WAG 03-13-01-a.

To be penalized for not accepting a job, the job offer must be for employment that is suitable. For a job to be suitable employment, it must meet the following criteria:

  • wages offered must be at least:
    • the Federal and State minimum wage (see WAG 25-06-08); or
    • the sub-minimum youth training wage. In Illinois, this rate is for persons under age 18 who have not already worked for 180 days (lifetime total) at the sub-minimum rate. It is always 50 cents less than the current minimum wage.
  • If wages are on a piecework basis, the amount the client can reasonably expect to earn must equal at least the correct minimum wage.
  • As a condition of employment, the client cannot be required to join, resign from, or refrain from joining any legal labor organization.
  • The job does not pose an unreasonable degree of risk to the client's health and safety.
  • The client is physically and mentally able to do the work.
  • The job must be within a reasonable distance of the client's home. Commuting time must not be more than 25% of the client's total time on the job, e.g., no more than 2 hours commuting for an 8-hour workday.