N.M. Admin. Code § 8.102.461.16 - WORK EXPERIENCE (CORE ACTIVITY)

A. Work experience is an unpaid activity. The purpose of work experience is to improve the employability of those who cannot find employment. Work experience may be in a public or private sector setting.

B. General:

(1) The type of work experience placement needed by a participant may be identified during the assessment or the development of the IRP. Participants in a work experience placement can either be subsidized employees or trainees, depending upon the nature of the placement.

(2) Sponsoring agencies: Participants may be placed in either a public or private sector work site. The work site is selected based on a participant's individual needs. Sponsoring agencies provide supervision in a safe and healthy work environment and must ensure that the environment is free of discrimination based on race, gender, national origin, handicap, age, religion, or political affiliation.

(a) The sponsoring agency must enter into an agreement with the department which details the expectations and responsibilities of each party and ensures an appropriate work setting.

(b) The sponsoring agency may not displace any current employee in layoff status or infringe on the promotional opportunities of any current employee.

(c) The sponsoring agency shall be encouraged to give a hiring preference consideration to participants assigned to their agency.

(3) Liability insurance: All work providers must sign a work experience agreement and provide trainees with liability insurance. Participants in a trainee activity are covered by medicaid except for injuries caused on the job not covered by medicaid. Work-site accidents must be reported to the ISD office within 24 hours of occurrence. A written accident report must be obtained from the work site by the ISD office and submitted to the department's central office within five working days.

C. Component activities: Placement provides a participant with an opportunity to acquire the general skills, training, knowledge, and work habits necessary to obtain employment. Unpaid apprenticeships and unpaid internships are included as work experience.

D. Supervision and documentation:

(1) This activity must be supervised by an employer, work site sponsor, or NMW service provider on an ongoing basis no less frequently than daily.

(2) The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) standards are used to determine the maximum number of hours the department can require a participant to meet. When the participant meets the maximum number of hours required by the FLSA calculation and the number is less than the core work hour requirement, the remaining hours may be deemed up. The maximum amount of weekly hours required by the FLSA are calculated as follows:

(a) Single parent: Add the monthly TANF cash assistance benefit (prior to the sanction amount) to the monthly food stamp benefit and divide by the federal or state minimum wage, whichever is higher, and divide by 4.3.

(b) Two-parent: The initial calculation of participation requirement hours is the same as a single parent. Both parents can simultaneously participate in an activity subject to FLSA NMW standard work participation requirement hours.

(c) Limited participation status: A participant in a limited work participation status may use the FLSA calculation or lesser hours to meet the hours prescribed in their work participation agreement.

Notes

N.M. Admin. Code § 8.102.461.16

8.102.461.16 NMAC - Rp, 8.102.460.25 NMAC, 4/1/2012