Gov. Laura Kelly has appointed an acting secretary of labor, Brett Flachsbarth, who is currently deputy secretary of labor.
According to the governor, Flachsbarth will serve as temporary secretary until a permanent secretary is announced.
“Brett is a Department of Labor veteran, and he knows the ins-and-outs of the issues KDOL faces,” Gov. Laura Kelly said. “I’m confident he will be able to continue the progress made and ensure Kansas families receive the relief they need.”
The state Department of Labor faced challenges this past year, with unprecedented numbers of residents applying for unemployment benefits. The state was swamped with people applying for benefit, but the software at the time was not adequate to handle the demand.
At a 4 p.m. news conference, Gov. Kelly said the state continues to hear about individual cases involving the Department of Labor.
“I can tell you that things are not as bad as the anecdotal information presents to you,” she said.
The state Labor Department has processed $3.4 million in claims weekly since March, an incredible workload, according to the governor. The backlog or wait list has gone from 25,000 to 1,800, she said. They hope to eliminate the backlog by the first of the year. Tremendous progress has been made, the governor said.
The department also has instituted a fraud program, which has stopped more than 200,000 fradulent claims, according to a news release from the governor.
The department has added hundreds of new operators for the call center and has streamlined operations, according to the governor.
There are still problems, but it is how they approach problem-solving that is important, she said.
Flachsbarth has been with the KDOL since 2005, on the legal team. He was appointed deputy secretary of labor in January 2019. Hehas worked in several positions at the department. A graduate of the University of Kansas and Washburn University School of Law, he also has been involved in national efforts to enhance the effective use of technology within the unemployment insurance system.
Gov. Kelly said state law allowed a person to be appointed acting secretary for six months.
“We are in the process of seeking a permanent secretary of labor,” Gov. Kelly said.