In this section, "date" as used in "subsequent to the date" means the last calendar day on which the individual performed services for the employer. An individual shall be disqualified for benefits and no waiting period may be served:

1. I. Until the individual has earned in each of 5 weeks wages in employment as defined in RSA 282-A:9, except RSA 282-A:9, IV(f), or wages earned in a like manner in another state, of at least 20 percent more than such individual's weekly benefit amount, subsequent to the date:

   1. (a) The individual left work voluntarily without good cause in accordance with rules of the commissioner. This section shall not apply and benefits shall be paid without regard thereto where:

      1. (1) An unemployed individual, not under a disqualification, accepts employment which would not have been deemed suitable work under subparagraph (d) and terminates such employment within a period of not more than 12 consecutive weeks of employment with or without good cause;
      2. (2) An individual terminates employment in good faith to accept better employment, which is to begin within a reasonable period;
      3. (3) Pursuant to the rights of crime victims under RSA 21-M:8-k, II(c), the individual reasonably believes that separation from employment is necessary to protect himself or herself or any member of his or her immediate family from domestic abuse, as defined in RSA 173-B:1. The existence of domestic abuse shall be verified by the department, through reasonable documentation, and the department shall keep such information confidential;
      4. (4) The individual is separated from employment because he or she has become unable to perform some or all of his or her job duties due to pregnancy or to an illness or injury that is not work-related, provided that a physician has attested to the individual's inability to perform work duties in a written notice. Nothing in this section shall relieve an employer of the duty to provide reasonable accommodation as that term is defined by state or federal law;
      5. (5) The leaving of employment was necessary to allow the individual to accompany his or her spouse to a place from which it is impractical for the individual to commute due to a change in location of the spouse's employment; or
      6. (6) The leaving of employment was due to the illness or disability of a member of the individual's immediate family as those terms are defined by the Secretary of the United States Department of Labor.
   2. (b) He was discharged for misconduct connected with his work, if so found by the commissioner;
   3. (c) [Repealed.]

   4. (d) The individual has failed, without good cause, either to apply for available, suitable work when so directed by the employment office or the commissioner or to accept suitable work when offered him or her, or to return to his or her customary self-employment (if any) when so directed by the commissioner.

      1. (1) If the commissioner determines that work in the individual's customary occupation, at the individual's customary rate of pay, is immediately available within the individual's labor market area, the commissioner, to find that any work is suitable for an individual, shall determine each of the following:

         (A) That the degree of risk involved to the individual's health, safety and morals in performing such work is reasonable; and

         (B) That the individual's physical fitness reasonably allows the individual to perform the essential functions of the work; and

         (C) That the individual's prior training and experience reasonably allow the individual to successfully perform or to acquire those skills necessary to perform the work; and

         (D) That the distance of the available work from the individual's residence is reasonable; but such distance shall not be considered reasonable if it is both substantially greater than that distance to all those places to which others living in the same town or city travel for work which utilizes similar or related skills or services, and also substantially greater than the distance to where the individual acquired his or her currently available annual earnings; and

         (E) That the rate of pay for the work is reasonable in light of the individual's prior earnings and length of unemployment, but in determining whether the rate of pay is reasonable his or her prior earnings shall be given more weight than his or her length of unemployment.

      2. (2) If the commissioner determines that work in the individual's customary occupation and at the individual's customary rate of pay is not immediately available within the individual's labor market area, the commissioner, to find that any work is suitable for an individual, shall determine each of the following:

         (A) That the degree of risk involved to the individual's health, safety and morals in performing such work is reasonable; and

         (B) That the individual's physical fitness reasonably allows the individual to perform the essential functions of the work; and

         (C) That the individual's prior training and experience reasonably allow the individual to successfully perform, or to acquire those skills necessary to perform, the work; and

         (D) That the distance of the available work from the individual's residence is reasonable; but such distance shall not be considered reasonable if it is both substantially greater than that distance to all those places to which others living in the same town or city travel for work which utilizes similar or related skills or services, and also substantially greater than the distance to where the individual acquired the individual's currently available annual earnings; and

         (E) That the work, part-time or full-time, pays minimum wage or an hourly rate which when multiplied times 40 is equal to or greater than 150 percent of the individual's weekly benefit, whichever is greater; and

         (F) That the wages, hours, or other conditions of the temporary work are not substantially less favorable to the individual than those prevailing for similar temporary or permanent work in the locality.

      3. (3) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, no work shall be deemed suitable and benefits shall not be denied under this chapter to any otherwise eligible individual for refusing to accept new full-time or part-time work under any of the following conditions:

         (A) If the position offered is vacant due directly to a strike, lockout, or other labor dispute;

         (B) If the wages, hours, or other conditions of the work are substantially less favorable to the individual than those prevailing for similar work in the locality;

         (C) If, as a condition of being employed, the individual would be required to join a company union or to resign from or refrain from joining any bona fide labor organization;

         (D) If the individual is unable to apply for or accept full-time or part-time work during the hours of a particular shift because he or she is the only adult available for the care of an ill, infirm, or physically or mentally disabled family member whom a licensed physician has certified is in need of care for the activities of daily living;

         (E) If the individual is unable to apply for or accept full-time or part-time work during the hours of a particular shift because he or she is the only adult available for the care of a natural, adopted, step, or foster child under the age of 16; or

         (F) If the individual is permanently physically and/or mentally disabled, full-time or part-time work for such individual shall be deemed to be the hours and shifts the individual is physically able to work as certified by a licensed physician provided there is a market for the services the individual offers during such hours and shifts.

      4. (4) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, benefits shall not be denied under this chapter to any otherwise eligible individual for refusing to accept new suitable, temporary, full-time, or part-time work, offered to the individual without the expectation of such work becoming permanent, for any week which follows the earlier of:

         (A) The last week which includes one or more days within the maximum expected duration of the temporary work; or

         (B) The fifth week of the 5 weeks in which the individual, subsequent to the date the individual refused such temporary work, meets the earnings requalification requirements of RSA 282-A:32, I.

      5. (5) For the purposes of section 3304(a)(8) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, this subsection, together with RSA 282-A:31, I(c) shall be waived.
   5. (e) He left his self-employment or closed his business.
2. II. For any period for which proper and timely claims were not filed.
3. III. [Repealed.]
4. IV. For any week during which the individual resides other than in New Hampshire, another state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands or a contiguous country with which the United States has an agreement with respect to unemployment compensation.

Source. 1937, 178:1. 1939, 138:10-12. 1941, 103:17-20. RL 218:4. 1945, 138:9, 10. 1947, 59:12, 13. 1949, 185:5, 6. 1953, 209:2, 3; 260:1; 261:3. RSA 282:4(A)(1)-(3), (B). 1955, 4:1; 141:9. 1957, 118:4, 5. 1959, 28:2, 3. 1963, 194:5. 1965, 208:3-5. 1967, 75:1; 400:8, 9. 1969, 460:6, 7. 1971, 156:20, 21, 36, 37. 1973, 446:2; 589:3, 4. 1977, 441:18-20. 1979, 348:12. 1981, 408:3; 416:6. 1985, 340:4. 1987, 243:5. 1993, 288:1. 1994, 72:1, 2. 1995, 275:8. 1996, 291:1. 1998, 71:1; 87:4, 5. 2003, 116:6. 2005, 239:12. 2006, 130:3. 2007, 123:2. 2008, 297:3. 2009, 219:1, eff. Sept. 13, 2009; 321:8, eff. Jan. 1, 2010. 2012, 212:3-5, eff. Oct. 1, 2012. 2020, 24:10, eff. Sept. 18, 2020.