A single or a two-parent household is only allowed to work up to the monthly hours as calculated by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) calculation completed in the MWA System. The MWA System displays this monthly number of hours as AWEP/CWEP & Comm. Service Max on the IEP screen and the Hours-Verification screen. This amount is updated based on Family Support Division (FSD) information around the fifth of each month. Therefore, this amount is checked each month by the Missouri Work Assistance (MWA) case manager and the hours are updated with the Community Service Program worksite accordingly.
If the FLSA calculation is less than the Community Service Program participant’s normally required core hours, the participant is deemed to have met their core hours once they have worked the total FLSA calculated hours for the month. If non-core hours are required, these must still be met. If the Community Service “allowable hours” calculation equals more than the required core hours, the participant can work the remaining hours to partially or fully meet the non-core requirement. The participant is always allowed to work up to the “allowable hours” calculation even if this exceeds his/her normally required core and non-core requirements.
When the required non-core hours are not met through the Community Service Program, use other activities as appropriate to supplement. A TA recipient cannot be in the Community Service Program and Alternative Work Experience (AWEP)/Community Work Experience (CWEP) at the same time because of the allowable hours in the calculation and he/she only qualifies for one of the activities at a time depending on the need for “employment skills” or “soft skills”.
Examples:
- Sam is a single parent with a child under 6.
- He is required to participate 20 core hours per week and there are 4 federal weeks in this month, which is a total of 80 core hours.
- The FLSA calculation in the MWA System shows he is allowed to work 68 hours in the Community Service Program this month.
- After he works the 68 hours, he is “deemed” to have met his full participation requirement of 80 hours for the month.
- Jane and Tom make-up a two-parent household with children 6 and over.
- Together they are required to participate 55 hours per week; 50 of these are core and the remaining 5 are non-core. There are 4 federal weeks in this month; therefore, they are required to participate a total of 200 core hours and 20 *non-core hours for the month.
- The FLSA calculation in the MWA System shows they are allowed to work 100 hours in the Community Service Program this month. (These 100 hours can be worked by Jane or Tom in any combination per week.)
- After they work a combined total of 100 hours, they are “deemed” to have met their full participation requirement for core hours.
- The 20 hours of non-core activities for the month must also be worked. (The non-core hours may also be worked by Jane or Tom in any combination per week.)
- Heather is a single parent with a child over 6.
- She is required to participate 30 hours per week; 20 of these are core, the remaining 10 are non-core. There are 5 federal weeks in the month; therefore, she is required to work 100 core hours (5 weeks x 20 core hours) and 50 non-core hours (5 weeks x 10 non-core hours).
- The FLSA calculation in the MWA System shows she is allowed to work 125 hours in the Community Service Program this month.
- Since the calculation of what is allowed is higher than the requirement of 100 hours, after the 100 hours are met for the month, she has met the full participation requirement for core hours.
- She also has to complete the 50 hour monthly non-core requirement. In this scenario, she could work 25 of the non-core hours in the Community Service Program since this does not exceed the MWA System calculation. She still needs to complete 25 hours in a core or non-core activity other than AWEP/CWEP or Community Service.
- Diane and Jim make-up a two-parent household with children under 6, receiving federally-funded childcare.
- Together they are required to participate 55 hours; 50 of these are core and the remaining 5 are non-core. There are 4 federal weeks in this month; therefore, he and/or she are required to participate in 200 core and 20 non-core hours.
- The FLSA calculation in the MWA System shows they are allowed to work 90 hours in the Community Service Program this month.
- Diane is working in the Community Service Program and Jim is participating in Vocational Education (not beyond the 12-month limit).
- Diane will complete the 90 hours in the Community Service Program since this is less than the normally required 200 core hours. She is “deemed” to be meeting full core hour participation.
- Jim’s Vocational Education hours (which he is participating 10 hours per week) meets the non-core requirement of 20 hours for the month.
- Karen and Dan make-up a two-parent household with children under 6, not receiving federally-funded childcare.
- One parent is required to participate 35 hours; 30 of these are core and the remaining 5 are non-core. There are 5 federal weeks in this month; therefore, he or she is required to participate 150 core hours and 25 non-core hours.
- The FLSA calculation in the MWA System shows he or she is allowed to work 100 hours in the Community Service Program this month.
- After the 100 hours allowed are met for the month they are “deemed” to have met their full participation requirement for core hours.
- The 25 hour monthly non-core requirement must also be worked.