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Vermont Department for Children and Families Economic Services Division Reach Up Services Rules 2300 24

2326.1 Job‐Related Good Cause (08/01/2024, 23-30)

a. Good cause exists for a participant's non‐engagement for refusing, quitting, or being fired from a job including the following situations:

1. The job was at a wage level below the Vermont minimum wage; 2. The job involved conditions in violation of applicable health, safety, or workers' compensation regulations or of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA); 3. The employer discriminated either during the job interview or in the workplace on the basis of age, sex, sexual orientation, color, race, ancestry, national origin, place of birth, religion, or against an individual with a disability. i. Participants alleging discrimination in any of these areas may choose to have their complaints processed through: A. The Vermont Human Rights Commission and the Vermont Attorney General's Public Protection Division as a violation of state law against discrimination; or B. The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission as a violation of federal law. 4. The requirements of the job were contrary to the participant's religious beliefs; 5. The job offer was available due to a layoff by the employer, strike, lockout, or other bona fide labor dispute; 6. The participant, after making a good faith effort and informing the employer as soon as reasonably possible, was unable to arrange either: i. Transportation to or from the place of employment; or ii. Appropriate child care essential for the participant's job. 7. The total daily commuting time to and from the place of employment exceeded two hours, including the time required to take a child to and from child care; 8. The participant was required to appear in court or incarcerated, and they contacted the employer as soon as reasonably possible; 9. Domestic violence as outlined in rule 2323.1; 10. A previously unacknowledged medical condition as outlined in rule 2323.2; 11. The participant had to attend to their own serious illness or the serious illness of their family member, and the participant notified the employer of the situation as soon as reasonably possible; i. Serious illness in this context is a condition resulting from an accident, disease, or physical or mental condition that meets at least one of the following criteria: A. It poses imminent danger of death; B. It requires inpatient care in a hospital; or C. It requires continuing in‐home care under the direction of a physician. 12. The participant was involved in an unforeseeable emergency, such as fire, flood, or accident and informed the employer as soon as reasonably possible;