Shared Work Program aimed to help people keep jobs

KILGORE - As the number of job layoffs are on the rise in East Texas, the Texas Workforce Commission has come up with the Shared Work Program.

This is an alternative to laying people off, by allowing employers to reduce employee hours up to 40% and offer unemployment insurance benefits to offset their lost hours.

Workforce Development Director, Wendell Holcombe said, "They can maintain their workforce and maintain a reduced level of activity, keep their workforce for when times get better."

He says, that way workers won't have interruption in employment, can earn part of their salary and get a pro rated amount of unemployment.

Bob Davis owns an oil supply company in Kilgore and he can see how it would be good for others.

Davis said, "There are a lot of businesses that have ramped up for this expansion in our industry over the past four years so there might be some adjustments that might benefit them."

Although the employee is the one getting the benefit in the end, the employer is the one who has to apply to be apart of the Shared Work Program.