23-634.01. Denial of benefits for failure to accept suitable work or actively seek work; definition

A. Notwithstanding section 23-776, an individual who is found by the department, with respect to any week in an eligibility period which begins from and after April 4, 1981, to have failed to apply for or accept available suitable work to which he was referred by the department or to have failed to actively engage in seeking work is disqualified from receiving extended benefits. The disqualification shall begin with the week in which the failure occurred and continue until the individual has been employed in each of four subsequent weeks, whether or not consecutive, and has earned remuneration equal to not less than four times his weekly benefit amount.

B. An individual shall not be denied extended benefits for failure to accept an offer of or apply for available suitable work as defined in subsection G of this section, if:

1. The position was not offered to the individual in writing or was not listed with the department.

2. The failure would not result in a denial of benefits under section 23-776 to the extent that the criteria of suitability in section 23-776 are not inconsistent with this section.

C. If an individual furnishes evidence satisfactory to the department that prospects for obtaining work in his customary occupation within a reasonably short period are good, the determination of whether any work is suitable with respect to the individual shall be made in accordance with the provisions of section 23-776 without reference to the definition contained in this section.

D. Work shall not be considered suitable work under this section if it would not be considered suitable under section 23-776, subsection C.

E. For the purposes of this section, an individual shall be treated as actively engaged in seeking work during any week if the department finds from tangible evidence provided by the individual that he has engaged in a systematic and sustained effort to obtain work during such week.

F. The department shall refer an individual entitled to extended benefits under this chapter to any work which is suitable work.

G. For the purposes of this section, " suitable work" with respect to any individual means work within the individual's capabilities in which:

1. The gross average weekly wages payable for the work exceed the sum of the individual's weekly benefit amount plus the amount of any supplemental unemployment benefits payable to the individual for such week.

2. The wages for the work are at least equal to the higher of:

(a) The minimum wages provided by section 6(a)(1) of the fair labor standards act of 1938, without regard to any exemption.

(b) The state or local minimum wage.