PSU WORK SHARE PROGRAM
On this page: PROGRAM SUMMARY | LEAVE USAGE | ELIGIBILITY | EMPLOYEE PROGRAM FORMS & COMMUNICATIONS | OTHER EMPLOYEE IMPACTS | WORK SHARE TIMELINE | RETURN FROM WORK SHARE GUIDING PRINCIPLES| RESOURCES
FAQs: ELIGIBILITY | FORMS | BENEFITS | HOW DO I... | LEAVES | EMPLOYMENT CHANGES & WORK WEEK | OUTSIDE INCOME & EXCEPTIONS | MISC.
WE ARE EXPERIENCING HEAVY EMAIL VOLUME AND ARE WORKING AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS. WE APOLOGIZE FOR THE DELAY AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE.
PROGRAM SUMMARY
The Oregon Employment Department’s (OED) Work Share program is designed to help employers like Portland State University (PSU) manage financial shortfalls by allowing employees to collect partial unemployment while furloughed (i.e. on leave without pay) either 20% or 40% of their regular schedule. Additionally, through 7/25/2020, employees who collect partial unemployment through Work Share are also eligible for Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) of $600 per week. By taking advantage of the Work Share program and the additional federal benefit, PSU will be able to attain significant personnel cost savings without negatively impacting most Work Share employees. In fact, many employees will likely see an increase in overall income during the time period they are participating in this Program, as reflected in the Sample Employee Impact section below.
LEAVE USAGE
Leave usage while on Work Share (Work Share Temporary Rule)
Recently, the Oregon Employment Department issued a temporary rule which allows employees to receive Work Share benefits under many circumstances if Employer-approved leave is taken. The following is an excerpt from their announcement of this temporary rule:
“...For purposes of determining whether an employee can receive Work Share benefits in a week, if the employee uses approved, accrued leave during a week, those leave hours count as hours worked during the week. This does not apply to leave taken for vacation purposes. It does apply to leave taken for other reasons, including because the employee is sick, is caring for someone else who is sick, is on jury duty, or because of COVID-19 related reasons.
This temporary rule is effective August 2, 2020 through December 26, 2020...”
https://www.oregon.gov/employ/
We have updated the PSU Work Share Tracking Form to allow you to indicate whether the leave that you took was for the purpose of vacation. Please continue to use this tracking form to record leave usage during your time on the Work Share program, even if that leave was not vacation-related. Leave taken for vacation purposes is now the only leave that will invalidate your Work Share eligibility. We recognize that in some circumstances vacation accrual may be used for purposes other than vacation, and the tracking form allows for this distinction.
ELIGIBILITY
Due to the uncertainty of the federal unemployment benefit, beginning the week of July 12, newly eligible employees will not be added to the program. This change does not affect employees already on the program.
The following general criteria will be applied to define program participation:
- All SEIU-represented employees, except those in the Campus Public Safety Office
- All AAUP-represented 12-month non-instructional employees (including research faculty)
- All unrepresented, unclassified (UnUn) employees, except for the administrators and academic leaders who already took pay cuts without work reductions.
Within these groups, some additional criteria will be applied by OED’s Work Share department such as:
- Full time employees must be continuously employed at PSU for at least six (6) months.
- Part time employees must be continuously employed at PSU for at least twelve (12) months.
- Being able and available to work in each claim week (i.e. not be on non COVID-19 related leave such as vacation, sick or protected leave).
Employees must be deemed eligible for Work Share benefits by the Oregon Employment Department’s Work Share group to be in the furlough program.
EMPLOYEE PROGRAM FORMS & COMMUNICATIONS
It is your responsibility as an employee to complete the following Work Share program forms, where applicable. These forms will be used by the OED to administer your claim and will be processed by the OED in the order in which they are received. Delays in completing your setup paperwork will introduce additional delays into the claims process and may impact eligibility as determined by OED.
FORM |
REQUIRED |
FREQUENCY |
SUBMIT TO PSU HR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Claim Form* | Mandatory | Once |
Secure upload functionality is available via the Document Upload Form accessible on the PSU HR Home Page. |
| Direct Deposit Paperwork* | Optional | Once |
You may upload with your Initial Claim Form. If you submit later, or make any changes, please submit your forms to OED at the address on the form. |
| Tax Withholding Form* | Optional | Once |
You may upload with your Initial Claim Form. If you submit later, or make any changes, please submit your forms to OED at the address on the form. |
| PSU Work Share Tracking Form | Mandatory, as applicable | Weekly | By Thursday for the current claim week. |
*DO NOT EMAIL.THESE FORMS They contain Social Security Numbers. Secure upload functionality is available via the Document Upload Form accessible on the PSU HR Home Page.
