Iowa Admin. Code r. 871-24.22

Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 24, May 15, 2024

Rule 871-24.22 - Benefit eligibility conditions

For an individual to be eligible to receive benefits the department must find that the individual is able to work, available for work, and earnestly and actively seeking work. The individual bears the burden of establishing that the individual is able to work, available for work, and earnestly and actively seeking work.

(1)Able to work. An individual must be physically and mentally able to work in some gainful employment, not necessarily in the individual's customary occupation, but which is engaged in by others as a means of livelihood.

a.Illness, injury or pregnancy. Each case is decided upon an individual basis, recognizing that various work opportunities present different physical requirements. A statement from a medical practitioner is considered prima facie evidence of the physical ability of the individual to perform the work required. A pregnant individual must meet the same criteria for determining ableness as do all other individuals.

b.Interpretation of ability to work. The law provides that an individual must be able to work to be eligible for benefits. This means that the individual must be physically able to work, not necessarily in the individual's customary occupation, but able to work in some reasonably suitable, comparable, gainful, full-time endeavor, other than self-employment, which is generally available in the labor market in which the individual resides.

(2)Available for work. The availability requirement is satisfied when an individual is willing, able, and ready to accept suitable work which the individual does not have good cause to refuse, that is, the individual is genuinely attached to the labor market. Since, under unemployment insurance laws, it is the availability of an individual that is required to be tested, the labor market must be described in terms of the individual. A labor market for an individual means a market for the type of service which the individual offers in the geographical area in which the individual offers the service. Market in that sense does not mean that job vacancies must exist; the purpose of unemployment insurance is to compensate for lack of job vacancies. It means only that the type of services which an individual is offering is generally performed in the geographical area in which the individual is offering the services.

a.Shift restriction. The individual does not have to be available for a particular shift. If an individual is available for work on the same basis on which the individual's wage credits were earned and if after considering the restrictions as to hours of work, etc., imposed by the individual there exists a reasonable expectation of securing employment, then the individual meets the requirement of being available for work.

b.Job test. The best method of testing availability for work is an offer of work or job test. If a job test is not possible because of lack of a suitable offer, the active search for work is relied on and conclusions are likely to be based entirely on the fact that the individual did or did not make a search, without regard to the fact that the individual's personal efforts had little probability of success.

c.Intermittent employment. An individual cannot restrict employability to only temporary or intermittent work until recalled by a regular employer.

d.Jury duty. The individual is considered available for work while serving on jury duty because time spent in jury service is not a personal service performed under a contract of hire in an employment situation but is a public duty required by law. Jury duty does not render the individual as employed and ineligible for benefits even though it may involve the individual full-time. Witness and jury fees will be considered as reimbursement for expenses and not as wages.

e.Company employment office. The department is not bound by a union/company contract that requires the individual to report at the company employment office. The individual is an independent agent seeking work, and may be found available, if an otherwise diligent search of work is made.

f.Part-time worker, student-other. Part-time worker shall mean any individual who has been in the employ of an employing unit and has established a pattern of part-time regular employment which is subject to the employment security tax, and has accrued wage credits while working in a part-time job. If such part-time worker becomes separated from this employment for no disqualifiable reason, and providing such worker has reasonable expectation of securing other employment for the same number of hours worked, no disqualification shall be imposed under Iowa Code section 96.4(3). In other words, if an individual is available to the same degree and to the same extent as when the wage credits were accrued, the individual meets the eligibility requirements of the law.

g.Work release program while incarcerated. For those individuals incarcerated in jail, the work release program usually does not meet the availability requirements of Iowa Code section 96.4(3); but the department will review any situation concerning an individual incarcerated in a jail, who can meet the able to work, availability for work, and actively seeking work requirements of Iowa Code section 96.4(3).

h.Available for part of week. Each case must be decided on its own merits. Generally, if the individual is available for the major portion of the workweek, the individual is considered to be available for work.

i.On-call workers.

(1) Substitute workers (i.e., post office clerks, railroad extra board workers), who hold themselves available for one employer and who do not accept other work, are not available for work within the meaning of the law and are not eligible for benefits.

(2) Substitute teachers. The question of eligibility of substitute teachers is subjective in nature and must be determined on an individual case basis. The substitute teacher is considered an instructional employee and is subject to the same limitations as other instructional employees. As far as payment of benefits between contracts or terms and during customary and established periods of holiday recesses is concerned, benefits are denied if the substitute teacher has a contract or reasonable assurance that the substitute teacher will perform service in the period immediately following the vacation or holiday recess. An on-call worker (includes a substitute teacher) is not disqualified if the individual is able and available for work, making an earnest and active search for work each week, placing no restrictions on employment and is genuinely attached to the labor market.

