HB 1151 Summary

• Establishes a work sharing unemployment insurance program allowing employers to reduce employee work hours instead of conducting layoffs, with affected employees receiving partial unemployment benefits for reduced hours.

• Requires employers to submit written work sharing plans to the commissioner of the department of workforce development for approval, with plans specifying affected units, hour reductions of 10-50%, employee details, and a maximum 12-month duration.

• Calculates work sharing benefits by reducing an employee's standard weekly unemployment benefit by a percentage equal to the percentage reduction in work hours (e.g., 20% hour reduction = 20% benefit reduction).

• Limits affected employees to 52 weeks of work sharing benefits per benefit year, with total benefits (regular unemployment plus work sharing) capped at the maximum annual benefit amount.

• Protects employee fringe benefits including health insurance, retirement plans, vacation, sick leave, and similar benefits during the work sharing period; effective July 1, 2012.