Huckabee v. MISSISSIPPI EMPLOYMENT SEC. COM'N

735 So. 2d 390, 1999 WL 216836
CourtMississippi Supreme Court
DecidedApril 15, 1999
Docket96-CC-01114-SCT
StatusPublished
Cited by33 cases

This text of 735 So. 2d 390 (Huckabee v. MISSISSIPPI EMPLOYMENT SEC. COM'N) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Mississippi Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Huckabee v. MISSISSIPPI EMPLOYMENT SEC. COM'N, 735 So. 2d 390, 1999 WL 216836 (Mich. 1999).

Opinion

735 So.2d 390 (1999)

Barbara HUCKABEE
v.
MISSISSIPPI EMPLOYMENT SECURITY COMMISSION.

No. 96-CC-01114-SCT.

Supreme Court of Mississippi.

April 15, 1999.

*391 Jeremy David Eisler, Biloxi, John C. Jopling, University, Attorneys for Appellant.

Albert B. White, Madison, Attorney for Appellee.

EN BANC.

ON MOTION FOR REHEARING

SULLIVAN, Presiding Justice, for the Court:

¶ 1. On October 15, 1998, we issued an opinion from which Huckabee filed the instant Motion for Rehearing. The Motion for Rehearing is hereby granted. The original opinion is withdrawn, and this opinion substituted therefor.

STATEMENT OF THE CASE

¶ 2. Barbara Huckabee was employed as a cashier at Lyman's Quick-Stop (hereinafter Lyman's) for a period of sixteen months. Her employment at Lyman's ended on September 28, 1995. The following day, September 29, 1995, Huckabee *392 filed a claim for unemployment benefits with the Mississippi Employment Security Commission. On October 12, 1995, the Claims Examiner found that Huckabee had voluntarily quit her employment, and disqualified her for unemployment benefits. Huckabee appealed the decision to the Appeals Referee whom, after a hearing, made findings of fact that Huckabee had indeed voluntarily quit her employment without good cause and was not entitled to unemployment benefits. Huckabee then appealed to the Board of Review (hereinafter "Board") which affirmed the Appeals Referee's decision. Huckabee next appealed to the Harrison County Circuit Court which found that the Board's decision was not clearly erroneous nor arbitrary and capricious and affirmed the Board's decision. Aggrieved, Huckabee appealed to this Court raising the following issues:

I. WHETHER THE FINDING OF THE BOARD OF REVIEW THAT HUCKABEE VOLUNTARILY LEFT WORK WITHOUT GOOD CAUSE IS SUPPORTED BY SUBSTANTIAL EVIDENCE.
II. WHETHER AN EMPLOYEE WHO ABANDONS THE WORKPLACE UNDER THE REASONABLE BELIEF THAT HE/SHE HAS BEEN DISCHARGED IS THEREBY ELIGIBLE FOR UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS.

¶ 3. In our original opinion, we held substantial evidence exists to support the Board's determination that Huckabee voluntarily left her employment without good cause and was, therefore, not entitled to unemployment benefits. Accordingly, we affirmed the circuit court's decision. Upon further consideration, however, we hold, as a matter of law, that an employee who leaves work under the reasonable belief that he or she has been fired has not voluntarily terminated his or her employment. Therefore, the question before this Court is whether or not Huckabee's belief that she had been discharged was reasonable given these facts.

STATEMENT OF THE FACTS

¶ 4. Barbara Huckabee was employed as a cashier at Lyman's for approximately sixteen months. On September 29, 1995, Huckabee's employment ended, and she filed for unemployment benefits under Mississippi Employment Security Law. Then, on October 12, 1995, the Claims Examiner found Huckabee had voluntarily quit her employment and disqualified her for unemployment benefits. Huckabee appealed the Claims Examiner's decision to the Appeals Referee before whom a hearing was conducted on November 1, 1995.

¶ 5. According to Huckabee, on September 28, 1995, approximately five minutes before her shift ended, Huckabee had a discussion with the manager of Lyman's, Judy Saucier, about her employment conditions. Huckabee expressed concern to Saucier about being scheduled to work as a cook full-time which according to Huckabee was a two-person job. Saucier inquired of Huckabee if she was looking for another job, and Huckabee responded that she would be looking for another job because of the burden that had been put on her but she would continuing working as long as she possibly could. Saucier then stated that Lyman's would have to find someone else, and Huckabee assured Saucier that she would give two weeks notice if she did leave. Huckabee stated that Saucier then said something, but she was unsure exactly what was said. Huckabee then questioned Saucier if she was trying to get rid of her, and Saucier giggled, threw her hands up in the air, and stated, "I'm hiring somebody else." Huckabee interpreted Saucier's statements and conduct to mean that she had been terminated, and when she called the next morning to ask about her paycheck, she was told that she would have to talk to Saucier. Saucier told Huckabee that she would have to return her uniforms in order to receive her paycheck.

*393 ¶ 6. Robert Dean Hyde, President of Lyman's, testified as the employer's representative. Hyde testified that he was basically in charge of all the hiring and firing at Lyman's and that Saucier had no authority to hire and fire employees. Hyde further testified that he had no knowledge of what transpired between Huckabee and Saucier but stated that Huckabee was not under the threat of discharge at the time, and Hyde stated there was still work available for Huckabee on September 29th when she did not show up for work.

¶ 7. The Appeals Referee made the following findings of fact:

Claimant was employed for approximately sixteen months as a cashier for Lyman Quick Stop, Gulfport, Mississippi, ending September 28, 1995. The claimant became dissatisfied with her schedule and the work and she informed the employer that she would be seeking other employment. The employer indicated that they would be seeking a replacement for the claimant in the event the claimant left her employment. The claimant interpreted this to mean that she was discharged and the claimant did not return to work. However, the claimant was not discharged and continuing work was available for her.

The Appeals Referee, in affirming the Claims Examiner's decision, held that Huckabee was not discharged but, instead, that she left her employment voluntarily and had failed to show good cause for leaving her employment.

¶ 8. Huckabee appealed to the Board which adopted the Findings of Fact and Opinion of the Referee in affirming the Referee's decision. Huckabee then filed an appeal to the Harrison County Circuit Court which also affirmed the Board's decision. The circuit court judge held the Board's decision was neither clearly erroneous nor arbitrary and capricious.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

¶ 9. Miss.Code Ann. § 71-5-531( Supp. 1998) governs the standard of review for appealing a Mississippi Employment Security Commission (hereinafter "MESC") Board of Review decision to the circuit court and the Mississippi Supreme Court. This Court's judicial review is limited to questions of law as provided in Miss.Code Ann. § 71-5-531 which states in pertinent part:

In any judicial proceedings under this section, the findings of the board of review as to the facts, if supported by evidence and in the absence of fraud, shall be conclusive, and the jurisdiction of said court shall be confined to questions of law.

Miss.Code Ann. § 71-5-531 (Supp.1998); Hoerner Boxes, Inc. v. Mississippi Employment Sec. Comm'n, 693 So.2d 1343, 1346-47 (Miss.1997); Barnett v. Mississippi Employment Sec. Comm'n, 583 So.2d 193, 195 (Miss.1991). "The Board's findings of fact are conclusive if supported by substantial evidence and without fraud."

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Bluebook (online)
735 So. 2d 390, 1999 WL 216836, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/huckabee-v-mississippi-employment-sec-comn-miss-1999.