Work Share

On June 9, 2010, Governor Ritter signed a law for a program that gives employers an alternative to employee lay-offs. The Work-Share Program allows employers to keep their employees working, but with reduced hours. The employer looks at how many hours he or she can keep paying employees instead of laying them off. The employees then share those hours. The employer can sign up for the whole business or for a unit in the business to be in the Work-Share Program.

Your employer must apply for the Work-Share Program. We look at the application and decide whether the employer meets the requirements. If the employer does, you can be part of the program. If you are in the Work-Share Program, you can collect part of your unemployment benefits while you work fewer hours. We pay your benefits to make up for the percentage of hours you are not working.

Find out if your employer can be part of the Work-Share Program. Ask your employer.

To be part of the Work-Share Program and collect unemployment benefits:

You must work for an employer who is in the Work-Share Program at the time you request payment of unemployment benefits.
You must sign up for unemployment.
Your employer must reduce your normal work hours by at least 10 percent and no more than 40 percent. Because you are working fewer hours, your pay from that employer must also be less in that week.
You must tell us about the hours you work for and the money you earned from your work-share employer. If you are working for another employer at the same time, you do not need to report those hours and earnings while you are in the Work-Share Program. You are required to report the hours and earnings from your work-share employer each week.
You must be able to work, be available for work, and be willing to work extra hours for the work-share employer.

NOTE: If you are in a Work-Share Program, you do not have to look for other work.