Section R. 421.15 - Determination of normal seasonal work period of seasonal employerRule 15.
(1) The normal seasonal work period of a seasonal employer shall be determined by the agency to be the period selected by the employer if the period is not more than 26 weeks and falls within the earliest beginning and latest ending dates of the employer's work seasons in the previous 5 years or in as many years as the employer has operated the business in Michigan if less than 5 years or is within the expected seasonal work period if the employer has not operated the business in Michigan.(2) If the employer does not request designation of a period as the normal seasonal work period, then the agency shall determine the normal seasonal work period to be the entire period falling within the earliest beginning and latest ending dates of the employer's work seasons in the previous 5 years or in as many years as the employer has operated the business in Michigan if less than 5 years or to be the employer's expected seasonal work period if the employer has not operated the business in Michigan. If, however, the period is more than 26 weeks, then the normal seasonal work period shall be the most recent seasonal period of the employer that is not more than 26 weeks.(3) The determination shall be based on all of the following information:(a) A statement from the employer indicating the beginning and ending dates of the employer's seasonal work periods in Michigan for each of the previous 5 calendar years or for as many years as the employer has operated the business if less than 5 years. If an employer has not previously operated the business in Michigan, then the agency shall obtain, from the employer, a statement of the employer's expected seasonal work period.(b) A statement from the employer indicating the period the employer requests to designate as the normal seasonal work period, if any.(c) General employment information about the employer that is in the possession of the agency and, if necessary, further clarifying information requested from the employer.(4) After a work period has been determined by the agency, the employer's normal seasonal work period will not be redetermined by the agency unless the agency discovers relevant new information, or unless not less than 20 days before the start of the previously determined normal seasonal work period at least 1 of the following provisions is satisfied:(a)The agency receives a request from an employer for a change that gives reasons for making the request, and the request is granted by the agency. The agency shall grant the request if the employer's reason for making the request is that there has been a substantial change in the operation of the business that necessitates changing the normal seasonal work period.(b) The employer provides the agency with information about the employer's most recent seasonal work period, when the prior determination or redetermination was based on a history of less than 5 years of operating the business in Michigan or was based on the employer's expected seasonal work period.(5) If the normal seasonal work period is redetermined, then the new normal seasonal work period will be used to establish denial periods beginning after the end of the newly redetermined normal seasonal work period.Mich. Admin. Code R. 421.15