 |
Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies (Last Updated: June 14,2023) |
 |
Title31 Labor |
|
|
SubTitle31-3s-1_31-3s-8. Subsidized Transitional Employment Program (S.T.E.P.) |
| Sec. 31-3s-1. Definitions |
|
Latest version.
|
|
For purposes of Sections 31-3s-1 through 31-3s-8, inclusive, of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies, the following definitions apply: (a) "Commissioner" means the Labor Commissioner, whose mailing address is Connecticut Department of Labor, 200 Folly Brook Boulevard, Wethersfield, CT 06109, or his designee. (b) "Employable" means one who (1) is between the ages of 16 and 65, (2) has no documented physical or mental impairment (or who has an impairment expected to last less than six months as determined by the Department of Income Maintenance Commissioner), which would prohibit him/her from working or participating in an education, training, or other work readiness program, (3) is required to register with the Department of Labor pursuant to Section 17-273b of the General Statutes, (4) is not a full-time high school student, (5) is not pending receipt of Supplemental Security Income, Social Security income, or financial assistance through another program administered by the Department of Income Maintenance, and (6) is not needed to care for a child under two years of age or an incapacitated child or spouse. (c) "Employer" means: (1) any corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship, or other entity in either the private or public sector, including any municipality or the State of Connecticut, which employs one or more employees in the State of Connecticut and is registered with the Connecticut Department of Labor for purposes of liability for unemployment compensation contributions under Section 31-223 of the General Statutes, or (2) a religious, charitable, educational, or other organization for whom services are excluded under the definition of "employment" contained in subsection (a) of section 31-222 of the general statutes. (d) "Employment" means service performed under an express or implied contract of hire creating the relationship of employer and employee, and which constitutes employment for the purposes of federal and state law. (e) "Full-time" means employment for the number of hours which prevail for the industry or employment sector in which the work is performed. (f) "Job Center" means the Connecticut Department of Labor office which administers unemployment compensation and a public employment bureau for a given labor market area of the state. (g) "Job ready" means one who is able and available for work, meets the educational and skill demands of the local labor market, and is not subject to any extraneous conditions (e.g. language barriers, child care, lack of transportation) which would significantly restrict an individual's ability to accept full-time employment. (h) "Nonprofit employer" means an organization exempt from federal taxation under Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. (i) "Participant" means a General Assistance recipient deemed eligible for participation in the Department of Labor's Subsidized Transitional Employment Program (S.T.E.P.). (j) "Program" means the Department of Labor's Subsidized Transitional Employment Program (S.T.E.P.). |
|
(Effective March 30, 1993) |
| Sec. 31-3s-2. Eligibility for participation in program |
|
Latest version.
|
|
(a) Eligibility determination. An individual shall be eligible for participation in the Subsidized Transitional Employment Program (S.T.E.P.) upon the following determination: (1) The individual is a recipient of General Assistance as provided in Title 17, Chapter 308 of the General Statutes; (2) The individual is employable and job ready; and (3) The individual is referred to the Job Center from a local General Assistance office. (b) Employable and job ready evaluation. In order to determine whether a General Assistance recipient is employable and job ready, the local General Assistance office in the town or city in which the individual resides may either conduct its own evaluation of employable and job ready status, or may refer the individual to an appropriate resource for said evaluation. (c) Referral to Job Center. If the individual is found to be employable and job ready by the local General Assistance office or an appropriate resource, the individual may be referred to a local or regional Job Center. (d) Confirmation of job ready status. The Job Center shall conduct its own evaluation of the individual for confirmation of job ready status. (e) Classification as S.T.E.P. participant. If the Job Center confirms that the General Assistance recipient is job ready, the General Assistance recipient shall be classified as a S.T.E.P. participant. The Job Center shall report confirmation of the job ready status to the referring General Assistance office. (f) Not Job Ready—Towns with more than 300 General Assistance recipients. If the Job Center determines that the General Assistance recipient is not job ready and the General Assistance recipient was referred from a general assistance office located in a town with more than three hundred (300) general assistance recipients as of December 31, 1991, the Job Center shall refer the recipient back to the local General Assistance office for further assistance. (g) Not Job Ready—Towns with less than 300 General Assistance recipients. If the Job Center determines that the General Assistance recipient is not job ready and the General Assistance recipient was referred from a town with less than three hundred (300) General Assistance recipients as of December 31, 1991, the Job Center, in accordance with the particular non-financial agreement executed with the local General Assistance office, may provide assistance to the recipient in obtaining job ready status, may refer the recipient back to the local General Assistance office for further assistance, or may coordinate assistance between both the Job Center and the local General Assistance office. |
|
(Effective March 30, 1993) |
| Sec. 31-3s-3. Change in status; continuing eligibility |
|
Latest version.
