Louisiana § RS 23:1618 - Requirements governing suitable work and search for work

§ RS 23:1618. Requirements governing suitable work and search for work

A.  Notwithstanding the provisions of R.S. 23:1612, an individual shall be ineligible for payment of extended benefits for any week of unemployment in his eligibility period if the administrator finds that during such period:

(1)  He failed to accept any offer of suitable work, as defined in Subsection C of this Section, or failed to apply for any suitable work to which he was referred by the administrator.

(2)  He failed to actively engage in seeking work as required by Subsection E of this Section.

B.  Any individual who has been found ineligible for extended benefits by reason of the provisions in Subsection A of this Section shall also be denied benefits beginning with the first day of the week following the week in which such failure occurred and until he had been employed in each of four subsequent weeks (whether or not consecutive) and has earned remuneration equal to not less than four times the extended weekly benefit amount.

C.  For the purposes of this Section, the term "suitable work" means, with respect to any individual, any work which is within such individual's capabilities; however, the gross average weekly remuneration payable for the work must exceed the sum of:

(1)  The individual's extended weekly benefit amount as determined under R.S. 23:1614, and

(2)  The amount, if any, of supplemental unemployment benefits (as defined in Section 501(C)(17)(D) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1904) payable to such individual for such week; and further,

(3)  Pays wages not less than the minimum wage provided by Section 6(a)(1) of the Fair Labor Standard Act of 1938 without regard to any exemption;

(4)  However, no individual shall be denied extended benefits for failure to accept an offer of or apply for any job which meets the definition of suitability as described above if:

(a)  The position was not offered to such individual in writing and was not listed with the employment service;

(b)  Such failure could not result in a denial of benefits under the definition of suitable work for regular benefit claimants in R.S. 23:1601(3) to the extent that the criteria of suitability in that Section are not inconsistent with the provisions of Subsection C of this Section;

(c)  The individual shall furnish the satisfactory evidence to the administrator that his or her prospects for obtaining work in his or her customary occupation within a reasonably short period are good.  If such evidence is deemed satisfactory for this purpose, the determination of whether any work is suitable with respect to such individual shall be made in accordance with the definition of suitable work for regular benefit claimants in R.S. 23:1601(3) without regard to the definition specified by Subsection C of this Section.

D.  Notwithstanding the provisions of R.S. 23:1612, no work shall be deemed to be suitable work for an individual which does not accord with the labor standard provisions required by Section 3304(a)(5) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 and set forth hereinunder R.S. 23:1601(3)(b).

E.  For the purposes of Paragraph 2 of Subsection A, an individual shall be treated as actively engaged in seeking work during any week if--

(1)  The individual has engaged in a systematic and sustained effort to obtain work during such week, and

(2)  The individual furnishes tangible evidence that he has engaged in such effort during such week.

F.  The employment service shall refer any claimant entitled to extended benefits under this Section to any suitable work which meets the criteria prescribed in Subsection C of this Section.

Added by Acts 1981, No. 844, §1.