Section 168-11-1 - DEFINITIONSA. "Commissioner" shall mean the Commissioner of the Department of Labor or designee.B . "Establishing a business" shall mean organizing the production, marketing and sale of products or services. This includes enterprises operated with the intention of creating a profit or of generating income for the owners if organized as a legal not-for profit venture.C. "Full-time" shall mean forty hours per week.D. "Worker profiling system" shall mean a system established by the Maine Department of Labor that attempts to predict the likelihood that an individual will exhaust his or her unemployment benefits. The characteristics of individuals who exhausted benefits in the past are analyzed to determine which of these characteristics were predictors of exhaustion for the group. These predictors are then combined into a "profile" and individuals who match the profile are deemed to be "likely to exhaust benefits." Individuals who are on recall status or who obtain employment through a union hiring hall agreement are deemed to not be likely to exhaust benefits. Other data elements to be studied (along with potentially others in the future) are: previous industry, total unemployment rate, declining industry code, separation reason, the individual's weekly benefit amount and maximum benefit amount, and job tenure.E. "Allowable business activity" shall mean: a the proposed business shall have its principal place of business in Maine; b the proposed business, when established, shall meet all legal requirements involving licenses, taxes, zoning etc.; c the proposed business may be a sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, franchise or pre-existing business provided that the applicant has both financial investment and decision-making authority in the business; d the proposed business shall be suitable for support by a public agency. Examples of unsuitable businesses shall include but are not limited to: businesses that involve the speculative purchase and/ or sale of real estate, (though real estate development involving construction or renovation are permitted), gambling activities or pyramid selling (also known as multi-level marketing).
F. "Qualified business counselor" shall mean counselors approved by the commissioner to provide one-one assistance under the MEO self-employment assistance program.G. "Local Enterprise Coordinator" shall mean the designated staff at each Department of Labor office responsible for coordinating Orientation and applications for MEO applicants.H. "Self-employment Assistance Allowance" (SEA) shall mean an allowance payable in lieu of regular benefits, from the Unemployment Compensation Fund, to an individual who meets the requirements of and has been accepted into MEO.I. "Approved Training" shall mean seminars, workshops and training approved by the commissioner for purposes of providing assistance to MEO participants.12- 168 C.M.R. ch. 11, § 1