(3) An individual whose wage credits earned in the base period of the claim consist exclusively of wage credits by performing on-call work, such as a banquet worker, railway worker, substitute school teacher or any other individual whose work is solely on-call work during the base period, is not considered an unemployed individual within the meaning of Iowa Code section 96.19(38)"a" and "b." An individual who is willing to accept only on-call work is not considered to be available for work.

j.Leave of absence. A leave of absence negotiated with the consent of both parties, employer and employee, is deemed a period of voluntary unemployment for the employee-individual, and the individual is considered ineligible for benefits for the period.

(1) If at the end of a period or term of negotiated leave of absence the employer fails to reemploy the employee-individual, the individual is considered laid off and eligible for benefits.

(2) If the employee-individual fails to return at the end of the leave of absence and subsequently becomes unemployed the individual is considered as having voluntarily quit and therefore is ineligible for benefits.

(3) The period or term of a leave of absence may be extended, but only if there is evidence that both parties have voluntarily agreed.

k.Effect of religious convictions on Sabbath day work. An individual is considered as available for work if the precepts of the individual's religion prohibit work on the Sabbath. An individual who refuses to work on the Sabbath designated by the individual's religion, because of conscientious observance of the Sabbath as a matter of religious conviction, is also deemed to have good cause for refusing the work.

l.Available for work. To be considered available for work, an individual must at all times be in a position to accept suitable employment during periods when the work is normally performed. As an individual's length of unemployment increases and the individual has been unable to find work in the individual's customary occupation, the individual may be required to seek work in some other occupation in which job openings exist, or if that does not seem likely to result in employment, the individual may be required to accept counseling for possible retraining or a change in occupation.

m.Restrictions and reasonable expectation of securing employment. An individual may not be eligible for benefits if the individual has imposed restrictions which leave the individual no reasonable expectation of securing employment. Restrictions may relate to type of work, hours, wages, location of work, etc., or may be physical restrictions.

n.Corporate officers. To be considered available, the corporate officer must meet the same tests of availability as are met by other individuals. The individual must be desirous of other work, be free from serious limitations and be seriously searching for work.

o.Lawfully authorized work. An individual who is not lawfully authorized to work within the United States will be considered not available for work.

(3)Earnestly and actively seeking work. Mere registration at a workforce development center does not establish that the individual is earnestly and actively seeking work. It is essential that the individual personally and diligently search for work. It is difficult to establish definite criteria for defining the words earnestly and actively. Much depends on the estimate of the employment opportunities in the area. The number of employer contacts which might be appropriate in an area of limited opportunity might be totally unacceptable in other areas. When employment opportunities are high an individual may be expected to make more than the usual number of contacts. Unreasonable limitations by an individual as to salary, hours or conditions of work can indicate that the individual is not earnestly seeking work. The department expects each individual claiming benefits to conduct themselves as would any normal, prudent individual who is out of work.

a.Basic requirements. An individual shall be ineligible for benefits for any period for which the department finds that the individual has failed to make an earnest and active search for work. The circumstances in each case are considered in determining whether an earnest and active search for work has been made. Subject to the foregoing, applicable actions of the following kind are considered an earnest and active search for work if found by the department to constitute a reasonable means of securing work by the individual, under the facts and circumstances of the individual's particular situation:

(1) Making application with employers as may reasonably be expected to have openings suitable to the individual.

(2) Registering with a placement facility of a school, college, or university if one is available in the individual's occupation or profession.

(3) Making application or taking examination for openings in the civil service of a governmental entity with reasonable prospects of suitable work for the individual.

(4) Responding to appropriate "want ads" for work which appears suitable to the individual if the response is made in writing or in person or electronically.

(5) Any other action which the department finds to constitute an effective means of securing work suitable to the individual.

(6) No individual, however, is denied benefits solely on the ground that the individual has failed or refused to register with a private employment agency or at any other placement facility which charges the job-seeker a fee for its services. However, an individual may count as one of the work contacts required for the week an in-person contact with a private employment agency.

(7) An individual is considered to have failed to make an effort to secure work if the department finds that the individual has followed a course of action designed to discourage prospective employers from hiring the individual in suitable work.

b.Number of employer contacts. It is difficult to determine criteria in which earnestly and actively may be interpreted. Much depends on the estimate of employment opportunities in the area. The number of employer contacts which might be appropriate in an area of limited opportunities might be totally unacceptable in another area of unlimited opportunities. The number of contacts that an individual must make is dependent upon the condition of the local labor market, the duration of benefit payments, a change in the individual's characteristics, job prospects in the community, and other factors as the department deems necessary.

c.Exceptions.

