Inspiration
With millions of people losing their jobs every week and struggling to file and receive unemployment benefits due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we wanted to come up with an idea to help expedite this process. In our current system, recently unemployed workers file claims with state government unemployment offices, which then proceed to verify with employers that termination was not the employees' fault. By having employees file benefits, there exists a huge backup where unemployment systems are overwhelmed with multiple calls from people trying to compete to be first in line and can't get benefits to recently unemployed workers.
What is CARESNow
CARESNow is a system that allows employers to easily file unemployment benefits for their employees--it is designed to leverage existing financial relationships rather than use the slow verification systems that exist currently. By having employers file, this system avoids overwhelming phone and online processes as only 1 claim is filed per worker. Our system works by having the employer submit identifying information, compensation details, and reason for termination to CARESNow, which acts as a vendor that files claims to unemployment offices. Then CARESNow sends a unique employee ID to both employers and employees as a receipt for tracking and verification purposes. Employees then have the option of submitting corrections for any information from employers. Once the claim is approved, employees begin receiving unemployment benefits. This process eliminates the need for unemployment offices to wait for claims from employees and having to manually check with employers for termination reasons. As a result, this system is streamlined, accountable, and is faster and more convenient for all parties involved. CARESNow allows unemployment offices to process claims faster, reduces workloads for enterprises, and allows recently unemployed workers to receive their benefits quickly and without hassle.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
We designed an easy to use system with an intuitive UI and solves a major problem in the COVID-19 crisis. We believe that the solution we have will make a big impact and improve the lives of many in these difficult times.
What we learned
Unemployment benefits are complex. This system only touches the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the many problems with our current system. From outdated systems, to antiquated processes, there is a lot of room for innovation in this space. We learned that it's difficult to design a streamlined system, as there are multiple parties involved, logistical issues, and concerns for all stakeholders CARESNow must address. We found that it's important to figure out a solution that works and benefits employers, employees, and governments alike.
What's next for CARESNow
CARESNow needs to be fleshed out and incorporate security standards to protect the privacy of its users. In addition, integration needs to made with existing unemployment systems and partner with enterprises to begin beta-testing. We need to work with policymakers, employee representatives like unions, and enterprises to tailor to their needs. The biggest challenge for CARESNow is adoption, especially as government can be slow to upgrade and adapt to modern systems. The COVID-19 crisis, however, has shown that there is a need for system upgrades and we believe that CARESNow can capitalize on this need and be the solution that fixes our broken system.
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