State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) is pleased to announce that as a result of discussions she’s had with the Department of Industrial Relations, a workers’ compensation office will remain open and staffed up to four days a week in Santa Barbara County.
While details are still being worked out, a Division of Workers’ Compensation satellite office is expected to open up in the city of Santa Barbara at 411 East Canon Perdido by the end of December. The office space is expected to be less costly than the space currently being leased in Goleta.
“I am grateful for the hard work of the Department of Industrial Relations, who heard and understood the concerns I and others shared about the closure of the Goleta office, “ Jackson said. “I am extremely pleased that they will be keeping a presence in Santa Barbara and providing vital services to workers at a significantly reduced cost to taxpayers and the state of California.”
Last month, it was announced that the Division of Workers’ Compensation office in Goleta, the only one in the county, was going to be closed and its services transferred to Oxnard due to the high cost of the office space being leased. Oxnard is a significant distance away for those Santa Barbara County residents who rely on public transportation.
“It could take people, many of them with work injuries, as long as three hours to travel to Oxnard by bus to access these services,” Jackson said. “I knew we had to find a more acceptable alternative.”
At the Goleta DWC office, injured workers can file claims, get information about filing claims, and attend workers’ comp hearings. The Goleta office is expected to remain open through November 18, with services being provided in the interim in Oxnard before the Santa Barbara office opens in December.