Work Sharing to Avert Layoffs

We’re going to need every possible type of support to get the economy back on track in the midst of our current crisis.   Once the current Congressional rescue package gets enacted, we’ll start to see some investments flow to needy communities, businesses, workers, and families.  But, we’ll need to try lots of different solutions.   Work sharing is one potentially underutilized approach.  Work sharing programs, which exist on the books in 28 states, provide support to companies as they temporarily reduce workforce hours due to seasonal business fluctuations or other events, such as the current Coronavirus crisis.  Several states, such as Pennsylvania and California, are using this approach.  In addition, Denmark’s widely publicized program to guarantee the wages of all workers, utilizes this approach as well.   If your state has a work sharing program on the books (list of states is here), consider this as one need tool in your policy toolkit for layoff aversion and economic recovery.