Employee Initial Claim Form: This initial form must be completed and returned to Portland State University by Thursday of your first week to be included in PSU’s weekly submission to Work Share. We will forward all initial claim forms to the Oregon Employment Department’s Work Share department to establish your account on their system.
PLEASE NOTE:
- This initial claim form requires your SSN in order to be processed - DO NOT EMAIL. Secure upload functionality is available via the Document Upload Form accessible on the PSU HR Home Page.
- If you have worked more than 24 months at PSU, you do not need to complete the salary history section on the second page of the Initial Claim Form.
Direct Deposit Paperwork (117H2): This form can be submitted along with your initial claim form to PSU or you may submit them directly to OED in the future. This form requires your SSN in order to be processed - DO NOT EMAIL. Secure upload functionality is available via the Document Upload Form accessible on the PSU HR Home Page.
Tax withholding form (1040WH): Work Share benefits are taxable and this form can be used to establish tax withholding on your payments from OED. This form can be submitted along with your initial claim form to PSU or you may submit them directly to OED in the future. This form requires your SSN in order to be processed - DO NOT EMAIL. Secure upload functionality is available via the Document Upload Form accessible on the PSU HR Home Page.
Work Share Tracking Form: Employees must notify PSU if they take non-COVID sick/vacation leave -or- earn compensation for other (non-PSU) work during any week in which they participate in Work Share.
- NON-COVID Vacation/Sick time: It is important that you notify HR each week through the PSU Work Share Tracking Form as soon as possible due to Oregon Employment Department regulations. This form is in addition to the monthly time or leave sheet that you will still submit during this Work Share program.
- Non-PSU Compensation: Each week, if you earn any compensation outside of your employment at PSU you must notify HR via the PSU Work Share Tracking Form in order for the Oregon Employment Department to properly include these earnings in their unemployment calculations.
COMMUNICATIONS YOU MAY RECEIVE FROM OED WORK SHARE PROGRAM
- ‘Work Authorization request’ [RESPOND] - Please respond to Work Share with the requested information if you receive this notice.
- OED Phone Calls [RESPOND] - OED is reaching out directly to employees if they have any questions about your initial claim forms. Please assist them with their inquiry to the extent possible. If we (PSU HR) can help, please don’t hesitate to let us know. PSU HR is also working with OED to clarify information related to your PSU employment.
- ‘Form 196 - OED Wage and Potential Benefit Report’ [CONTAINS SOME INACCURATE INFORMATION] - Please note that this letter is a standard unemployment insurance notice, not specific to the Work Share program.
- This letter will list the full unemployment benefit amount. PSU Work Share employees are eligible for 20% of the full unemployment weekly benefit amount listed in this letter.
- The gross wages in Banweb may be slightly different than the OED wages listed because not all wages are subject salary for OED payments. This is not unexpected.
- This letter may show a $0 or blank wage or weekly benefit information. You may initially disregard this information as most of these situations are resolved internally by OED, but you may be required to subsequently provide additional information if OED is unable to rectify this issue in their records.
- ‘Publication 125 - School Recess and Form 385-E’ - [IGNORE] We have verified with OED that this DOES NOT APPLY to Work Share participants and that you should disregard this letter and the request to complete a Form 385-E. This letter incorrectly states that you are not eligible for benefits due to a ‘School Recess’ rule. This is an automated letter for certain employees and employers and OED is working on a fix to prevent it from being sent out.
- ‘Your employment was terminated at a former employer, which has made you ineligible.’ - [IGNORE] OED has confirmed that this is another standard letter that does not apply to Work Share participants. The Work Share program is based only on your employment with PSU.
- General note: If you, a Work Share-eligible employee, have any questions regarding other communications that you receive from OED, please send an email to workshare.payroll@pdx.edu so we can investigate the cause. We have not been provided a list of questions or issues that OED is trying to resolve.
- Other Letters: Other letters may be issued by OED as they move through their process. We will update this information online with information about those letters as we become aware of them and have additional information.
