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State Rep. Jim Buchy...
Legislature
passes “SharedWork Ohio” Program
COLUMBUS—State Representative Jim Buchy has announced that the Ohio
House of Representatives passed House Bill 484, legislation that
creates the “SharedWork Ohio” Program.
The bill creates a program in which an employer who participates in the
SharedWork Ohio program reduces the number of hours worked by employees
in lieu of layoffs.
Under the bill, an employer who wishes to participate in the program
must submit a plan to the Director of Job and Family Services that
satisfies specific requirements. If a SharedWork Program is approved,
employees will maintain pension and healthcare benefits and are
eligible to receive 26 weeks of unemployment benefits on a pro rata
basis.
Through United States House Bill 3630, as negotiated by House Speaker
John Boehner and President Barack Obama, the federal government will
provide funds for the administration, cost and promotion of SharedWork
Ohio. As employers continue to pay unemployment premiums, a
net positive cash flow into Ohio’s Unemployment Trust Fund may reduce
Ohio’s debt to federal government, triggering a decrease in
unemployment tax rates for employers.
“Currently, unemployment is high, and these people want to work.
A job will give each man and woman the dignity that comes with a job,”
Representative Buchy said. “Providing unemployment recipients the
opportunity to work at a low cost to the employer benefits the employer
and the employee by incentivizing workers to work at a lower
paying job while unemployment dollars subsidize the loss in income to
the family.”
In 2009, shared work programs were credited with saving thousands of
jobs across the United States, including 11,000 in New York and 24,193
in Missouri. Texas also credited shared work for saving 24,665 jobs in
2010.
House Bill 484 now be sent to the Senate for further consideration.
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