|
|
(a) Notification by participant of change in status. Whenever a program participant notifies the Job Center that there has been a change in circumstances and the program participant and/or the Job Center believes that he is no longer employable and/or job ready, the Job Center may refer the individual back to the local General Assistance office for a re-evaluation of employability status and/or the Job Center may re-evaluate the individual as to his job ready status. (b) Notification by General Assistance office of possible change in status. Whenever a local General Assistance office makes a determination or obtains information which effects a change in the participant's status, the local General Assistance office shall notify the Job Center of such change in status. (c) Notification by Job Center of possible change in status. Whenever a Job Center obtains information which could lead to a determination that a program participant: (1) has failed to accept an offer of employment without just cause, or (2) has accepted employment and subsequently quit his job voluntarily and without sufficient cause, or (3) has been discharged for cause as set forth in subparagraph (B) of subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of section 31-236 of the general statutes, the Job Center shall notify the referring local General Assistance office of such information. Determination of eligibility or ineligibility for General Assistance benefits as a result of one of the foregoing circumstances shall be the sole responsibility of the local General Assistance office. |
|
(Effective March 30, 1993) |
| Sec. 31-3s-4. Employer eligibility |
|
Latest version.
|
|
In determining the eligibility of any employer to receive a subsidy, under this program, the Commissioner may consider any or all of the following factors: (a) The number of participants the employer is willing to hire; (b) The characteristics of employment offered to the participant(s), including: (1) whether the employment will enhance the skills of the participant; (2) the extent to which the offered employment will afford the participant a systematic program of customized job training; (3) the likelihood of job retention for the participant after the term of the subsidy has expired; (4) the range of benefits, if any, offered to the participant; (c) The employer's record of compliance with state and federal labor laws; (d) The ability of the Job Center to match the particular participant pool to the particular employment available; and (e) Program fund availability. |
|
(Effective March 30, 1993) |
| Sec. 31-3s-5. Program administration and subsidies |
|
Latest version.
|
|
(a) Employer subsidy. Any employer providing subsidized employment under this program may receive a subsidy of fifty (50) percent of the starting hourly rate of pay (up to a maximum starting rate of pay of sixteen (16) dollars per hour) for a term of six (6) months for each participant hired by the employer. (b) Nonprofit additional subsidy. In addition to the subsidy provided in subsection (a), a nonprofit employer may apply for and receive a subsidy not to exceed fifty (50) percent of the participant's starting rate of pay (up to a maximum starting rate of pay of sixteen (16) dollars per hour) for an additional term of six (6) months for each participant hired by the employer, provided the employer has adequately demonstrated to the Commissioner good faith efforts which are likely to secure permanent funding for the participant's position. (c) Direct pay to participant after eight (8) successive weeks of full-time employment. In the discretion of the Commissioner, the participant may receive direct payment of two hundred (200) dollars, if the participant finds his own full-time unsubsidized employment without the aid of direct referral to an employer by the Job Center and remains in such employment for a period of eight (8) successive weeks. (d) Direct pay to participant after twenty-six (26) successive weeks of full-time employment. In the discretion of the Commissioner, the participant may receive direct payment of an additional three hundred (300) dollars, if the participant finds his own full-time unsubsidized employment without the aid of direct referral to an employer by the Job Center and remains in such employment for a period of twenty-six (26) successive weeks. (e) Work incidentals. (1) In the discretion of the Commissioner, funds may be expended by the Job Center for work incidentals where the Job Center determines such expenditure(s) is/are necessary to enable a participant to obtain a job. (2) The Commissioner may periodically establish a maximum payment per participant for work incidentals, based upon availability of funds. (f) Ancillary services. (1) In the discretion of the Commissioner, funding may be expended for those ancillary services deemed necessary to facilitate program participation by individual participants. (2) The Commissioner may periodically establish a maximum expenditure per participant or participant group for such expenditures, based upon availability of funds. (g) Direct grant to employers for disability related accommodations. In his discretion, the Commissioner may make available certain funds to be allocated as direct grants to employers who assume extraordinary costs, i.e. beyond the reasonable accommodation required by law, in adapting or renovating a work site to accommodate a program participant who is disabled. The decision to make a grant and the size of such grant shall be solely within the discretion of the Commissioner. |
|
(Effective March 30, 1993) |
| Sec. 31-3s-6. Eligibility for other job center services |
|
Latest version.
|
|
In addition to the services provided to a participant in this program, a participant referred to a Job Center will have access to all other appropriate Job Center services, to the extent resources are available to provide such services, including but not limited to job referrals, counseling, automated job matching services, job development, federal bonding, employment search workshops and aptitude testing. |
|
(Effective March 30, 1993) |
| Sec. 31-3s-7. Collective bargaining concurrence |
|
Latest version.
|
|
Program participation by an employer who is a party to a collective bargaining agreement and who is seeking to employ one or more participants who will be employed in work subject to the collective bargaining agreement shall be conditioned upon the written concurrence of the labor organization which is a party to the collective bargaining agreement. |
|
(Effective March 30, 1993) |
| Sec. 31-3s-8. Discretionary funds for innovation |
|
Latest version.
|
|
If, at any point, the Commissioner (1) determines that the program goal of providing employment which will enhance the skills of participants while affording the prospect of long-term job retention is not being adequately achieved, either statewide or within a given region, or (2) identifies an opportunity for subsidized employment which is demonstrably more favorable than other subsidized employment approved under these regulations, then the Commissioner may authorize the use of additional available funds to increase subsidy amounts and/or create innovative incentives for such employment. Such authorization of funds, increase in subsidy amounts, and/or approval of incentive innovations shall be solely within the discretion of the Commissioner. |
|
(Effective March 30, 1993) |