Washington Business Summer 2018 | Washington Business | Page 46

business backgrounder | education & workforce
“Why not sign up and have it in your back pocket?” said Shelley
Ackroyd, an outreach coordinator with the Employment Security
Department. “If you don’t need it, you don’t use it, but if you need it,
it’s available.”
The key is to sign up in advance. Ackroyd said nine out of 10 calls
they receive are from employers who have already made layoffs, and
so aren’t eligible immediately to take part in SharedWork. Invariably,
they hear the caller say something along the lines of, “Gosh, I wish I’d
signed up for this a month ago.”
SharedWork has a staff of nine operating a mini-claims center in
their own “silo” at ESD who answer phones and deliver “red carpet
service” to their clients, both the employers and the employees who
take part in SharedWork, Ackroyd said.
At Falco’s, Spurbeck said that matches her experience.
“SharedWork is one of the most organized, friendly, well-run
government entities that I have ever come in contact with,” Spurbeck
said. “They were always extremely accommodating.”
She said that as Falco’s celebrates its 90th anniversary this year,
they remember SharedWork as a key lifeline one decade ago, during
one of the toughest times in the company’s history.
“It really was an unbelievable godsend at that time, really, to find
that,” Spurbeck said. “We feel we are stronger for it, and SharedWork
was a huge part of that.”
“SharedWork is one of the most organized,
friendly, well-run government entities that I have
ever come in contact with. They were always
extremely accommodating.”
— Jill Spurbeck, office manager, Falco’s
46 association of washington business
“It’s a win-win-win. SharedWork is a win for
employers, it’s a win for employees, and it’s a
win for the community.”
— Rafael Colón, SharedWork marketing manager,
Employment Security Department
To learn more or to sign up, contact the
Washington Employment Security Department at
800.752.2500 or www.SharedWorkWA.com