OTHER EMPLOYEE IMPACTS
Benefits/Retirement: Work Share employees retain benefits eligibility, including retirement eligibility, based on their FTE before entering the program. Work Share employees may continue to access the Employee Assistance Program.
Furlough: Work Share employees must take the furlough time off work. They cannot be required to “make up” work that was not completed because of their furlough. However, supervisors can and should identify the duties that should be prioritized during work time.
While on Work Share, should an employee need to use accrued leave their supervisor will, whenever practicable, allow the employee to flex their time to stay within Work Share eligibility for the week.
Sample Employee Impact
The below example illustrates how a full-time employee with an annual salary of $50,000 would potentially increase their overall income by 10% - while working 20% (or, 1-day) less per week - by participating in the Work Share Program.
WORK SHARE TIMELINE
RETURN FROM WORK SHARE PRINCIPLES
Guiding Principles
Value
People are at the heart of PSU. The work of every employee is important to the mission and success of the university. Reductions in work due to furloughs will impact operations and necessitate prioritization, but the safety of employees and students will not be sacrificed.
Student Success
We will continue to prioritize Students First in our decision-making and strive to minimize the impacts of the furloughs on services that are pivotal to student success.
Financial Stability
Financial stability is critical to the long-term success of PSU. Along with other higher education institutions, PSU is facing a financial crisis caused by the economic impacts of COVID-19. It is important that the institution take proactive steps to address these economic impacts.
Equitable impact
Every department and division is important to PSU. The impacts of budget reductions and work reductions due to furlough should be shared across all units.
Equity
The economic impact of the furlough must be aligned with PSU’s values and commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
Consistency
Decisions about restoration should be consistent within and across departments and divisions. Consistent guidelines, practices, and communication should be utilized in implementing restoration.
Transparency
Furloughs are deeply impactful to affected employees. Transparency about the timeline, intentions, and impact of work reductions is essential. Regular campus updates will inform the community about changes in the budget, share realistic expectations around the duration of the furlough, and provide information about the financial savings the university is realizing from the reductions.
Supporting PSU Community
PSU is a strong, supportive community. As the nation and state face catastrophic unemployment, PSU is committed to preserving jobs and protecting the well-being of our colleagues during this significant economic downturn.
Program Duration and Review
The primary purpose of the Work Share program is to address PSU’s financial stability during the COVID-19 crisis. Thus, based on established agreements with labor associations; and to achieve consistency, equity, and job preservation; it is assumed that Work Share eligible employees shall remain on furlough through December 31st.
The Work Share furlough program will be reassessed by August 31, 2020 when there is more complete information on state funding, fall enrollment, and the continuation of the CARES Act or other funds. As well as a better understanding of the impact of the program on critical university operations.
Due to the potential detrimental impact to institutional financial stability and existing institutional contractual agreements, Work Share eligible employees funded through sponsored projects, grants, or contracts are eligible to return to full-time work after four weeks, provided the decision is consistent with the Guiding Principles. The decision of when to have an employee return from furlough will be made by the Principal Investigator of the sponsored project in consultation with RGS leadership.
Exception Process
The exception process will be based on the guiding principles and will be determined as part of the August program review.
FAQs
(updated 6/23/2020)
ELIGIBILITY
How will my Overload impact my Work Share eligibility?
I am on a visa, am I included in the Work Share program?
Are student employees able to participate in the program?
FORMS
What does BYE mean on the Direct Deposit form/what should we put in that field?
Do you need to include a voided check with the direct deposit paperwork?
Will I receive an email receipt once I upload my Work Share forms to the HR document upload portal?
Will I receive notification from the State that I have been accepted into the program?
How does income outside of PSU impact my OED Work Share benefits?
If I have worked at PSU for 2 years or longer, should I fill in any information on page 2?
Under what circumstances should I complete the weekly tracking sheet?
If I am taking comp time (SEIU employees only), do I need to complete the tracking form?
What form should I use to set up my tax withholding with Work Share?
What happens if an employee uses an incorrect salary/earnings on their Work Share claim form?
BENEFITS
Will I continue to receive benefits while on Work Share?
If an employee is at 0.5 FTE, will the Work Share furlough affect their benefits?
HOW DO I...
What do I need to do to claim my Work Share and federal benefits?
What information do I need to complete my Initial Employee Application?
Where can I find my gross earnings?
Where can I find my start date?
