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Vermont Department for Children and Families Economic Services Division Reach Up Services Rules 2300 20

2322 Fair Labor Standards Act (08/01/2024, 23-30)

a. The Department shall comply with the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) with respect to the maximum number of hours participants can engage in unpaid work activities.

b. For certain work activities subject to FLSA provisions, the maximum number of hours a participant can be required to work shall be calculated as follows:

1. Determine the Reach Up benefit amount received;

2. Subtract the parent share of child support received;

3. Add the monthly 3SquaresVT benefit received;

4. Divide this sum by Vermont minimum wage to determine the number of hours that the participant can be required to work in the FLSA activity for the month; and

5. Divide the number of hours by the number of weeks in this month to get the hours that the participant can be required to work in this activity per week. 2323 Deferment of Reach Up Participant Requirements (08/01/2024, 23-30)

a. The Department may defer the participant requirements set forth in rule 2311. 1. A deferment exempts a participant from engaging in Reach Up participant requirements.

b. A participant may be required to provide documentation of the existence of the circumstances or condition serving as the basis for a deferment.

c. When the reason for a deferment specifies a related time period for expiration, the deferment is limited by its terms.

d. The Reach Up participant requirements in rule 2311 shall be deferred for: 1. A participant caring for a child under six weeks of age or caring for a child for six weeks from the date of adoption; 2. A participant needed in the home to care for a disabled or seriously ill family member, as determined in rule 2323.3. 3. A parent/caretaker aged 60 or older; 4. A participant unable to engage in the Reach Up participant requirements due to the effects of domestic violence, as determined in rule 2323.1; 5. A participant unable to engage in the Reach Up participant requirements due to medical related issues, as determined in rule 2323.2; or 6. A participant engaging in behavior that constitutes a serious threat or hazard to fellow participants or Department staff.