Last month, we shared a few things that employers can do to create an economy that works for all Coloradans – no matter your race, ethnicity or gender. We are so grateful to our investors in Prosper CO who are helping drive changes that will ensure we truly have the best economy in the nation.
Just last week, the Milken Institute ranked Denver as the 11th best-performing large city in 2021 but noted our housing affordability is preventing higher rankings. The City of Denver ranks 141 out of the largest 200 metro areas in the nation when it comes to housing affordability. That reality hurts our workforce and that workforce means everything to our economic success.
In addition to the long-term work we’re doing with employers and policymakers, we’ve also identified 10 things employers can do today that will support our teams and help address racial and gender disparities.
Jobs
Implement a diversity scorecard that would allow you to compare against other employers, set goals and track progress.
Take steps to increase the diversity of your applicant pools.
Small Business Support
8. Diversify your supply chains and contracts by engaging more women- and minority-owned companies to bid on work with your organization.
9. Volunteer to mentor and support small business owners and entrepreneurs.
Housing
10. Help your employees address their housing needs by educating yourself and teammates. Engage in conversations with elected and appointed public officials and neighbors to build more housing that is affordable.
These 10 steps are just a start. And, many of you have likely begun some of them, but we hope all our members will use this list to begin the work. Through Prosper CO, we will offer resources at prosperco.org and invite you to reach out for guidance if we can be of further assistance.
We also hope you’ll join the Chamber and Bank of America next Wednesday, March 3 for a virtual event, Prosper CO: Convening for Opportunity, Confronting Economic Disparities, with Harvard economist Dr. Raj Chetty. We’ll learn about the real disparities that exist in workforce, entrepreneurship and housing in our region. We’ll also discuss very specific actionable steps employers can take to increase equity and opportunity. Register today.
Unemployment Fraud Claims in Colorado Top 1 Million
Last week, during our webinar on unemployment fraud in Colorado, we learned that the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) has received over 1 million fraudulent unemployment claims in the last year. To give context – there were less than 100 claims in 2019. The crime is hitting every industry, sector and every state in the nation. At the Chamber, 20% of our staff, including myself, have been victims.
The question is, “What should we do about it?”
The CDLE team told us that employers are often the first to learn about fraud, because the department doesn’t always have the correct contact information for the employee. If you are notified of a fraudulent claim, let your employee know immediately and both you and the employee – especially the employee – should file a fraud claim on ColoradoUI.gov through the secure, online form. (It’s critical that the employee file.)
The Colorado Attorney General’s Office also stressed that people should be wary of scams upon the original fraud scam. For instance, if you receive a call stating you must repay any claims. That is also fraud. Neither the CDLE nor the IRS will ask you to repay money from a fraudulent claim filed under your name. (Another reason why it is so important you file a claim of fraud.) If you receive a phone call, email or other communication asking for you to wire money somewhere, don’t do it.
We’ve compiled unemployment fraud information and resources, including a recording of last week’s webinar, on our website. Learn more about what to do if you and your business is a victim.
Stay well,
Kelly Brough is the president and CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber.
Last week, J. J. Ament, CEO of our Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation, and I wrote an op-ed that appeared in Colorado Politics. As legislators reconvene for the 2021 session today, we want to share our message with you. You can read the op-ed below or on the Colorado Politics website.
We’ll make this brief. We know the challenges facing us today aren’t simple, but our message to lawmakers is.
This legislative session, focus on getting Coloradans back to work. That’s it.
Colorado is still in a state of emergency, being governed through executive orders in many cases. Frankly, the upcoming session should reflect that with a singular focus on how to get all of us out of this emergency. To put it simply, if legislation doesn’t get vaccines into arms, kids into schools or Coloradans back to work and back on their feet, legislators should hold it until next session.
For almost a year now, lawmakers, like many of us, have been reflecting on what role they play in recovery. It’s obviously a big one that hinges as much on what doesn’t pass as what does. Before bills are introduced or votes are cast, legislators should ask themselves this: is this legislation making it easier or harder for my neighbor to get a job (and the pay and benefits that come with it)? Is this making it more or less expensive for us to go back to work? Is this helping businesses safely reopen and connecting Coloradans with those much-needed jobs? Is this bringing us closer to the end of the pandemic?
No government program can supplant the value of a job. That’s it. We understand and support efforts to assist Coloradans during these devastating times. But, 100% of a job is most certainly better than piecing together government assistance to make ends meet. We all know this, but we can’t make it happen until the current crisis is over and we can safely reopen our economy.
So, let’s focus on that together. While many worthy policy conversations are happening, we’d argue this is the time to table those conversations and focus on the emergency in which we still find ourselves. Legislators can lay the foundation for future policy, while still viewing this session through the reality we’re in: a state of emergency. If it doesn’t get a shot in an arm, return kids to learning, get Coloradans back to work or provide short-term emergency assistance, then now simply isn’t the time.
Employers and Employees Looking for Answers to Unemployment Fraud
Like many of you, we’ve kept a close eye on the unemployment numbers over the last year, knowing that there are men, women and families behind those numbers who want nothing more than to get back to work. But we’ve learned over the last few months that as hard as the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) worked, the department was constantly forced to play defense against thieves filing fraudulent claims. Those thieves made it even harder for Coloradans who truly lost their jobs to access the benefits they needed.
Employers and employees have suffered, too. On Wednesday, we’re pulling together the experts from CDLE and the Colorado Attorney General’s Office for a webinar to share what you can do to protect yourselves and your employees from fraud and what to do if you are a victim. They’ll also answer a question we’ve had and heard at the Chamber: What will happen to your unemployment insurance premiums? Register today.
Stay well.
Kelly Brough is the president and CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber.