(1) Union and professional employees. Members of unions or professional organizations who normally obtain their employment through union or professional organizations are considered as earnestly and actively seeking work if they maintain active contact with the union's business agent or with the placement officer in the professional organization. A paid-up membership must be maintained if this is a requirement for placement service. The trade, profession, or union to which the individual belongs must have an active hiring hall or placement facility, and the trade, profession, or union must be the source customarily used by employers in filling their job openings. Registering with the individual's union hiring or placement facility is sufficient, except that whenever all benefit rights to regular benefits are exhausted and Iowa is in an extended benefit period or similar program such as the federal supplemental compensation program, individuals must also actively search for work. Mere registration at a union or reporting to a union hiring hall or registration with a placement facility of the individual's professional organization does not satisfy the extended benefit systematic and sustained effort to find work, and additional work contacts must be made.

(2) The requirement for seeking work is waived for the first 16 weeks after the initial claim is filed if all of the following conditions apply:

1. The individual is attached to a regular job or industry.

2. The individual is a high-skilled worker. For purposes of this numbered paragraph, "high-skilled worker" means a worker whose job or position requires licensing, credentials, or specialized training.

3. The individual is on a short-term temporary layoff. For purposes of this numbered paragraph, "short-term temporary layoff" means a layoff period of 16 weeks or less due to seasonal weather conditions that impact the ability to perform work related to highway construction, repair, or maintenance with a specific return-to-work date verified by the employer.

4. The individual otherwise qualifies for unemployment insurance benefits.

(3) The requirement for seeking work is waived for the first eight weeks after the initial claim is filed. A claimant shall be required to complete one work search activity each week after the first eight weeks after the initial claim is filed if all of the following conditions apply:

1. The individual is attached to a regular job or industry.

2. The individual is a worker other than a high-skilled worker as defined in numbered paragraph 24.22(3)"c" (2)"2."

4. The individual otherwise qualifies for unemployment insurance benefits.

(4) If work is not available at the conclusion of the layoff period due to short-term circumstances beyond the employer's control, the employer may request a one-time extension of the waiver or alteration for up to two weeks from the department. For the purposes of this subparagraph, "short-term circumstances" means a temporary, unexpected condition that delays the anticipated start of the employer's normal work season.

d.Week-to-week disqualification. Active search for work disqualifications are to be made on a week-to-week basis and are not open-end disqualifications.

e.Seniority rights. An individual who fails to exercise seniority rights to replace another employee with less seniority has the work search requirement waived during a period of regular benefits. This waiver does not apply to the individual who is receiving extended benefits or similar federal program benefits.

f.Search for work.

(1) The Iowa law specifies that an individual must earnestly and actively seek work. This is interpreted to mean that a registration for work at a workforce development center or state employment service office in itself does not meet the requirements of the law. Nor is it interpreted to mean that every individual must make a fixed number of employer contacts each week to establish eligibility. The number of contacts that an individual must make is dependent upon the condition of the local labor market, the duration of benefit payments, a change in claimant characteristics, job prospects in the community, and such other factors as the department deems relevant.

(2) The individual is referred to suitable work, when possible, to those employers who have outstanding requests with the department of workforce development for referrals. The individual must meet the minimum lawful requirements of the employer. The individual applies to and obtains the signatures of the employer so designated on the form provided, unless the employer refuses to sign the form. The individual must return the form to the department as directed. The individual's failure to obtain the signature of designated employers, who have not refused to sign the form, disqualifies the individual from future benefits until requalified by earning ten times the weekly benefit amount.

(3) The group assignment of individuals is used, to a certain extent, in determining which ones are required to make personal applications for work. Other factors, however, such as the condition of the local labor market, the duration of benefit payments, and a change in claimant characteristics, are also taken into consideration on a weekly basis.

(4) Individuals receiving partial benefits are exempt from making personal applications for work, in any week they have worked and received wages from their regular employer. Individuals involved in hiring hall practices must keep in weekly touch with the business agent of that union in which they maintain membership. All other individuals must make contacts with such frequency as the department considers advisable, after considering job prospects in the community, the condition of the labor market and any other factors which may have a bearing on the individual's reemployment. A sincere effort must be made to find a job. A contact made merely for the sake of complying with the law is not good enough.

g.Reverse referral. A reverse referral is defined as an employer hiring only through the department of workforce development and all individuals applying for employment with the employer are referred to the department. An individual may use the department as work contacts during a week with the employer's name and the workforce development employee's name listed as the individual contacted. The workforce development center must be contacted in person by the individual to utilize each reverse referral registration job contact.

h.Job search assistance. Job search assistance classes, including reemployment services, which are sponsored by the department of workforce development and attended by the individual during a week may be counted as one of the individual's work search contacts for that week.

This rule is intended to implement Iowa Code section 96.4(3).

Iowa Admin. Code r. 871-24.22

ARC 8711B, IAB 5/5/10, effective 6/9/10

Amended by IAB May 23, 2018/Volume XL, Number 24, effective 6/27/2018

Amended by IAB September 7, 2022/Volume XLV, Number 5, effective 10/12/2022