State employment officials have resources to help during the pandemic freeze.
To avoid laying off their workforce, employers are encouraged to use Work Share. The program allows employers to keep skilled employees by reducing hours, and supplements employee wages with regular unemployment insurance benefits. Eligible staff whose hours are reduced get a portion of their regular unemployment insurance benefits to make up for the lost wages. If employee hours are reduced by 20 to 40 percent for the week, they will potentially receive regular unemployment insurance (UI) benefits for the reduced hours.