Work Share Program

Work share logo

Michigan’s Work Share program allows employers to restart their business and bring employees back from unemployment. Employers can bring employees back with reduced hours - while employees collect partial unemployment benefits to make up a portion of the lost wages. Employers can also retain their current workforce and are given the flexibility to choose which of their employees are part of a Work Share plan.

Work Share Brochure

Work Share Employee Guide

Eligibility Requirements

Employers must have paid wages for at least 12 of the previous quarters.
Employee hours/wages may be reduced by a minimum of 15 - 45%.
Experience account balance must have a positive reserve.

Work Share Requirements

Employers are given flexibility to organize which employees are in a Work Share plan.
A plan must include a minimum of two employees and an employer can have multiple plans.
Plans may be approved for a period of up to 52 consecutive weeks.
Part-time employees are eligible, but Work Share does not apply to seasonal, temporary, or intermittent employment.
Employer must obtain approval of any applicable collective bargaining unit representative.
Employers participating in Work Share cannot modify employees fringe benefits.

How It Works

With the Work Share program, a worker receives a reduced salary from an employer, but is given a percentage of their state unemployment benefits The reduction in work hours must result in an equivalent reduction in wages.

Example: If a worker’s weekly wages are $1,000, yet the employer needs to reduce their salary/hours by 30%. Under Work Share, their weekly salary would be $700 ($1,000 – 30% = $700). Plus 30% of their state unemployment benefits ($446 maximum x 0.30 = $133).

As businesses are reopened, Work Share can help employers bring back their employees from unemployment faster and allows employers to retain their workforce and avoid layoffs.

How to Apply

This video provides a step by step guide to how to apply for the Michigan Work Share Program.

Employers - Learn More About the Work Share program

These informative webinars are for employers interested in the Work Share program, a program that allows businesses to restart their business and bring employees back from unemployment. Employers can bring employees back with reduced hours, while employees collect partial unemployment benefits to make up a portion of the lost wages. The presentation is about 35 minutes. If you have questions after viewing the recorded webinar, please join an employer Q & A session to have your questions answered by a Work Share team member.

Full Employer Webinar Presentation

Work Share Toolkit

Frequently Asked Questions

For information, call 1-855-484-2636, then select Option 6.

Things to Know for Employers Experiencing a Temporary Shutdown

A Work Share plan must be terminated if one or more employees are laid-off in an active Work Share Plan.
When establishing a Work Share plan, employers provide assurance that they will not lay off participating employees during the effective period of the Work Share plan, or reduce participating employees' hours of work by more than the reduction percentage during the effective period of the shared-work plan. The Unemployment Insurance Agency can terminate a Work Share plan if the employer is not in compliance.
To terminate a plan before the end date, log into MiWAM, find the specific Work Share plan, and click terminate.
Once the employer’s operations resume, the employer can create a new Work Share Plan.

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