Rapid Response Process

The rapid response team is able to begin working with your company as soon you provide notice that your company is considering or experiencing permanent layoffs. Remember, early intervention is absolutely key for helping make this transition as smooth as possible for everyone involved.

Step 1: Notification
The first step to obtaining assistance is to contact the rapid response team. Federal and state statutes require employers to provide advance written notice of a business closing or workforce reduction in certain situations. More information about notice requirements.

Step 2: The Initial Meeting
Once an employer contacts the rapid response team or provides written notice of a business closing or workforce reduction, we will ask to schedule an initial meeting to further discuss the situation and begin developing a transition plan. A state and local rapid response coordinator will attend this meeting along with appropriate employer representatives and, if applicable, union or other employee representatives. In some cases it may be advantageous to invite other parties, like a state and/or local economic development representative.

Typically, the initial meeting is held at the employer's place of business but we can arrange an alternative meeting site upon request.

Even if the layoff is not scheduled to occur for several months, we still encourage you to contact us right away. In some cases, the rapid response team can help an employer connect with resources that could help avert the layoffs entirely or reduce the number of employees affected. The rapid response team can also begin planning the best course of action to help workers who are laid off.

The rapid response team will ask the employer to provide the names, home addresses, occupation titles, and expected separation dates for all affected employees. This information is securely stored by the Department of Workforce Development and used to provide outreach material about workforce programs and services and verify eligibility for the Dislocated Worker Program.

Step 3: Developing a Transition Strategy
The rapid response team will work with the employer and any union or other employee representatives to begin preparing a transition strategy. To best assist, the rapid response team will need to understand:

the anticipated layoff schedule,
the employer's needs and expectations,
the employee representative's needs and expectations,
available resources,
time and resource constraints,
community factors, and
workforce demographics, education, skills, and needs.

The rapid response team will also work with the employer and any employee representatives to determine if other rapid response services should be incorporated into the transition strategy. Other types of services may include:

Peer Counseling: training workers to serve as onsite resources for their co-workers
Transition Teams: helping to establish a group of individuals from management, the affected workforce, and labor (if applicable) that are responsible for identifying workers' needs, leveraging resources, and developing solutions
On-site Workshops: résumé writing, interviewing, job search resources and techniques, registering for Job Center of Wisconsin, financial planning, etc.
On-site Transition Centers: staffed by state and local representatives for purposes of offering flexible, accessible re-employment and/or retraining assistance
Referrals & Onsite Job Fairs: connecting affected employees to area employers that are hiring
Application for the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) Program: employees may be eligible for additional benefits under this federal program if they are dislocated as a result of foreign competition.
Identifying Funding Sources: when a large group of individuals will be affected, the rapid response team will explore ways to secure additional funding to help serve the affected employees

Step 4: On-site Worker Informational Sessions
At minimum, the rapid response team will work with the employer and any employee representatives to schedule on-site informational sessions for the affected workforce. Core topics typically covered at these sessions include: the Dislocated Worker Program, Unemployment Insurance, and health insurance considerations and options. Additional topics relating to financial education and community resources may be covered as well.

The topics may all be presented during a single session or split amongst multiple sessions, depending on the circumstances. The rapid response team tries to be as flexible as possible when it comes to determining the best format and the number of sessions needed to accommodate the affected workforce, including making arrangements for multiple shifts.

Ideally, any informational sessions will be offered on-site at your company and on paid time to encourage employees' attendance. Employees who participate will learn about resources that can help them secure new employment. Employees will also be informed that prematurely terminating their employment may result in ineligibility for many of the programs and benefits that would otherwise be available to them had they stayed on until officially laid off.

If any of the employees participating in these sessions need any special accommodations, including translation needs, please let the rapid response team know in advance so they may do their best to make appropriate arrangements.

Step 5: Worker Surveys
It is important that the rapid response team survey your affected workforce. While completing the survey is voluntary, all affected employees are strongly encouraged to complete one because the information may be used for re-employment, retraining, research, funding and economic development purposes.. The survey information may also prove helpful during the transition strategy development phase. When completing the survey, employees must answer questions relating to demography, employment, and types of programs and services they may wish to utilize. Individual results are not shared with anyone outside of the state's workforce programs.

- The rapid response team will work with the employer and any employee representatives to determine the best timing for survey distribution and collection. Frequently, the surveys are completed during the onsite worker informational sessions.

Step 6: Conclusion of Services
The state and/or local rapid response contact will continue to be there as a resource until all employees have been separated.

The rapid response team relies on your feedback to continually review the rapid response program and identify ways it can be improved. We welcome your feedback and encourage you to complete a brief survey.