Can i refuse perm position though temp agency?

Worked for company for seven years, needed change, quit….new job didn’t satisfy financial so I approached former employer about getting hired back on. Got back to me later that afternoon that they would bring me back on-BUT I would have to go through temp agency (whom owners of the two businesses are friends)…I agreed to a 4 week assignment in Sept2013, any work after the 4 weeks would be determined as needed. Worked every week, nothing ever being said about hiring back on as “company” employee. Early March client (former employer) asked very casually if I would “potentially be interersted in a finish position?” I declined stating that I had for 8 years expressed to him that I was not interested in holding that title because of the health risk involved. He said “thats fine, thanks for your honesty”. Mid April all employees hours were cut, as job orders were not coming in. After two weeks of cut hours client told me at end of day “we have no hours for you next week and anything beyond that does not look promising either”…So I filed for UI in IL, temp agency is disputing for REFUSAL OF WORK-was offered perm position but declined. Had my phone interview now playing the waiting game. The way I read the Code 603 is if you are already collecting benefits then refuse work that would cause loss of benefits? Am I interrupting wrong? If I feel the job offered poses safety/health risk isn’t that my choice to decline? The fact that I continued to work for 6-7 weeks after clients NON FORMAL “OFFER”…do any of these things count as valid to anyone else? Feedback welcome 🙂

Moving this to suitable work questions as that is what’s at issue. Was the permanent job suitable.

However, now we have an interesting question about temporary contingent work ..

If that is a willing choice to be a temp employee, or is a UI disqualification possible based upon the employment with a temp staffing agency when one refuses an offer of permanent employment from one of the temp agencies clients?

I’m not really sure, but would love to hear what IDES decides .. because if it were me .. I’d appeal an argue that temporary employment is not only a forced choice for some, but a willing choice some would make regardless of whether there were permanent jobs available or not f0or the taking.

As far as I know the only distinction between a regular employer and a temp staffing employer is those temporary work provisions regarding voluntary quits for failure to report at the end of a temp assignment for another temp work assignment.

The one thing you mentioned that also peaked my interest was your concerns about safety/health risks associated with the offer of employment.

Do those make the job offer actually unsuitable to you because of health issues?