LEAVES
How do I take & report leave while on Work Share?
What happens if you reach the maximum vacation accrual?
If you use COVID-19 sick leave are you still eligible for the program?
Will Non-COVID leave impact eligibility to be in the program?
How is FMLA and EFMLA ( FFCRA Expanded FMLA) impacted by Work Share?
If you take vacation for 40 hours/1 week, do you get paid at your 1.0 FTE rate for that week?
Does the use of vacation, sick, holiday impact my Work Share or FPUC benefits?
EMPLOYMENT CHANGES & WORK WEEK
Can you work partial days/take partial days off?
If you are not eligible for the program for a week, do you have to re-apply for the program?
When does the work week start?
Can some work hours/days be over the weekend?
Does on call time count towards the hours worked for Work Share?
OUTSIDE INCOME & EXCEPTIONS
MISC.
Is there a “waiting week” for unemployment eligibility?
Can my Work Share and federal benefits be directly deposited into my bank account?
Who pays my salary during the Work Share program?
Are my unemployment and Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation payments taxable?
What is the turnaround time for Work Share benefits to be issued to participants?
ELIGIBILITY
Employees who are not on the Work Share program are not included in the 20% furlough.
How will my Overload impact my Work Share eligibility?
The 20% reduction is calculated on an employee’s primary position. If the employee has an overload or wage agreement that represents work above and beyond your primary position, you will be ineligible for Work Share (and Federal payments) as your reduction would be lower than 20% (the minimum reduction to participate in Work Share). The Work Share program does not consider employment greater than 1.0 FTE for full time.
Yes.
I am on a visa, am I included in the Work Share program?
Employees on all visa types are excluded from participation in the Work Share program.
If you have any questions about your specific program, please contact us at workshare.payroll@pdx.edu.
Yes. You can submit your initial claim for now and will be eligible for the program when you reach 6 months of service.
New employees in eligible groups will be enrolled in the Work Share program in the week after they meet their eligibility (6-months for full time employees and 12-months of employment for part-time employees).
Yes.
Are student employees able to participate in the program?
No. Eligibility for the Work Share program is limited to the groups outlined in the ‘Eligibility’ section above.
Holidays are not treated like vacation/sick leave and do not impact their benefits. Holidays do not impact benefits.
You will still need to take furlough time for a week containing a holiday.
FORMS
What does BYE mean on the Direct Deposit form/what should we put in that field?
Benefits Year End. The date should be 5/29/21 but if you put something else or left it blank DO NOT resubmit the form as HR has no way to remove/re-add your forms. Work Share will reach out to you if they need clarification.
Do you need to include a voided check with the direct deposit paperwork?
No. However, if you do not provide a voided check please double check that the account and routing numbers are correct.
Will I receive an email receipt once I upload my Work Share forms to the HR document upload portal?
At this time, there is no additional notification. If your forms uploaded successfully, you will receive an on-screen confirmation at the end of your upload process.
Will I receive notification from the State that I have been accepted into the program?
Yes, employees will receive a letter from Oregon Employment Department notifying them that they are in the program.
Use your employment start date at PSU (the fact that it was a student position does not matter for this program even though current student employees are not eligible).
How does income outside of PSU impact my OED Work Share benefits?
The degree to which your outside employment will impact your Work Share benefits depends on OED & their Work Share program rules. The Oregon Employment Department (OED) can be contacted at - OED_WorkShare@oregon.gov Phone: (503)-947-1800.
OED Work Share uses a process similar to how the regular Unemployment process handles income for weeks in which you file a claim, but notably their process does not reduce that benefit for income earned through your Work Share employer (PSU). See the following link for 'How do earnings affect my weekly benefit amount?' from their regular unemployment page (see caveat in the prior sentence).
https://www.oregon.gov/EMPLOY/Unemployment/Claimant_Handbook/Pages/Secti...
For our part, this is why we collect that information through the weekly PSU Work Share Tracking form because we pass it along to OED for them to make those calculations.
Ultimately this determination is up to OED. If you are determined to not be eligible for any week you will be able to use leave to cover any furlough that was taken. If the external work is ongoing, once you have been determined to be ineligible, please contact PSU HR (workshare.payroll@pdx.edu) to inquire about being removed from the Work Share program.
PSU does not review or record the information that you provide to OED regarding your outside employment beyond what is necessary to comply with OED Work Share reporting requirements.
