Iowa Admin. Code r. 871-24.41 - Determining eligibility of school claims after employer protest

(1) Claim filed. When a claim has been filed by an employee of an educational institution, the department sends a Notice of Claim to the educational institution. To protest the claim, the educational institution returns the notice to the department, including a statement as to whether or not the individual who filed a claim had been given reasonable assurance for the ensuing academic year or term. The statement should include the date and method of such notification. A copy of the notification may be attached to the Notice of Claim.

(2) If the statement from the school indicates that there is no reasonable assurance of the employee returning to work for the ensuing academic year or term, the claim will be allowed, subject to meeting all other eligibility requirements. However, if an educational institution submits a statement or the claimant furnishes information concerning a reasonable assurance of school employment, the employee is subject to a denial of benefits. If the fact-finding results in a disqualification, the effective starting date of the disqualification is determined as follows:

a. No earlier than the effective starting date of the claim. If the job offer was prior to the beginning date of the claim and the claimant refuses the offer, the issue is adjudicated as a voluntary quit.

b. The Sunday of the week in which the job was offered under any of the following conditions:

(1) The employer protest was made within ten-day protest period.

(2) The department was notified within ten days of the date of the offer.

(3) The claimant was in a reporting status on a claim for unemployment insurance at the time the offer was made and the claimant failed to notify the department of the offer.

c. The Sunday of the week in which the claimant or employer notified this department of the offer unless the offer was prior to the week that the department was notified of the offer and the claimant was in reporting status on a claim for unemployment insurance at that time. In this situation, the effective starting date of disqualification will be the Sunday of the week in which the job offer was made.

d. The Sunday of the week in which the employer notified the department of the offer to the claimant. A refusal to accept the offer of employment is adjudicated as a voluntary quit section.

(3) Professional employee. Unemployment insurance payments that are based on school employment shall not be paid to a professional employee for any week of unemployment that begins between two successive academic years, between regular terms, or during a period of paid sabbatical leave if the individual has a contract or reasonable assurance to perform services in any such capacity for any educational institution for both such academic years or terms. However, unemployment insurance payments may be made that are based on non-school-related wage credits pursuant to subrule 24.41(6).

(4) Nonprofessional employee.

a. Unemployment insurance payments that are based on school employment may not be paid to a nonprofessional employee for any week of unemployment that begins between two successive academic years or terms if the individual has performed service in the first of such academic years or terms and there is a reasonable assurance that such individual will perform services for the second academic year or term. However, unemployment insurance payments can be made based on non-school-related wage credits pursuant to subrule 24.41(6).

b. The nonprofessional employee may qualify for retroactive unemployment insurance payments if the school employment fails to materialize in the following term or year and the individual has filed weekly or biweekly claims on a current basis during the between terms denial period pursuant to paragraph 24.2(1)"e."

(5) An educational institution employee who performs services on a 12-month, year-round basis whose employment is terminated through layoff or reduction in force prior to the completion of the 12-month period, is eligible for benefits and may not be disqualified under the provisions of Iowa Code section 96.4(5). An offer of reemployment to the 12-month, year-round employee for the succeeding academic year or term will be adjudicated under Iowa Code section 96.5(3) regarding offers of suitable work and no disqualification may be imposed prior to the week in which the employment is scheduled to commence.

(6) Benefits based on services performed in an educational institution for periods between academic years or terms that are denied to an individual will result in the denial of the use of such wage credits. However, if sufficient non-school wage credits remain on the claim to qualify under Iowa Code section 96.4(4), the remaining wage credits may be used for benefit payments, if the individual is otherwise eligible.

(7) Head start programs are considered educational in nature; however, the employing unit as a whole must have as its primary function the education of students. When the employing unit is operated primarily for educational purposes, then the between terms denial established by Iowa Code section 96.4(5) will apply between two successive academic years or terms and will apply for holiday and vacation periods to deny benefits to school personnel.

a. A nonprofit organization that has as its primary function civic, philanthropic or public assistance purposes does not meet the definition of an educational institution. Community action programs that have a head start school as one component are not an educational institution employer and the between terms denial does not apply.

b. A head start program that is an integral part of a public school system conducted by a board of education establishes an employing unit whose primary function is educational; therefore, the between terms denial would apply.

(8) Wages earned and payment deferred. Many school employees receive remuneration from their school employers on a 12-month basis for the 9-month period worked. Deductions from unemployment insurance payments are on a "when earned" basis rather than on a "when paid" basis. Deferred wages currently paid that are based on earnings from a prior period are not deductible on a current week claimed pursuant to Iowa Code section 96.19(9) "b" and paragraph 24.13(2)"o."

(9) Vacation period and holiday recess. With respect to any services performed in any capacity while employed by an educational institution, unemployment insurance payments may not be paid to any individual for any week that commences during an established and customary vacation period or holiday recess if such individual performs service in the period immediately before such vacation period or holiday recess and there is a reasonable assurance that such individual will perform service in the period immediately following such vacation period or holiday recess. The provision of subrule 24.52(6) could also apply in this situation.

(10) Substitute teachers.

a. Substitute teachers are professional employees and subject to the same limitations as other professional employees in regard to contracts, reasonable assurance provisions and the benefit denials between terms and during vacation periods.

b. Substitute teachers who are employed as on-call workers who hold themselves available for one employer and who will not search for or accept other work, are not available for work within the meaning of the law and are not eligible for unemployment insurance payments pursuant to subparagraph 24.15(2)"i"(1).

c. Substitute teachers whose wage credits in the base period consist exclusively of wages earned by performing on-call work are not deemed unemployed persons pursuant to subparagraph 24.15(2)"i"(3).

d. Substitute teachers engaged in on-call employment are not automatically disqualified but may be eligible pursuant to subparagraph 24.15(2)"i"(3) if they are:

(1) Able and available for work,

(2) Making an earnest and active search for work each week,

(3) Placing no restrictions on their employability, and

(4) Have wages other than on-call wages with an educational institution in the base period.

e. A substitute teacher who elects not to report for further possible assignment to work shall be considered to have voluntarily quit pursuant to subrule 24.19(19).

(11) Declination of new contract or reasonable assurance.

a. The school employee who is not employed on a 12-month, year-round basis and who fails or refuses to accept a contract or reasonable assurance of employment in the succeeding academic term or year will have the separation adjudicated as a voluntary quit.

b. This subrule also applies to substitute teachers who fail or refuse to accept a contract or reasonable assurance of employment in the succeeding academic term or year pursuant to subrules 24.19(19) and 24.19(22).

(12) School employees who are not offered a contract or reasonable assurance of employment in the succeeding academic term or year are eligible for benefits if all other eligibility conditions are met. However, school employees who subsequently receive a contract or reasonable assurance of employment for the following term or year will be disqualified under the "between terms denial" provision.

(13) Continuing supplemental (part-time) school employment after loss of non-school employment. All employers, including employers of part-time workers, are notified of the filing of a claim. The school employer who continues to furnish part-time employment to the claimant may make a protest on the basis that the individual is still employed at the part-time employment and request removal of any charges to the part-time employer account pursuant to Iowa Code section 96.7(3) "a"(2).

This rule is intended to implement Iowa Code section 96.4.

Notes

Iowa Admin. Code r. 871-24.41

Adopted by IAB January 8, 2025/Volume XLVII, Number 14, effective 2/12/2025