Johnson v. Employment Division

861 P.2d 1032, 124 Or. App. 77, 1993 Ore. App. LEXIS 1741
CourtCourt of Appeals of Oregon
DecidedOctober 20, 1993
Docket92-S-522; CA A74323
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 861 P.2d 1032 (Johnson v. Employment Division) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Oregon primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Johnson v. Employment Division, 861 P.2d 1032, 124 Or. App. 77, 1993 Ore. App. LEXIS 1741 (Or. Ct. App. 1993).

Opinion

De MUNIZ, J.

Employer seeks review of an order of the Employment Division (Division) denying his request for relief from charges resulting from the unemployment claim of Loryn Light. We affirm.

Light voluntarily terminated her employment in July, 1991, and sought unemployment benefits, asserting that she had left work because of sexual harassment by a fellow office worker. Light claimed that she had told employer of the harassment and had been promised that her office would be moved. She claimed that employer did not follow through on his promises.

Pursuant to ORS 657.265, employer was mailed a notice of claim form (Form 220), on which he could have challenged Light’s receipt of unemployment benefits. He did not timely return the form. Division investigated Light’s claim for benefits. One of its investigators telephoned her and employer and considered two letters that employer had written. The investigator determined that Light had voluntarily quit with good cause and without a reasonable alternative.

At about the same time that employer received Form 220, he received Form 197. That form, mailed pursuant to ORS 657.471, allowed employer to request relief from charges resulting from the unemployment benefits paid to Light. Employer returned Form 197. His request for relief was denied, he appealed, and the referee upheld the denial.

ORS 657.265 sets out the procedure for an initial determination of a claim. ORS 657.471 provides the manner in which benefits are charged to an employer. Employer argues that, irrespective of whether he returned Form 220, under ORS 657.471, he is entitled to: (1) the right to request relief from charges for benefits paid to Light; (2) the right to an investigation to determine whether Light quit for reasons attributable to employer; and (3) the right to a hearing if the investigation results in a denial of his request for relief. Division argues that, if an employer does not contest an employee’s qualification for benefits pursuant to ORS 657.265, the employer is not entitled to a second opportunity under ORS 657.471 to determine whether the reason for leaving was attributable to the employer.

[80]*80The issue involves the interplay between ORS 657.265 and ORS 657.471. The relevant provisions are set out in the appendix. In denying employer relief from charges, the referee held:

“The Division has consistently interpreted ORS 657.471(7) in conjunction with ORS 657.265(1) and (4). The Division has consistently interpreted ORS 657.265(1) and (4) as prerequisite to determinations under ORS 657.471(7), in cases where the employer requesting relief is the last employer.”

Division’s interpretation is correct.

Under ORS 657.265, before unemployment benefits are paid, two determinations must be made. The first is whether the claimant has earned enough wages to qualify for benefits. That determination may involve more than the most recent employer. Under ORS 657.265(1), when a claim for unemployment benefits is filed, notice must be promptly sent to

“the claimant’s last employing unit and, if necessary, the immediately preceding employing units sufficient to establish service for which remuneration is received equal to or in excess of four times the individual’s weekly benefit amount[.]”

The claim will not qualify unless “the total amount of wages paid to the claimant during the base year is sufficient * * ORS 657.265(2). The “base year” is “the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters preceding the benefit year. ’ ’ ORS 657.010(1). In short, the base year and qualifying wages may depend on more than one employer.

Notice of qualifying wages must be sent to “all employers that have paid wages to the claimant during the base year * * * [and] shall include notice of the potential charges to the employer’s account pursuant to ORS 657.471.” ORS 657.265(2). An employer who disputes the initial determination must file a request for hearing within 20 days. ORS 657.265(3).

The second determination that must be made under ORS 657.265, before benefits are paid, is whether the claim should be allowed or denied. That decision is governed by ORS 657.265(4), which requires that the decision be based on “the facts available” and allows the employer to furnish [81]*81information on forms provided by Division. Subsection (4) further provides that, if the claim is denied, notice must be given to the employer that “is most directly involved with the facts and circumstances relating to the reasons for the disqualification” and that notice of any decision must be sent to an employer if the decision was based ‘ ‘wholly or partially’ ’ on information the employer provided. ORS 657.265(6) requires an employer who was entitled to notice and who disagrees with the decision to request a hearing within 20 days of the decision.

Under ORS 657.471(1), benefits are charged proportionally “to each of the [claimant’s] employers during the base year[.]” There are exceptions to those charges.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Kroetch v. Employment Department
341 P.3d 137 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 2014)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
861 P.2d 1032, 124 Or. App. 77, 1993 Ore. App. LEXIS 1741, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/johnson-v-employment-division-orctapp-1993.