If I have worked at PSU for 2 years or longer, should I fill in any information on page 2?
If you had any jobs outside of PSU within the last two years, you should include that information on page two in order to help ensure that OED properly calculates your base unemployment payment. However, if you do not have any non-PSU employment, only check the certification box and sign and date the end of page 2.
No. The DD-214 is only required if your last service date was within the last 24 months.
Under what circumstances should I complete the weekly tracking sheet?
Your personal circumstances may further modify your Work Share eligibility from week to week as determined by the Oregon Employment Department. If none of the situations in the table below apply to you each week, no further action is necessary.
Each week, for all of the situations below you will need to complete the PSU Work Share Tracking Form*. See below for additional detail and specific situations that may apply to you. (Please note that OED has reduced the number of situations that you should report, and the tracking form has been simplified to include only the new requirements.)
| Situation | Notes |
|---|---|
| Leave taken for Vacation Purposes | Without regard to what type of leave you use |
| Received non-PSU Compensation | |
| Received Retirement Income |
* The PSU Work Share Tracking Form must be completed by Thursday of each week for that week’s PSU Work Share filing. If any circumstance changes after the initial submission you can edit your response, but this response must be submitted by Sunday of that week. Work Share paperwork or administration does not count against your eligibility for Work Share.
**Only leave taken for one of the reasons listed in the Oregon Employment Department’s Temporary Rules for Unemployment Insurance Benefits Flexibility should be reported as COVID-19 related.
No, only non-PSU income needs to be submitted via the PSU Work Share tracking form. All PSU-derived income will be automatically reported to OED as part of the weekly certification reports submitted by HR.
If I am taking comp time (SEIU employees only), do I need to complete the tracking form?
Yes, you are required to report ALL leaves on the PSU Work Share Tracking Form. Taking comp time will likely make you ineligible for the Work Share program that week, a final determination is made by the Oregon Employment Department.
OED advises that the direct deposit paperwork will be processed once received either along with your Work Share application or after you receive documentation from Work Share. Either way, your first claim payment will be a paper check.
What form should I use to set up my tax withholding with Work Share?
The form 1040WH should be used to establish your tax withholding with the Oregon Work Share program.
What happens if an employee uses an incorrect salary/earnings on their Work Share claim form?
If you realize that any submission to OED is incorrect, please contact Work Share as soon as possible to clarify the situation. OED will review the forms submitted, and then issue letters to the employee with their weekly benefit amounts. Any issues or questions can be corrected at that time. (An employee can call and clarify with Work Share once they receive their letter).
BENEFITS
Will I continue to receive benefits while on Work Share?
Health: Yes, at the same level as prior to the Work Share furlough.
Retirement: Yes, your eligibility, years of service and vesting will continue at the same level as prior to the Work Share furlough.
Employees on Work Share are still eligible for the Staff Fee Privilege, and it will not cause them to be ineligible for Work Share benefits.
Per PERS rules, the salary for 2020 will include the 20% reduction. For PERS this may impact your Final Average Salary (which is based on your highest three years of salary) depending on your specific circumstances. For contributions that are based on a percentage of salary such as the 6% IAP or the ORP contributions, those will also be based on the amounts that you are actually paid by PSU. Please contact PERS or ORP about how this might impact you.
If an employee is at 0.5 FTE, will the Work Share furlough affect their benefits?
No. No one will lose benefits because of being on the Work Share program.
HOW DO I...
What do I need to do to claim my Work Share and federal benefits?
See the ‘Initial Employee Application’ section of this web page for links and additional information about these forms.
To establish an account with OED Work Share, you need only complete their Initial Claim form.
Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation will be paid automatically for weeks in which you qualify for OED benefits, no additional paperwork is necessary.
You can complete Direct Deposit and Tax Withholding forms, but these are not necessary to claim benefits.
What information do I need to complete my Initial Employee Application?
- Social Security Number*
- Start date with PSU. If your employment with PSU started before November 1, 2018, an estimated date will be adequate
- Work history for the last 18 months, including dates of employment, your employers’ business names, addresses and phone numbers
- Estimated salary and total income from each employer
- If you are not a citizen of the United States, you will need your Alien Registration Number and documentation
- If you are a veteran, you will need your DD-214
- PSU address: PO BOX 751 Portland, OR 97207-0751 (do not use your work site address)
*NOTE: This initial claim form requires your SSN in order to be processed - DO NOT EMAIL. Secure upload functionality is available using the Document Upload Form on the HR Home Page.
