The Arizona Department of Economic Security’s (DES) Shared Work Unemployment Compensation Program is an alternative for employers faced with the need to reduce the number of employees or hours. It allows an employer to divide the available work or hours among a specified group of affected employees in lieu of a layoff, and it allows the employees to receive a portion of their Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits while working reduced hours.
In response to the impacts of COVID-19, DES has revised the Shared Work program to provide maximum flexibility to support employers facing labor cuts and expedite economic recovery.