(A) As used in this section:

(1) "Reasonable assurance" means a written, verbal, or implied agreement that the individual will perform services in the same or similar capacity during the ensuing sports season or seasonal period.

(2) "Seasonal employment" means employment of individuals hired primarily to perform services in an industry which because of climatic conditions or because of the seasonal nature of such industry it is customary to operate only during regularly recurring periods of forty weeks or less in any consecutive fifty-two weeks.

(3) "Seasonal employer" means an employer determined by the director of job and family services to be an employer whose operations and business, with the exception of certain administrative and maintenance operations, are substantially all in a seasonal industry.

(4) "Significantly" means forty per cent or more of an individual's base period consists of services performed in seasonal employment.

(B) Any employer who claims to have seasonal employment in a seasonal industry may file with the director a written application for classification of such employment as seasonal. Whenever in any industry it is customary to operate because of climatic conditions or because of the seasonal nature of such industry only during regularly recurring periods of forty weeks or less duration, benefits shall be payable only during the longest seasonal periods which the best practice of such industry will reasonably permit. The director shall determine, after investigation, hearing, and due notice, whether the industry is seasonal and, if seasonal, establish seasonal periods for such seasonal employer. Until such determination by the director, no industry or employment shall be deemed seasonal.

(C) When the director has determined such seasonal periods, the director shall also establish the proportionate number of weeks of employment and earnings required to qualify for seasonal benefit rights in place of the weeks of employment and earnings requirement stipulated in division (R) of section 4141.01 and section 4141.30 of the Revised Code, and the proportionate number of weeks for which seasonal benefits may be paid. An individual whose base period employment consists of only seasonal employment for a single seasonal employer and who meets the employment and earnings requirements determined by the director pursuant to this division will have benefit rights determined in accordance with this division, except benefits shall not be paid for any week between two successive seasonal periods. Benefit charges for such seasonal employment shall be computed and charged in accordance with division (D) of section 4141.24 of the Revised Code. The director may adopt rules for implementation of this section.

(D) An individual whose base period employment consists of either seasonal employment with two or more seasonal employers or both seasonal employment and nonseasonal employment with employers subject to this chapter, will have benefit rights determined in accordance with division (R) of section 4141.01 and section 4141.30 of the Revised Code. Benefit charges for both seasonal and nonseasonal employment shall be computed and charged in accordance with division (D) of section 4141.24 of the Revised Code. The total seasonal and nonseasonal benefits during a benefit year cannot exceed twenty-six times the weekly benefit amount. Effective October 30, 2011, an individual who performs services that significantly consist of services performed in seasonal employment shall not be paid benefits for those services for any week in the period between two successive seasonal periods if the individual performed those services in the first of the seasonal periods and there is reasonable assurance that the individual will perform those services in the later of the seasonal periods. The director shall adopt rules for the implementation of this division.

(E) Benefits shall not be paid to any individual on the basis of any services, substantially all of which consist of participating in sports or athletic events or training or preparing to so participate, for any week which commences during the period between two successive sport seasons, or similar periods, if the individual performed services in the first of the seasons, or similar periods, and there is a reasonable assurance that the individual will perform services in the later of the seasons, or similar periods.

(F) The director shall adopt rules concerning the eligibility for benefits of individuals under divisions (D) and (E) of this section.

Amended by 129th General AssemblyFile No.28, HB 153, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2011.

Effective Date: 07-01-2000 .