Where can I find my gross earnings?
Your gross wages are in banweb: banweb.pdx.edu
Employee Services → Pay Information → Pay Stub → Sort by Year
Where can I find my start date?
Your start date can be found in banweb: banweb.pdx.edu
Employee Services → Jobs Summary → Job Begin Date
OED has confirmed that your compensation from 1/1/19-12/31/19 should be used for this field.
LEAVES
How do I take & report leave while on Work Share?
Each week -
All Leave should be requested and reported through the regular non-Work Share channels.
In addition, please be aware of the following:
- Up to one day of leave needed:
- Any type of leave - work with your supervisor to ensure you maintain a reduced schedule by shifting available work to your furlough day.
- COVID-19-related Sick Leave is allowed and has no impact on participation in the Work Share Program.
- More than one day of leave-
- Report any leave on the HR Work Share Tracking Form.
- If your leave is properly reported during the week, you will be ineligible for Work Share during the week, but may work or use accrued leave for the full amount of your regular schedule. You will only be ineligible for Work Share during the week that leave is used, and - absent any ineligible condition, you will participate in the Work Share program the following week.
- COVID-19-related Sick Leave is allowed and has no impact on participation in the Work Share Program.
What happens if you reach the maximum vacation accrual?
Vacation time may be used during the Work Share program. However, use of that leave will cause employees to not be eligible for Work Share in that week.
SEIU employees ONLY may request leave from their supervisors by email and if they are denied use of that leave due to business constraints, the email string can be submitted to Payroll for payout of leave up to 40 hours. (per SEIU contract Article 43, Section 15).
All other employee groups may not accrue vacation leave above the 260 hour maximum limit. Vacation leave can be scheduled and used, but will cause an employee to be ineligible for Work Share benefits in the week of usage.
HR is considering a number of scenarios related to leave accruals, but no decisions have been made. HR will share any updates to leave policies via email.
If you use COVID-19 sick leave are you still eligible for the program?
Yes, you can use the COVID-19 leave and still be eligible, but vacation and (regular) sick leave.
means you are not eligible. COVID-19 related leave will not impact Work Share benefits. If you use COVID-19 leave, you must notify PSU in the week of usage through the PSU Work Share Tracking form.
Will Non-COVID leave impact eligibility to be in the program?
Yes, non-COVID-19 paid leave will likely impact employee benefits.
Holidays count as worked hours for purposes of Work Share. This means that - as opposed to vacations - they do not make someone ineligible for Work Share. However, that does mean that employees must still take furlough in that week. Here is a basic example of how a Holiday week would look. This example is based on a standard 40 hour/week schedule, but the same principles would apply for other employee schedules.
| DATE | HOURS |
|---|---|
| June 29 | 8 hours worked |
| June 30 | 8 hours worked |
| July 1 | 8 hours worked |
| July 2 | 8 hours furlough |
| July 3 | 8 hours holiday (paid) |
| Total hours worked | 24 |
| Total hours furlough | 8 |
| Total hours holiday (paid) | 8 |
How is FMLA and EFMLA ( FFCRA Expanded FMLA) impacted by Work Share?
If you are on FMLA you are not eligible for Work Share, and will likely be able to maintain your already-established leave plan.
If you are on EFMLA, you are eligible for Work Share as it is a COVID-19 related leave.
In either case, please contact the Leaves team at leaves@pdx.edu if you have specific questions.
If you take vacation for 40 hours/1 week, do you get paid at your 1.0 FTE rate for that week?
You will be ineligible for the Work Share program for that week which means you will not be furloughed in that week and may use up to 40 hours of vacation leave.
Personal days/time must be used by the end of the fiscal year or they will be lost. Note that taking any leave other than COVID-19 leave renders an employee ineligible for the Work Share program during the week they take leave.
Does the use of vacation, sick, holiday impact my Work Share or FPUC benefits?
Holiday pay - Work Share benefits are not reduced due to a holiday.
Vacation and sick pay - Any vacation or sick leave taken will likely negatively impact the benefits.
COVID-19 Leave - OED has specific eligibility rules for COVID-19 related leave and will be responsible for determining eligibility around this leave.
