Sec. 23.20.378. Able to work and available for suitable work.

463 words·~2 min read·/ak/title-23/chapter-20/23-20-378·

A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.

(a)An insured worker is entitled to receive waiting-week credit or benefits for a week of unemployment if for that week the insured worker is able to work and available for suitable work. An insured worker is not considered available for work unless registered for work in accordance with regulations adopted by the department. An insured worker may not be disqualified for failure to comply with this subsection if

(1)the insured worker is not available for work because the insured worker

(A)is ill or disabled;

(B)is traveling to obtain medical services that are not available in the area in which the insured worker resides, or, if a physician determines it is necessary, the insured worker is accompanying a spouse or dependent who is traveling to obtain medical services;

(C)resides in the state and is noncommercially hunting or fishing for personal survival or the survival of dependents;

(D)is serving as a prospective or impaneled juror in a court; or

(E)is attending the funeral of an immediate family member for a period of no longer than seven days; and

(2)a condition described in

(1)of this subsection occurs during an uninterrupted period of unemployment immediately following a week for which the insured worker has filed a compensable claim, and work has not been offered that would have been suitable for the insured worker before the illness, disability, hunting, fishing, medical travel, jury service, or funeral attendance.

(b)A waiver of disqualification for an illness or disability under (a)(1) of this section may not exceed six consecutive weeks.

(c)An insured worker is disqualified for waiting-week credit or benefits for a week of unemployment while the insured worker is pursuing an academic education. A disqualification under this subsection begins with the first week of academic instruction and ends with the week immediately before the first full week in which the insured worker is no longer pursuing an academic education. However, an insured worker who has been pursuing an academic education for at least one school term and who was working at least 30 hours a week during a significant portion of the time that the worker was pursuing an academic education is not disqualified for waiting-week credit or benefits under this subsection if the worker's academic schedule does not preclude full-time work in the worker's occupation and if the insured worker became unemployed because the worker was laid off or the worker's job was eliminated. In this subsection,

(1)“pursuing an academic education” means attending an established school in a course of study providing academic instruction of 10 or more credit hours per week, or the equivalent;

(2)“school” includes primary schools, secondary schools, and institutions of higher education.