Types of disasters
The MassHire Rapid Response Team can provide assistance after any form of disaster. They can be:
- Large-scale emergencies that affect multiple businesses
- Smaller emergencies that affect a single business
- Natural disasters such as tornadoes and floods
Response Process
The MassHire Rapid Response Team provides our two types of services interchangeably and flexibly to help workers and businesses immediately after a disaster and for weeks or months to come. Those services are layoff management and layoff aversion.
Disaster and emergency services start with meeting with a business owner or their designee to:
- Work closely with the business and municipality
- Provide information on services
- Plan for the implementation of those services
- Establish contact with the affected employees
We will make every effort to schedule meetings and services at times and places most convenient for the employees. During employee meetings, we:
- Provide information on eligibility and benefits as laid off workers
- Answer questions about disaster and regular unemployment insurance benefits
- Share details about and timetables of the various MassHire Rapid Response services
- Make referrals to other service providers such as MassHire Career Centers and the Massachusetts Health Connector
We also coordinate our services with local government leaders and other partners such as the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).