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Page | 257 a.) The employment site must not be subject to strike or lockout; b.) The offer of employment must be:

1. Applicable federal or state minimum wage; or 2. 80% of the applicable federal minimum wage if neither the federal or state minimum wage are applicable; or 3. It is on piece rate basis and the average hourly yield the individual can reasonably expect to earn is less than the applicable hourly wage specified under a or b). 3. Refuse to provide sufficient information to allow a determination of the individual’s employment availability. a.) Failure or refusal to provide information relating to the household’s eligibility or benefit determination would result in rejection of the application or termination of benefits following adverse action time frames. If the failure to provide information is about employment history or wage amount/receipt (date job started/stopped; reason for termination, etc.), the household will be ineligible because of non-cooperation. However, if the individual refuses or fails to submit information to determine exemption criteria such as a doctor’s name to verify incapacity, the individual would be sanctioned. b.) The deciding factor in determining which penalty is appropriate (case closure or individual sanction) is whether or not eligibility/benefit level may be determined without the information provided. If eligibility/benefit level cannot be determined, the case is denied or terminated for non-cooperation. If eligibility/benefit level can be determined without the information, the individual is sanctioned. 4. Voluntarily quit the most recent job without good cause. a.) The employment involved 30 hours or more per week or provided weekly earnings equivalent to the federal minimum wage multiplied by 30 hours; and b.) The quit occurred within 60 days prior to the date of application or within 30 days of the Renewal or 6 month report or if DLR reported the quit to the Benefits Specialist; and c.) The quit was without good cause; and d.) The individual was required to work register or was exempt from work registration because of the job he/she quit. 5. Voluntarily reduced hours of employment without good cause. a.) The employment involved 30 hours or more per week; and b.) The hours were reduced below 120 hours a month (30 hours a week); and c.) The reduction of hours occurred within 60 days prior to the date of application or within 30 days of the renewal or 6 month report or if DLR reported the reduction in hours to the Benefits Specialist; and d.) The reduction of hours was without good cause; and e.) The individual was required to work register or was exempt from work registration because of the employment for which he/she reduced hours.

For applicants who are unemployed at the time of application (employed less than 30 hours per week or receiving less than weekly wages equal to federal minimum wage times 30 hours) or have reported a reduction of employment hours (reduction below 120 hours a month) within the 60 days prior to the application date, or within 30 days of the 6 month report, Benefits Specialists must determine if there was a voluntary quit/reduction of hours based on the above criteria. If the Specialist learns a household has lost a source of income or reduction of employment hours after the date of application but before the household is approved for benefits, the benefits specialists must determine if a voluntary quit/reduction of hours occurred.