Miami-based Ocean Bank told 78 employees last week that they would be losing their jobs. This layoff, combined with 33 employees that recently accepted voluntary severance, reduces the bank's total employee count to about 786 workers.

Those involved in the latest round of layoffs will be offered one week of severance payments for every year of service, outplacement services from an unnamed company and unused vacation pay. All of the employee reductions will result in about $4.3 million in savings per year.

As of Sept. 30, 2008, Ocean Bank had 1,052 employees. However, in January of this year the company laid off 127 employees, froze salaries and lowered company health plan contributions.

"Part of the reorganization is to consolidate some functions and streamline processes," Alfonso Macedo, president and CEO of Ocean Bank, told the South Florida Business Journal. "This will improve the position of the bank."

As an additional measure to cut costs, the bank's executive officers will take one week off without pay this year.

As of June 30, 19.5 percent of Ocean Bank's loans were noncurrent, ranking it among the most financially troubles banks in South Florida. During 2008, Ocean Bank lost $204.7 million, which was followed by a loss of $89.5 million during the first six months of this year. The bank has been under a cease and desist order from regulators since 2004.

However, Ocean Bank's shareholders in Venezuela supported the bank, which has $4.4 billion in assets, by giving it $40 million in capital last year, which leveled exceeded regulatory requirements in the second quarter.

Gov. Charlie Crist recently announced his plan to convene some state agencies in charge of reviewing legal requirements for screening those who work in facilities that provide care to children, the elderly and those with disabilities.

Currently, only certain employees of some child daycare centers, nursing homes, assisted living facilities and other residential care settings are required to pass criminal background checks before they are hired, leaving the chance that these places could potentially make costly and harmful hires.

"When it comes to the safety and security of Florida's vulnerable populations, we must make every effort to ensure that their professional caregivers do not have criminal histories," Crist said. "I want to thank the members of the media - and especially the South Florida Sun-Sentinel - for examining the current practice of background screening to ensure the safety of our most vulnerable individuals."

The selected agencies will get together to review the use of criminal background checks, the process for granting exemptions and the process that allows employees to begin working before a background check is completed.

The state agencies asked to participate include: