(820 ILCS 405/502)

Sec. 502. Eligibility for benefits under the Short-Time Compensation Program.

A. The Director may by rule establish a short-time compensation program consistent with this Section. No short-time compensation shall be payable except as authorized by rule.

B. As used in this Section:

"Affected unit" means a specified plant, department, shift, or other definable unit that includes 2 or more workers to which an approved short-time compensation plan applies.

"Health and retirement benefits" means employer-provided health benefits and retirement benefits under a defined benefit pension plan (as defined in Section 414(j) of the Internal Revenue Code) or contributions under a defined contribution plan (defined in Section 414(i) of the Internal Revenue Code), which are incidents of employment in addition to the cash remuneration earned.

"Short-time compensation" means the unemployment benefits payable to employees in an affected unit under an approved short-time compensation plan, as distinguished from the unemployment benefits otherwise payable under this Act.

"Short-time compensation plan" means a plan submitted by an employer, for approval by the Director, under which the employer requests the payment of short-time compensation to workers in an affected unit of the employer to avert layoffs.

"Usual weekly hours of work" means the usual hours of work for full-time or part-time employees in the affected unit when that unit is operating on its regular basis, not to exceed 40 hours and not including hours of overtime work.

"Unemployment insurance" means the unemployment benefits payable under this Act other than short-time compensation and includes any amounts payable pursuant to an agreement under any Federal law providing for compensation, assistance, or allowances with respect to unemployment.

C. An employer wishing to participate in the short-time compensation program shall submit a signed written short-time compensation plan to the Director for approval. The Director shall develop an application form to request approval of a short-time compensation plan and an approval process. The application shall include:

1. The employer's unemployment insurance account number, the affected unit covered by the plan, including the number of full-time or part-time workers in such unit, the percentage of workers in the affected unit covered by the plan, identification of each individual employee in the affected unit by name and social security number, and any other information required by the Director to identify plan participants.

2. A description of how workers in the affected unit will be notified of the employer's participation in the short-time compensation plan if such application is approved, including how the employer will notify those workers in a collective bargaining unit as well as any workers in the affected unit who are not in a collective bargaining unit. If the employer will not provide advance notice to workers in the affected unit, the employer shall explain in a statement in the application why it is not feasible to provide such notice.

3. The employer's certification that it has the approval of the plan from all collective bargaining representatives of employees in the affected unit and has notified all employees in the affected unit who are not in a collective bargaining unit of the plan.

4. The employer's certification that it will not hire additional part-time or full-time employees for, or transfer employees to, the affected unit, while the program is in operation.

5. A requirement that the employer identify the usual weekly hours of work for employees in the affected unit and the specific percentage by which their hours will be reduced during all weeks covered by the plan. An application shall specify the percentage of reduction for which a short-time compensation application may be approved which shall be not less than 20% and not more than 60%. If the plan includes any week for which the employer regularly provides no work (due to a holiday or other plant closing), then such week shall be identified in the application.

6. Certification by the employer that, if the employer provides health and retirement benefits to any employee whose usual weekly hours of work are reduced under the program, such benefits will continue to be provided to the employee participating in the short-time compensation program under the same terms and conditions as though the usual weekly hours of work of such employee had not been reduced or to the same extent as other employees not participating in the short-time compensation program. For defined benefit retirement plans, the hours that are reduced under the short-time compensation plan shall be credited for purposes of participation, vesting, and accrual of benefits as though the usual weekly hours of work had not been reduced. The dollar amount of employer contributions to a defined contribution plan that are based on a percentage of compensation may be less due to the reduction in the employee's compensation. Notwithstanding any other provision to the contrary, a certification that a reduction in health and retirement benefits is scheduled to occur during the duration of the plan and will be applicable equally to employees who are not participating in the short-time compensation program and to those employees who are participating satisfies this paragraph.

7. Certification by the employer that the aggregate reduction in work hours is in lieu of layoffs (temporary or permanent layoffs, or both). The application shall include an estimate of the number of workers who would have been laid off in the absence of the short-time compensation plan.

8. Agreement by the employer to: furnish reports to the Director relating to the proper conduct of the plan; allow the Director or his or her authorized representatives access to all records necessary to approve or disapprove the plan application, and after approval of a plan, to monitor and evaluate the plan; and follow any other directives the Director deems necessary for the agency to implement the plan and which are consistent with the requirements for plan applications.

9. Certification by the employer that participation in the short-time compensation plan and its implementation is consistent with the employer's obligations under applicable Federal and Illinois laws.

10. The effective date and duration of the plan, which shall expire no later than the end of the 12th full calendar month after the effective date.

11. Any other provision added to the application by the Director that the United States Secretary of Labor determines to be appropriate for purposes of a short-time compensation program.

D. The Director shall approve or disapprove a short-time compensation plan in writing within 45 days of its receipt and promptly communicate the decision to the employer. A decision disapproving the plan shall clearly identify the reasons for the disapproval. The disapproval shall be final, but the employer shall be allowed to submit another short-time compensation plan for approval not earlier than 30 days from the date of the disapproval.

E. The short-time compensation plan shall be effective on the mutually agreed upon date by the employer and the Director, which shall be specified in the notice of approval to the employer. The plan shall expire on the date specified in the notice of approval, which shall be mutually agreed on by the employer and Director but no later than the end of the 12th full calendar month after its effective date. However, if a short-time compensation plan is revoked by the Director, the plan shall terminate on the date specified in the Director's written order of revocation. An employer may terminate a short-time compensation plan at any time upon written notice to the Director. Upon receipt of such notice from the employer, the Director shall promptly notify each member of the affected unit of the termination date. An employer may submit a new application to participate in another short-time compensation plan at any time after the expiration or termination date.

F. The Director may revoke approval of a short-time compensation plan for good cause at any time, including upon the request of any of the affected unit's employees or their collective bargaining representative. The revocation order shall be in writing and shall specify the reasons for the revocation and the date the revocation is effective. The Director may periodically review the operation of each employer's short-time compensation plan to assure that no good cause exists for revocation of the approval of the plan. Good cause shall include, but not be limited to, failure to comply with the assurances given in the plan, termination of the approval of the plan by a collective bargaining representative of employees in the affected unit, unreasonable revision of productivity standards for the affected unit, conduct or occurrences tending to defeat the intent and effective operation of the short-time compensation plan, and violation of any criteria on which approval of the plan was based.

G. An employer may request a modification of an approved plan by filing a written request to the Director. The request shall identify the specific provisions proposed to be modified and provide an explanation of why the proposed modification is appropriate for the short-time compensation plan. The Director shall approve or disapprove the proposed modification in writing within 30 days of receipt and promptly communicate the decision to the employer. The Director, in his or her discretion, may approve a request for modification of the plan based on conditions that have changed since the plan was approved provided that the modification is consistent with and supports the purposes for which the plan was initially approved. A modification may not extend the expiration date of the original plan, and the Director must promptly notify the employer whether the plan modification has been approved and, if approved, the effective date of modification. An employer is not required to request approval of plan modification from the Director if the change is not substantial, but the employer must report every change to plan to the Director promptly and in writing. The Director may terminate an employer's plan if the employer fails to meet this reporting requirement. If the Director determines that the reported change is substantial, the Director shall require the employer to request a modification to the plan.

H. An individual is eligible to receive short-time compensation with respect to any week only if the individual is eligible for unemployment insurance pursuant to subsection E of Section 500, not otherwise disqualified for unemployment insurance, and:

1. During the week, the individual is employed as a member of an affected unit under an approved short-time compensation plan, which was approved prior to that week, and the plan is in effect with respect to the week for which short-time compensation is claimed.

2. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act relating to availability for work and actively seeking work, the individual is available for the individual's usual hours of work with the short-time compensation employer, which may include, for purposes of this Section, participating in training to enhance job skills that is approved by the Director, including but not limited to as employer-sponsored training or training funded under the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.

3. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an individual covered by a short-time compensation plan is deemed unemployed in any week during the duration of such plan if the individual's remuneration as an employee in an affected unit is reduced based on a reduction of the individual's usual weekly hours of work under an approved short-time compensation plan.

I. The short-time compensation weekly benefit amount shall be the product of the percentage of reduction in the individual's usual weekly hours of work multiplied by the sum of the regular weekly benefit amount for a week of total unemployment plus any applicable dependent allowance pursuant to subsection C of Section 401.

1. An individual may be eligible for short-time compensation or unemployment insurance, as appropriate, except that no individual shall be eligible for combined benefits (excluding any payments attributable to a dependent allowance pursuant to subsection C of Section 401) in any benefit year in an amount more than the maximum benefit amount, nor shall an individual be paid short-time compensation benefits for more than 52 weeks under a short-time compensation plan.

2. The short-time compensation paid to an individual (excluding any payments attributable to a dependent allowance pursuant to subsection C of Section 401) shall be deducted from the maximum benefit amount established for that individual's benefit year.

3. Provisions applicable to unemployment insurance claimants shall apply to short-time compensation claimants to the extent that they are not inconsistent with short-time compensation provisions. An individual who files an initial claim for short-time compensation benefits shall receive a monetary determination.

4. The following provisions apply to individuals who work for both a short-time compensation employer and another employer during weeks covered by the approved short-time compensation plan:

i. If combined hours of work in a week for both employers do not result in a reduction of at least 20% of the usual weekly hours of work with the short-time compensation employer, the individual shall not be entitled to benefits under this Section.

ii. If combined hours of work for both employers results in a reduction equal to or greater than 20% of the usual weekly hours of work for the short-time compensation employer, the short-time compensation benefit amount payable to the individual is reduced for that week and is determined by multiplying the percentage by which the combined hours of work have been reduced by the sum of the weekly benefit amount for a week of total unemployment plus any applicable dependent allowance pursuant to subsection C of Section 401. A week for which benefits are paid under this subparagraph shall be reported as a week of short-time compensation.

iii. If an individual worked the reduced percentage of the usual weekly hours of work for the short-time compensation employer and is available for all his or her usual hours of work with the short-time compensation employer, and the individual did not work any hours for the other employer either because of the lack of work with that employer or because the individual is excused from work with the other employer, the individual shall be eligible for short-time compensation for that week. The benefit amount for such week shall be calculated as provided in the introductory clause of this subsection I.

iv. An individual who is not provided any work during a week by the short-time compensation employer, or any other employer, and who is otherwise eligible for unemployment insurance shall be eligible for the amount of regular unemployment insurance determined without regard to this Section.

v. An individual who is not provided any work by the short-time compensation employer during a week, but who works for another employer and is otherwise eligible may be paid unemployment insurance for that week subject to the disqualifying income and other provisions applicable to claims for regular unemployment insurance.

J. Short-time compensation shall be charged to employers in the same manner as unemployment insurance is charged under Illinois law. Employers liable for payments in lieu of contributions shall have short-time compensation attributed to service in their employ in the same manner as unemployment insurance is attributed. Notwithstanding any other provision to the contrary, to the extent that short-term compensation payments under this Section are reimbursed by the federal government, no benefit charges or payments in lieu of contributions shall be accrued by a participating employer.

K. A short-time compensation plan shall not be approved for an employer that is delinquent in the filing of any reports required or the payment of contributions, payments in lieu of contributions, interest, or penalties due under this Act through the date of the employer's application.

L. Overpayments of other benefits under this Act may be recovered from an individual receiving short-time compensation under this Act in the manner provided under Sections 900 and 901. Overpayments under the short-time compensation plan may be recovered from an individual receiving other benefits under this Act in the manner provided under Sections 900 and 901.

M. An individual who has received all of the short-time compensation or combined unemployment insurance and short-time compensation available in a benefit year shall be considered an exhaustee for purposes of extended benefits, as provided under the provisions of Section 409, and, if otherwise eligible under those provisions, shall be eligible to receive extended benefits.

(Source: P.A. 100-477, eff. 9-8-17.)