have it passed by word of mouth.
“The idea is to do a rapid response immediately so they could get the information and get it correctly,” she said. “What happens for one person is not necessarily what will happen for the next. Each person is taken case by case.”
Senn said that mental health is a major component of help for people who have lost their jobs.
“The folks that go through this with a positive attitude are the people that come out ahead,” she said. “Over the years, the ones that look at this as an opportunity to do something new and different are the ones who come out ahead. And they’re the ones that succeed into a new career.”
Senn said that the displaced workers need not be surprised at the range of emotions that job losses cause.
“There are different phases that they will go through, so the mental health aspect of this is critical. Because you do go through a depression, and I know this because I’ve been through it personally because I was laid off,” she said.
“First of all, you’re going to be sad and in shock, and then you’re going to be angry, and then you get to acceptance,” she said. “If it’s lasting more than three weeks, they need to seek some professional help because then they’re setting into long-term depression and that’s the last thing they need.
“They want to make themselves presentable for that next employer.”
Comments
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Posted by gayzettesux (anonymous) on January 28, 2008 at 3:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I think it's funny that the state of Kansas is going to help these people from Tyson. When the rest of lose our jobs we don't get special programs or help from the state. Why are people that work for Tyson any different?
Posted by truelovecharlie (anonymous) on January 28, 2008 at 6:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Why are you so uninformed and negative. No one will ever take you seriously with a stupid name like gayzettesux. Either be big enough to be a responsible contributor or, at the very least; get a resonable user name. Geesh! I would rather my tax dollars go for help in these situations than all the pork barrel spending that goes on with my tax money.
Posted by beentheredonethat (anonymous) on January 28, 2008 at 10:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)
g: Perhaps if you would read the article, you would note that this is a common service the state offers to employees that have been displaced due to a business closing or relocating. It was done for Lenze, Modine & Didde's.
Also, you might want to consider that, and I quote you "When the rest of (us) lose our jobs we don't get special programs or help from the state", that it is because you were probably fired because of your poor atitude...not displaced as these workers have been.
Posted by hottopics (anonymous) on January 28, 2008 at 10:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Dont let this idiot ruffle your feathers, he is posting on all of the stories just to act like the childish fool he is.
Ignore IT and maybe IT will go away.
Posted by bharz (anonymous) on January 29, 2008 at 10:24 a.m. (Suggest removal)
There's nothing funny about this situation. This is a time for our community to come together to help these folks.
Posted by isabella (anonymous) on January 29, 2008 at 11:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)
gayzettesux, Iam one of these people that are being laidoff and if you think that the state is just giving us a hand out you are quite mistaken, Where do you think that this money comes fron let me tell you where from the same people that they are giving it back to I personally pay over 2000.00 dollars a year for property tax and have been pay taxes in this plant for the last 11 years its not a hand out it is money that we have already paid in in taxes you need to get a real job and keep it for 11 years then have you livelyhood riped out from under you. Its ignorant people like you that make me sick. Its hard working people like us that are having a hard time excepting that we will not have jobs in a matter of weeks. It is people like us that worked hard every day with out complaning unlike you you probably have never held a job for more then a week.Get over yourself and grow up.
Posted by gayzettesux (anonymous) on January 29, 2008 at 12:29 p.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Posted by admireed (anonymous) on January 29, 2008 at 12:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)
gayzet ... That is pretty cruel!
Posted by isabella (anonymous) on January 29, 2008 at 12:58 p.m. (Suggest removal)
unlike you most of us have other skills then flipping hambugars we took these jobs for the income and the security that we thought that would be there till we were old enough to retire. Those that are not in it for the long haul will go other places but there are a few of us that took these jobs so that we could buy our own homes and be productive citizen in this community. But with the prospects of not being able to find another job that pays as well in this town we need to be able to learn another trade to still be able to pay our bills, keep our homes and support our children. Unlike you we do have other skills the only skill that you most likely possess is the ability to chug beer and play video games. When you own your own home pay your own bills and comtribute to this town then we can talk but till then just keep your ignorant opinions to yourself .
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