Work Sharing: A Win-Win-Win Strategy for Avoiding Job Loss

Work sharing is a voluntary and cost-equivalent alternative to traditional unemployment benefits. It is being used in more than half of all U.S. states and is credited with saving nearly a half-million jobs that would have otherwise been lost due to the Great Recession.

Work sharing is a win-win-win strategy and has wide bipartisan support.

• It benefits the state by mitigating further job losses.
• The employer benefits by reducing the high costs associated with turnover and maintaining continuity within the firm.
• And the employee benefits by maintaining wages and reducing the effects associated with long-term unemployment.

Read the Report

Download the Fact Sheet

Legislative Activity

Testimony Before the Interim Study Committee on Employment and Labor
In Support of Work Sharing | PDF | Video
Presented by Derek Thomas, Senior Policy Analyst, August 27, 2014

Response to 2013 Summer Study Work Share Questions | PDF
Presented by Derek Thomas, Senior Policy Analyst, September 30, 2013 

Testimony Before the Unemployment Insurance Oversight Committee Summer Study
Supporting Work Sharing | PDF
Presented by Derek Thomas, Senior Policy Analyst, September 30, 2013

Testimony before the House Committee on Employment, Labor and Pensions
Supporting HB1288, Work Sharing | PDF
Presented by Derek Thomas, Senior Policy Analyst, February 19, 2013

Resources

• Source: National Employment Law Project, Center for Law & Social Policy, U.S. Dept. of Labor
• IIWF Fact Sheet: Work Sharing - A Win-Win-Win Strategy for Avoiding Job Loss
• Manufacturing in Indiana: How Work Sharing Benefits the Manufacturing Sector
  States that adopt work sharing programs can preserve vital jobs in manufacturing.
• Work Sharing in Indiana: Estimating Jobs Saved with Work Sharing During the Recent Recession
  Between 2008 and 2010, more than 320,000 U.S. jobs were saved due to work sharing. If a program had been in place in Indiana in 2009—the worst year of the recession—more workers would have stayed on the job and more employers would have weathered the downturn while retaining qualified workers. Three scenarios are presented to show the potential effect of work sharing on jobs.
• Seizing the moment: A Guide to Adopting State Work Sharing Legislation After the Layoff Prevention Act of 2012
• Short-Time Compensation (STC) Grants – AmountsSpreadsheet
• Draft Language and Commentary to Implement a Short-Time Compensation Program

Work Sharing News

• Keeping Hoosiers on the Job, The Best Bang for Indiana's Buck — IIWF Blog Post 2/12/2015
• Guest column: Work sharing deserves a legislative shot — TheStatehouseFile.com (Franklin, Ind.), 2/09/2015
• Work share program needed in Indiana — The Herald Bulletin 9/11/14
• Work sharing gains support as alternative to layoffs in Indiana — News and Tribune 8/28/14
• Work share program debated by study committee — IBJ 8/27/14
• Indiana Legislature could take another look at work share program as alternative to layoffs — The Republic 7/14/14
• Indiana loses out in Work Share dollars — NWI.com 7/13/14
• A bipartisan solution for work force woes— IBJ.com 3/01/14
• Indiana may pass on federal dollars to start work share program — IndyStar.com 2/25/14
• A Bipartisan Solution to Protect Hoosier Jobs — Inside Indiana Business 2/13/14
• Pence’s flip endangers work-share — Journalgazette.net 2/09/14
• State Risks Losing Millions of Federal Work-Share Dollars — USA Today 1/29/14
• 69,000 Hoosiers could lose jobless benefits — IndyStar.com 12/5/13
• Work-sharing program would ease Indiana’s unemployment woes — JournalGazette.net 12/3/13
• Chamber Releases 2014 Top Legislative Priorities, Honors Small Business Champions — Indiana Chamber of Commerce 11/8/2013
• Work Sharing: Our Response to the Critics — IIWF Blog 8/21/2012
• A Second Chance at Saving Jobs in Indiana — IIWF Blog 4/10/2012
• Work-share program to avoid layoffs gaining support — TribStar.com 12/31/2011
• Work-share program to avoid layoffs gaining support in Indiana Legislature — Indiana Economic Digest 12/13/2011