Located in:
- Program-specific Requirements for Adult, Dislocated Worker, and Youth Activities under Title I-B
The Unified or Combined State Plan must include the following with respect to activities carried out under subtitle B—
a. 2. C. In addition, describe the State policies and procedures to provide Rapid Responses in cases of natural disasters including coordination with FEMA and other entities
Current Narrative:
Louisiana has developed a comprehensive and well-tested disaster response and recovery plan. Rapid Response is a critical component of the state’s disaster response and recovery plan and provide services such as:
The WARN Act for Natural Disasters requires certain employers to provide at least 60 calendar days’ advance written notice of a plant closing or mass layoff affecting 50 or more employees at a single site of employment. The Act makes certain exceptions to the requirements when dislocations occur due to natural disasters if the employees are unreachable and the employment site is destroyed.
When a plant closure or a mass layoff is the direct result of a natural disaster such as a hurricane, flood, earthquake, drought, storm, or similar events caused by nature, employers are obligated to give as much notice as possible, even if the notice comes after a disaster.
To comply with the law, the employer may send notice to the employees‟ last known address, even if their homes are destroyed. This would indicate good faith. The regulations recognize that the available information may be limited.
Emergency RR quickly coordinates services in the event of a crisis, emergencies or situations categorized as a natural disaster. The delivery must be proactive, comprehensive and structured. The primary goal is to convene all diverse expertise and partners who will be dedicated to help the community navigate difficult times and address the short-term and long-term impacts of such events.
Emergency RR includes, but is not limited to:
- Assisting individuals with accessing UI or Disaster Unemployment Assistance;
- Acquisition of and support for Mobile Workforce Centers
- Rapid Response Mobile Workforce Centers function as offices on wheels. In the event of a disaster resulting in a job loss or other interruption in employment, the mobile units are deployed. The units run on generators and are equipped with computers and Internet access. The units can also be deployed to remote locations or to regions where offices may have been destroyed;
- Gathering demographic information for potential emergency grant applications; and
- Coordination with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and/or other disaster-response organizations.
- State and local area rapid response providers must work closely with other State and local agencies and other critical partners through strategic planning processes to ensure effective and immediate responses can be undertaken when the need arises.
In situations of natural disaster or other state-declared emergency situations and to adhere to DOL policy guidance relative to disaster DWGs and TEGL 2-15, initial steps and supplementary planning will include coordination with the following:
- FEMA;
- Louisiana Homeland Security & Emergency Management, through the Duty Officer who coordinates with Emergency Management systems;
- Workforce Development Boards and community stakeholders; and
- Business or businesses impacted by economic downturn or the natural disaster and cause of unemployment and affecting the current workforce;
- Priority of Service Populations;
- Disaster Unemployment Insurance;
- Fish and Wildlife;
- Monitoring provisions;
- Work on Private Property rules;
- Prevailing Wages laws;
- Participant Eligibility qualifications as required by WIOA including accessing supportive services;
- Safety/OSHA