§ 51–177. Employee eligibility for shared work benefits.

(a) A participating employee is eligible to receive shared work benefits with respect to any week only if the individual is monetarily eligible for unemployment compensation, not otherwise disqualified from unemployment compensation, and:

(1) With respect to the week for which shared work benefits are claimed, the participating employee was covered by a shared work plan that was approved prior to that week;

(2) Notwithstanding any other provision of the employment security law relating to availability for work and actively seeking work, the participating employee was available for the individual's usual hours of work with the shared work employer, which may include availability to participate in training to enhance job skills approved by the Director, such as employer-sponsored training or training funded under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, approved July 22, 2014 (128 Stat. 1425; 29 U.S.C. § 3101 et seq.); and

(3) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a participating employee is deemed unemployed for the purposes of determining eligibility to receive unemployment compensation benefits in any week during the duration of such plan if the individual's remuneration as an employee in an affected unit is reduced under the terms of the plan.

(b) A participating employee may be eligible for shared work benefits or unemployment compensation, as appropriate, except that no participating employee may be eligible for combined benefits in any benefit year in an amount more than the maximum entitlement established for regular unemployment compensation; nor shall a participating employee be paid shared work benefits for more than 52 weeks under a shared work plan or in an amount more than the equivalent of the maximum of 26 weeks of regular unemployment compensation.

(c) The shared work benefit paid to a participating employee shall be deducted from the maximum entitlement amount of regular unemployment compensation established for that individual's benefit year.

(d) Provisions applicable to unemployment compensation claimants under the employment security law shall apply to participating employees to the extent that they are not inconsistent with this subchapter. A participating employee who files an initial claim for shared work benefits shall receive a monetary determination of whether the individual is eligible to receive benefits.

(e) A participating employee who has received all of the shared work benefits or combined unemployment compensation and shared work benefits available in a benefit year shall be considered an exhaustee, as defined in § 51-107(g)(1)(H), for purposes of eligibility to receive extended benefits pursuant to § 51-107(g), and, if otherwise eligible under that section, shall be eligible to receive extended benefits.

(f) Shared work benefits shall be charged to employers' experience rating accounts in the same manner as unemployment compensation is charged under the employment security law, unless waived by federal or District law. Employers liable for payments in lieu of contributions shall have shared work benefits attributed to service in their employ in the same manner as unemployment compensation is attributed, unless waived by federal or District law.