Washington State – In response to the recent government shutdown, the Washington State Employment Security Department sent an email to business owners letting them know of two options that can be helpful in times of economic hardship.

The first options is called “Standby” and can be used when a business has a short-term dip in business but wants to encourage staff to return to work. Workers who are laid off but have an expected return-to-work date within 28 days can request “standby approval. Employers can request to extend that date to within 56 days. The status allows workers to bypass the requirement that requires them to look for work while collecting unemployment benefits.

The second option, called “SharedWork,” allows employees to receive partial benefits when their hours are cut by 10 to 50 percent. Visit https://bit.ly/2MICrtB or call 800-752-2500 to determine eligibility.