Workshare Webinar with DOL Commissioner Fortman Thursday, December 3, 10 AM – 11 AM
If your business is experiencing a temporary downturn in work that is not related to a seasonal downturn, you and your employees may be eligible for the Maine Department of Labor’s WorkShare program.
The WorkShare program allows employers to voluntarily reduce the hours of staff in lieu of layoffs. Employees are allowed to collect a partial unemployment benefit to help them offset the loss of income.
The Maine Tourism Association is hosting a webinar with Commissioner Laura Fortman and Deputy Commissioner Kimberly Smith of the Maine Department of Labor on Thursday, December 3, at 10 AM for anyone interested in learning more.
The WorkShare program helps businesses keep trained workers during a temporary downturn, and it helps workers stay connected to jobs and maintain their skills. In lieu of a layoff, employers can temporarily reduce their work hours in a particular unit, shift or company from 10% to 50%. To help offset the loss of hours, the affected workers can receive a modified weekly unemployment benefit.
For a business to be eligible, the reduction in hours must be temporary, not related to a seasonal downturn, ensure the employee’s hours are reduced by at least 10% but not more than 50%, avoid a layoff of at least 10% of the workers in the affected unit for 2-6 months, affect a unit of the business that normally works on a full-time basis (includes some part-time workers), and includes two or more employees participating.
