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COMBINED MANUAL

ISSUE DATE 10/2019

REFUSING OR TERMINATING EMPLOYMENT

0028.30.09

A leave of absence is NOT considered refusing or terminating employment. See TE19.143 (Coding STAT/JOBS for a Leave of Absence) for MAXIS coding instructions.

MFIP: Sanction participants for failure to accept suitable employment or for terminating suitable employment, ONLY if they are enrolled in MFIP Employment Services (MFIP-ES). See 0028.18.03 (Suitable/Unsuitable Work).

When participants extended under the “employed” or “limited work due to illness/disability” category involuntarily lose employment, allow a 1-month exemption from meeting hourly employment requirements. See 0011.33.03 (MFIP Employed Extension Category), 0011.33.03.03 (Limited Work Due to Illness/Disability).

When a job counselor determines that a sanction is appropriate for failure to accept or terminating suitable employment, the job counselor will notify the financial worker using the DWP/MFIP Status Update Form (DHS-3165) (PDF). When you get the Status Update Form, send the participant a Notice of Adverse Action (NOAA). See 0028.30 (Sanctions for Failure to Comply - Cash).

DWP: Disqualify family units when a participant(s) fails to accept suitable employment or terminates suitable employment without good cause. See 0028.18 (Good Cause for Non-Compliance--MFIP/DWP).

SNAP: People or assistance units will be ineligible for SNAP benefits if the person who is a mandatory work registrant, voluntarily and without good cause:

● Quits a job of 30 hours a week or more. This provision applies to the 60-day period prior to application for SNAP and anytime while receiving a SNAP benefit.

OR

● Reduces his/her work hours voluntarily and without good cause and, after the reduction, is working less than 30 hours per week. This provision applies to the 60-day period prior to application for SNAP and anytime while receiving a SNAP benefit.

● Refuses suitable employment. See 0028.18.03 (Suitable/Unsuitable Work).

The sanction period must begin with the 1st month following the expiration of the 10-day adverse notice period, unless a fair hearing is requested.

If the person who voluntarily quit or reduced work hours is the Principal Wage Earner (PWE), the entire SNAP case must serve the sanction period. If the person who voluntarily quit or reduced work hours is NOT the Principal Wage Earner (PWE), then only the person is disqualified from receiving SNAP, while the other assistance unit members remain eligible.

This sanction period is the same length as SNAP Employment and Training (E&T) sanctions. E&T sanctions and Voluntary Quit/reduce work hours sanctions are added together to determine which occurrence it is. If a participant had 1 E&T sanction in the past and now they have voluntary quit their job without good cause, then the voluntary quit sanction would be the 2nd occurrence.

● FOR THE 1ST OCCURRENCE: Loss of SNAP for 1 month or until compliance, whichever is longer.

● FOR THE 2ND OCCURRENCE: Loss of SNAP for 3 months or until compliance, whichever is longer.

● FOR THE 3RD AND ANY SUBSEQUENT OCCURRENCE: Loss of SNAP for 6 months or until compliance, whichever is longer.