MUNSTER, Ind. (AP) – The sponsor of a failed proposal to give Indiana employers an alternative to laying off employees when work slows says it would better prepare the state for the next economic downturn.
Republican Rep. Tom Dermody of LaPorte tells The Times of Munster he sees the work share program as a way to help the middle class.
The proposal failed in this year's legislative session and supporters say they are planning to propose it again during the General Assembly's next session.
The program allows workers to receive partial unemployment benefits if their employer reduces work hours to avoid layoffs. The proposal was supported by business, labor and anti-poverty groups but opposed by the state's Department of Workforce Development.
