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Release Date: May 5, 2008
Release Number: 08-621-NAT
Contact Name: Gloria Della/Richard Manning
Phone Number: 202.693.8664202.693.4676
Washington – The U.S. Department of
Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) is the first
place winner of the General Services Administration’s annual citizen
service award in recognition of its exceptional customer service to the
American public. The award was announced recently during the Interagency
Resources Management Conference.
“This award demonstrates the positive impact that
our program has on the lives of American workers and their families,”
said Bradford P. Campbell, assistant secretary of labor for EBSA. “I
am proud of the outstanding job done by our employees nationwide to
assist workers in understanding their rights and responsibilities, and
in obtaining retirement and health benefits that are improperly
denied.”
EBSA’s Participant Assistance Program was
recognized for its efforts to increase retirement and health benefit
recoveries for citizens to $96 million in 2007 through informal
complaint resolution. The program accomplishes its mission through
public outreach events, publications, maintaining EBSA’s Web site and
direct responses to more than 170,000 inquiries and complaints handled
annually by 108 benefits advisors nationwide. The agency uses a
multi-faceted approach to create public awareness of its program,
including speaking at plant closings to dislocated workers about their
options for continuing health benefits; conducting compliance seminars;
and briefing Congressional, as well as federal and state agencies’
staff, about the services EBSA offers.
Last year, the program:
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Improved its customer satisfaction
ratings and achieved “World Class Status,” a designation
reserved by the Gallup Organization for the highest performers
(within its 75 percentile).
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Reached more than 2.1 million
unique visitors through its Web site.
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Conducted outreach to assist
19,001 dislocated workers.
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Developed 24 new and updated
publications for employees and employers.
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Reaching EBSA to take advantage of
its wide range of services is easy and free by calling the agency
toll-free at 866.444.3272.
U.S. Department of Labor news releases are accessible on the
Department's Newsroom
page. The information in this news release will be made available
in alternate format upon request (large print, Braille, audio tape or
disc) from the COAST office. Please specify which news release when
placing your request at 202.693.7828 or TTY 202.693.7755. The U.S.
Department of Labor is committed to providing America's employers and
employees with easy access to understandable information on how to comply
with its laws and regulations. For more information, please visit the
Department's Compliance
Assistance page.
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