Frances Online

State IT Innovation of the Year

In March 2024, the Oregon Employment Department completed the final rollout of its new system, Frances. Launched in three phases, the new system supports unemployment insurance benefits, paid leave benefits and contributions and recovery, replacing decades-old legacy systems. Frances, which exceeds Americans with Disabilities Act and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines standards, offers real-time tracking, fraud prevention, automation and enhanced data integration. Key features include a secure, mobile-friendly self-service portal for customers and a unified employer reporting mechanism, streamlining reporting for 170,000 employers. With Frances, Oregon became the first state to connect directly to the National Association of State Workforce Agencies’ ICON Cloud Hub, setting a precedent for national collaboration in data-sharing. The system shifts from paper- and phone-based fact-finding to digital methods. Claimants have easier access to messages, and chatbot and live chat are built into Frances, eliminating extra logins and costs.