Bureau of Unemployment Compensation / INSTRUCTIONS FOR
FILING WORK-SHARING WEEKLY CLAIMS
Date Mailed: <date>
WORK-SHARING PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
The Maine Unemployment Insurance Work-sharing program provides for partial unemployment benefits when an employer has reduced employees’ normal weekly hours and has submitted an application for participation in this program. The application must be approved by the Department of Labor. If approved, the following criteria are used to process weekly claims. These differ from the criteria used for a regular unemployment weekly claim. All other requirements outlined in “Maine’s Unemployment Blue Book: A Worker’s Guide to Maine’s Unemployment Program” apply.
1. Weekly hours must have been reduced by at least 10%, but not more than 50%, of the normal working hours for the week of filing.
2. Weekly benefit payments will be based on the gross unemployment insurance benefit entitlements (including the weekly benefit and any approved dependency allowance) multiplied by the percentage of hours reduction.
Example 1: The normal weekly benefit amount is $350, and work hours were reduced by 10%. The Work-sharing weekly benefit would be $35 ($350 x 10%).
Example 2: The normal weekly benefit amount is $300, plus a $20 dependency allowance, and work hours were reduced by 50%. The Work-sharing weekly benefit amount would be $160 ($300 + $20 = $320; $320 x 50% = $160).
3. Gross earnings for work done with any employer during the week of filing must be reported. Earnings will not reduce the entitlement for unemployment insurance benefits during a Work-sharing entitlement week.
4. Work search requirements in place for other programs do not apply while under an approved Work-sharing plan.
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Work-share weekly claims must be filed using the “Work-sharing Weekly Claim Form (B.9-1-WKS)” and cannot be filed over the internet or by telephone. Information and certification from both the employer and the claimant are required on the paper form.
2. This form may only be used if the employee is on an active, approved Work-sharing plan.
3. A separate form must be submitted for each individual and for each week of filing. Two or more weeks cannot be filed using a single form.
EMPLOYER INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Complete items 1 through 7. Item 3 must be the Saturday ending date of the week of filing. Be sure to sign and date the form.
2. Give the form to your employee, who will complete the remaining questions and return to you.
3. Submit all weekly claim forms to the Bureau of Unemployment Compensation. Payment processing is quicker when returning the forms in groups, but it is not necessary to hold all weekly claims until each employee has returned them.
CLAIMANT INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Complete items 8 through 15. Be sure to sign and date the form. Return the completed form to your employer.
2. Work-share weekly claim forms should be obtained from the employer. It is the employer’s responsibility to provide weekly claim forms to each eligible employee and to return the forms once completed.
INCOMPLETE FORMS WILL BE RETURNED TO THE EMPLOYER.THIS WILL DELAY PROCESSING AND PAYMENT.
Me. B-9.1-WKS-INST (1/17/2011)