FPUC benefits will be paid for any week in which you receive any Oregon Work Share benefits.
Non-COVID-19 paid leave will likely impact employee benefits. (Employees must be available to work in order to receive the Work Share benefits)
COVID-19-related leave will not impact their benefits. As long as the employee notifies PSU of the weekly use of COVID-19 Leave, PSU can include it as hours worked so that benefits are not impacted.
Probably. This determination is made by OED, not PSU, and it’s our current understanding that the use of vacation or sick leave (with the exception of COVID-19 related reasons or Holidays) will likely impact their benefits.
COVID-19-related leave does not impact Work Share benefits. It is important that employees report all leave - including COVID-19 related leave on a weekly basis for the duration of the Work Share program. Leave must be reported using the PSU PSU Work Share Tracking Form.
Yes. Because the employee’s wages were reduced from PSU during this period, that may impact the amount of benefits received through Work Share.
EMPLOYMENT CHANGES & WORK WEEK
Can you work partial days/take partial days off?
Yes, you just need to work 32 hours in a work week (for a 1.0 full-time employee). If you work less than 1.0 FTE, your necessary weekly hours are pro-rated as 80% of your standard schedule (a 20% furlough).
If you are not eligible for the program for a week, do you have to re-apply for the program?
No, you will be automatically enrolled each week.
Employees who work over their permissible hours in a week (32 hours for 1.0 FTE) will be ineligible for the Work Share program for that week. Supervisors will work to avoid scheduling issues and to help prioritize critical tasks.
When does the work week start?
The Oregon Employment Department work week runs from Sunday through Saturday.
Can some work hours/days be over the weekend?
Yes, the work week is Sunday-Saturday. Work schedules are determined based on business needs and questions should be discussed with your supervisor.
Does on call time count towards the hours worked for Work Share?
No, on call status does not increase an employee’s FTE and therefore does not count towards the Work Share limits. However, if an employee is required to respond while on call that time will count towards the weekly limit. If those worked hours exceed your Work Share limit, you will be ineligible for Work Share benefits for that week.
EXCEPTIONS & OUTSIDE INCOME
Yes. Regardless of whether it is additional employment with PSU or with an outside employer, employees must report all compensation to OED since it may impact your benefits.
PSU will report all compensation earned through PSU on weekly reports to OED.
If you have non-PSU compensation or any retirement payments (e.g. pension payments such as through PERS) you can use the PSU PSU Work Share Tracking Form to report those payments to PSU for inclusion on our reports.
Yes - all earnings and additional jobs may impact benefits. PSU will report all PSU-derived compensation on our weekly reports to OED for inclusion in their benefit calculations.
MISC.
Priorities will be assigned by managers and leadership for each area based on strategic objectives and business impacts. Please provide feedback and input regarding your job assignments to your supervisor.
Is there a “waiting week” for unemployment eligibility?
Yes, a waiting week is still applied to the Work Share program. The Governor has announced that the waiting week will be waived, however, it is our understanding that, due to OED technology issues, this change may be applied retroactively.
Can my Work Share and federal benefits be directly deposited into my bank account?
Yes, Work Share can process your benefits via direct deposit if you complete a Direct Deposit authorization form.
Who pays my salary during the Work Share program?
- PSU will continue to pay 80% of your salary during the period in which you are on a 20% furlough,
- OED’s Work Share program will pay unemployment benefits for your furloughed time (20%-40%), and
- In addition, the Federal government will fund the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation ($600 per week currently through July 25th, 2020).
Are my unemployment and Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation payments taxable?
Oregon Unemployment: Yes.
Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation: Yes.
What is the turnaround time for Work Share benefits to be issued to participants?
We received an update from OED that they anticipate working on claims from the first week of June (PSU’s first Work Share claim week) starting the ween of 6/29. OED has ramped up their employees in the Work Share areas to keep up with the increased claim volume and are working to shorten waiting times.
No. It is not necessary for the employer or employee to report this information. Benefits are based on what happened in the previous period (1/1/19-12/31/19). PSU will report current employee earnings on the weekly reports to OED.
Yes, the FPUC ($600 federal benefit) is automatically processed. Neither PSU nor the employee need to take any further action.
RESOURCES
- Oregon Employment Department (OED) Work Share Website
- OED Forms and Resources (including Spanish language versions)
- PSU HR Work Share Response Team: workshare.payroll@pdx.edu