Good Cause and Notification to Employment Services

Good Cause

If the client has a condition or other circumstance that temporarily prevents him/her from participating in WTW activities, Employment Services will determine whether the client has good cause for not participating in WTW activities.

Note: A good cause determination is made only by the CWES worker and monitored monthly. The CWES worker will first pursue possible exemptions for CalWORKs clients before determining good cause.

Good cause may include the following:

Good Cause Definition
Illness/Injury The client is temporarily ill or physically or mentally unable to participate in WTW activities.
Court/Incarceration  The client is required to appear in court or is temporarily incarcerated.
Family Crisis  

The client is experiencing a family crisis or a change in individual or family circumstances, such as:

  • Death of a spouse, parent, or child, or 
  • Illness of a spouse, parent, or child which requires the client’s immediate attention.
Lack of Supportive Services  The client is in need of transportation, work or training-related expenses to participate, and these have not been provided.
Child Care

Licensed or exempt child care is not reasonably available during the client’s hours of training or employment, or arrangements have broken down or have been interrupted for:

  • A child 12 years old or younger, or
  • A child who is in Foster Care or is an SSI recipient and who is living in the same home but not included in the AU.
Homelessness    

The client is considered homeless when verification is received that the AU:

  • Lacks a fixed and regular nighttime residence, or
  • Has a primary nighttime residence that is a supervised, publicly or privately operated shelter designed to provide temporary living accommodations, or
  • Is residing in a public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings, such as a hallway, bus station, lobby, or car.
Domestic Abuse 

The client is a victim of domestic abuse and participation would be harmful to the individual or the family.

Refer to Cal Learn for information regarding Cal Learn good cause determinations.
Employment

The client cannot participate for reasons related to employment, an offer of employment, or an activity/other training for employment, including:

  • Unpredictable employment hours or scheduled employment hours exhibiting a pattern of unpredictability (verification required), or
  • Experiencing sexual harassment or other abusive conduct at the workplace, or
  • Their rights under any federal, state, or local labor or employment law were violated.

Notification to Employment Services

The EW must notify Employment Services within three days of any determination which may affect a client's Employment Services status. Use this chart to determine how to notify Employment Services:

Notify Employment Services whenever... Method of Communication
The client becomes employed, either part-time or full-time and notification has not been received from Employment Services.  Send a User to User alert, update the Employment windows and run EDBC.
The client becomes unemployed and notification has not been received from Employment Services.    
The client becomes exempt, whether or not he/she chooses to volunteer.    
A client who voluntarily registers becomes mandatory.    

Related Topics

Welfare to Work (WTW) Activities