by Anonymous
My hours and pay have been reduced by half due to a general slowdown in our business. My employer has qualified as a Work Sharing Employer. I want to file for partial unemployment benefits under that program. If the worst happens and I am laid off completely in a few months, would the payments I have received under this program reduce the total number of weeks I would qualify for regular unemployment benefits?
Hi Anonymous,
Sorry for the delay in answering. The fact is I’m just not that familiar with work sharing or short-time UI Programs.
The intention, I believe, is that these programs, where they do exist ( 11 states ) is an incentive to employers to retain their employees until at which time things start to pick up and everyone can go back to full-time.
I could not find specific information, but there were some phone numbers for employers to inquire about how they would be charged. It sounds like there may be an advantage to the employer as far as their experience rating (the percentage of tax on a specified amount of every employees wages each year) because just like a car wreck that is your fault and your car insurance goes up … so goes it for unemployment.
It does not effect your ability to collect unemployment should the worst happen. The you would just start collecting regular benefits.
In California, the plan is approved for six months. It’s really just partial unemployment benefits … only based on your reduced hours, not wages in a base period.