State of Wisconsin Department of Health Services

Release 25-03 December 10, 2025

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4.5 Initial Employment Plan

An Employment Plan (EP) is a written agreement developed jointly by a participant and their case manager. The EP should be a mutually agreed upon plan based on the job seeker’s strengths, needs, and preferences within the confines of policy and efficient use of funding. An initial EP must be completed at the initial enrollment appointment.

Following the assessment, the FSET worker must collaborate with the participant to develop an EP. The FSET worker must engage in a career planning process in partnership with the participant, the outcome of which is an individualized EP integrating the participant’s career interests with local labor market conditions. Each participant’s EP must include one or more employment goals and an action plan. The action plan includes the assignment of allowable activities designed to assist the participant in reaching employment and career goals. The FSET worker should use the S.M.A.R.T. criteria outlined below when setting participant goals:

• Specific – target a specific area for improvement
• Measurable – quantify or at least suggest an indicator of progress
• Achievable – specify goals that are reachable
• Realistic – state what results can realistically be achieved, given available resources
• Time-related – specify when the result(s) can be achieved

An EP should:

• Be developed following a thorough assessment.
• Include a clear description of short- and long-term employment goals.
• Be used as a case management tool to identify an individual’s occupational goals and to identify action steps to accomplish each goal.
• Be maintained at all times while a participant is enrolled in FSET.
• Be reviewed and updated as necessary (see Section 8.1 Employment Plan Reviews for information on requirements for completing EP reviews).

4.5.1 Components of an Employment Plan

The EP consists of two main components:

1. Goals and action steps
2. Individualized activities

Together, the FSET worker and participant must set goals, determine action steps, and select appropriate FSET activities and related supportive services necessary to achieve those goals. The participant has the option of accepting all or any part of the FSET worker’s recommendations. However, ABAWDs choosing to meet the FoodShare work requirement through FSET participation are required to comply with qualifying activities to maintain FoodShare eligibility. If an ABAWD disagrees with the activities assigned, the FSET worker should identify other types of qualifying activities from which the ABAWD may choose in order to maintain FoodShare eligibility, as long as completing those activities is realistic and directly related to an achievable goal.

4.5.1.1 Goals and Action Steps

The FSET worker should collaborate with the participant to develop at least one primary employment goal and associated action steps to reach that goal.

The Department of Health Services (DHS) also encourages the FSET worker to collaborate with the participant to develop secondary and long-term employment goals and action steps to reach those goals, as applicable to the participant’s needs.

4.5.1.2 Assign Component Activities

After completing goals and action steps, the FSET worker must collaborate with the participant to assign one or more individualized activities that will facilitate progress toward reaching identified employment and training goals. The FSET worker must discuss the FSET agency’s policies for collecting and turning in participation information for the assigned activities. The FSET worker should also explain the good cause policy for FSET participation in accordance with Section 6.6 Good Cause.

When assigning activities, the FSET worker must consider the individual’s ABAWD status and any allowable activities that the participant is already engaged in. For ABAWDs, the FSET worker should account for the following when assigning activities:

• Qualifying Components for ABAWDs: To meet the FoodShare work requirement, ABAWDs must participate in qualifying FSET component activities. Job search, including job search training, is not considered a qualifying component for ABAWDs unless it comprises no more than half of an ABAWD’s monthly participation hours. For more information on which activities are considered qualifying activities for ABAWDs, see Section 1.4 FSET Component Activities.
• Co-Enrollment in Another Work Program: During the enrollment process, the FSET worker may become aware that the participant is co-enrolled in another employment program. Co-enrollment in FSET and other qualifying work programs is allowable to meet the FoodShare work requirement (see Section 10.5 Appendix E: Qualifying Work Programs for ABAWDs for a list of other allowable work programs). If a participant is co-enrolled in another program, the FSET agency must make contact with the other program to establish a collaborative partnership for serving the participant. Participation hours in an allowable work program must be included on the participant’s EP and must be tracked monthly.
• FSET Participation Hours: ABAWDs must meet the FoodShare work requirement by working or participating in a work program for at least 80 hours per month (see Section 6.3.2.2 FoodShare Work Requirement). Some ABAWDs need to participate in FSET for 80 hours a month to meet the FoodShare work requirement because they are not engaged in any other type of work or work program. Other ABAWDs are referred to FSET because, although they are already partially meeting the FoodShare work requirement, participation in FSET would allow them to make up the difference between their current hours and the 80-hour requirement. When assigning activities on the EP, the FSET worker must determine each ABAWD’s current work hours and other allowable activities outside FSET that must be counted on the EP prior to determining additional FSET participation hours. Activities that must be included on the EP include co-enrollment in an allowable work program, employment, or participation in other activities that may be categorized as FSET components on the participant’s EP, such as an educational program (see Section 6.3.2.3 Determining Required Hours of Participation).
• Workfare and Workfare Job Search: When placing an ABAWD in workfare, the FSET worker should keep in mind that participation hours are determined differently for this activity type (see Section 6.3.2.4 Determining Required Hours of Workfare Participation for details on determining participation hours for workfare). In addition, federal regulations allow ABAWDs assigned to workfare to complete a 30-day job search period prior to starting their workfare placement. This activity counts toward meeting the FoodShare work requirement (see Section 6.3.2.5 Workfare Job Search for more information on workfare job search).

The Assign Activity page in the CARES Workers Web (CWW) FSET Tool provides a detailed list of activity types that may be used to assign FSET activities. This list includes both qualifying and non-qualifying activities for ABAWDs. It also contains FSET fundable activities and activities that may be assigned, but are not fundable through FSET (see Section 10.3 Appendix C: FSET Fundable Component Activities for a detailed list of assignable component activities).

FSET education and work activity sites must not discriminate against the individual because of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, familial/parental status, income derived from any public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity. All FSET participation sites must be in compliance with federal, state, and local health and safety standards.

4.5.2 Employment Plan Summary and Participant Signature

The EP summary must be signed by the participant and FSET worker each time an EP is created or updated. Both electronic and written signatures are acceptable. By signing the EP summary, the participant is agreeing to the goals, action steps, and assigned activities listed in their plan. A signed copy of the EP summary should be stored in the participant’s electronic case file (ECF).

If the FSET worker mails the EP summary to the participant for a signature, it is requested that the participant sign and return a copy within 10 days of the receipt of the summary.

If a participant disagrees with and refuses to sign the EP summary, the FSET worker should explore other available FSET activities and participation options consistent with the results of the assessment and the goals of the FSET program. If an ABAWD disagrees with the activities assigned, the FSET worker should offer other types of qualifying activities from which the ABAWD may choose in order to meet the FoodShare work requirement and maintain FoodShare eligibility, as long as completing those activities is realistic and directly related to an achievable goal.

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Publication Number: P-00419