Locke v. Sales Consultants of Boston, Inc.

13 Mass. L. Rptr. 164
CourtMassachusetts Superior Court
DecidedApril 13, 2001
DocketNo. CA984081
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 13 Mass. L. Rptr. 164 (Locke v. Sales Consultants of Boston, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Massachusetts Superior Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Locke v. Sales Consultants of Boston, Inc., 13 Mass. L. Rptr. 164 (Mass. Ct. App. 2001).

Opinion

Hinkle, J.

This matter is before the court on the motion of the defendants, Sales Consultants of Boston, Inc. (“SCB”) and its President, Robert G. Stockard, for summary judgment. Plaintiff Brian Locke alleges retaliatory discharge in breach of G.L.c. 151B, §§4(4), 4(4A) and 4(5) (Counts I — III), wrongful termination (Count IV) and non-payment of wages under G.L.c. 149, §§148 and 150 (“the Wage Act”) (Count V).

After hearing, for reasons set forth below, the motion for summary judgment is ALLOWED on the Civil Rights Act and Wage Act claims and DENIED on the wrongful termination claim.

BACKGROUND2

A. Plaintiffs Hiring

As a personnel placement company, SCB searches for employee-candidates and places them, as permanent employees, with employer-clients. For its services SCB is paid a fee by the client based upon successful placement of a candidate. At all relevant times, Stockard served as SCB’s President and as President of Sales Staffers International, Inc. (“SSII”), which provides temporary but not permanent placements.

In January 1997, Stockard hired plaintiff as an SCB Account Executive. Plaintiff had responsibility for attracting clients and recruiting qualified candidates for placement. As each Account Executive at SCB is assigned to a specialty, plaintiff was assigned to the software industry. He, therefore, focused most of his work at SCB on recruiting software candidates.

On January 3, 1997, SCB and plaintiff executed an Account Executive Employment Agreement (the “Agreement”) setting forth, among other things, plaintiffs compensation. The Agreement provides that plaintiff would be paid a base salaiy of $20,000 plus quarterly commissions on a sliding scale ranging from 5 to 25 percent of SCB’s “net cash-in,” depending on volume. Agreement A ¶ 1(a).3 If there is a “fall off,” i.e. the employee candidate never starts work or leaves during a specified guarantee period, no commission is paid. Under such circumstances, if SCB has already paid the commission, the Account Executive must return it. Kl(d).

If an Account Executive’s employment ends, the procedure changes. In most termination situations, an Account Executive is limited to 10 percent of net cash-in received by SCB within 30 days of the last day of employment, if there has been no fall-off. ¶2&) and (c). If an employee breaches a restrictive covenant in the Agreement or an “apparent danger” exits of such a breach, the commission will be based only on the net cash-in received by SCB on or before the last day the Account Executive works. ¶203).

B. SCB’s Referral of Media One Account to SSII

On April 15, 1997, plaintiff contacted a prospective client, Continental Cablevision/Media One (“Media One”). The Media One contact asked to speak with the owner of SCB, so plaintiff brought the matter to Stockard and made a telephone introduction of Stockard to the Media One contact. After learning that Media One was looking for part-time workers, which [165]*165was not SCB’s business, Stockard referred the Media One account to SSII, which handles part-time staffing. After the referral, plaintiff did no further work for Media One.

Stockard told plaintiff he would be compensated for the Media One referral and “if it turned into a viable contract, then the cash in would fall into his [plaintiffs] normal commission schedule." Stockard Dep. at 113. Plaintiff assumed he would be compensated under the terms of the Agreement as he would for any placement. Plaintiff Dep. II at 23.

C. The Retaliation Claim

On July 9, 1997, plaintiff attended an awards ceremony in the cafeteria shared by SCB and SSII. There, he witnessed an incident involving two SSII employees, Richard Nardella and Kimberly Balamotis. Plaintiff observed Nardella, then a vice president of SSH, pull a strap on the back of Balamotis’s dress. When Balamotis asked Nardella what he was doing, Nardella said “I’m just trying to tie you up.” Plaintiff Dep. I at 175. Balamotis then asked plaintiff “Did you see that? Now you know what I’m taking about. You’re my witness.” Plaintiff Affidavit ¶24.4

Plaintiff subsequently encouraged Balamotis to consult an attorney and went with her to the office of an attorney located in the same building as SCB.

On July 14, 1997, Balamotis complained about Nardella’s conduct to Stockard. Stockard then initiated an investigation and suspended Nardella pending its outcome. After learning that plaintiff witnessed the event, Stockard asked plaintiff to put his observations in writing. Plaintiff submitted his observations on July 15, 1997. Plaintiffs written submission describes what occurred in the cafeteria between Balamotis and Nardella but does not mention her subsequent consultation with counsel. Until Stockard asked plaintiff to record his observations, plaintiff had not mentioned the Balamotis incident to Stockard. ■

D. Plaintiffs Discharge

On July 17, 1997, two days after plaintiff gave his written statement to Stockard regarding the Balamotis/Nardella incident, Stockard told plaintiff that his position was being eliminated. Stockard offered to let plaintiff resign and told him that otherwise he would be terminated. Under these circumstances, plaintiff chose to resign.

Defendants allege plaintiffs position at SCB was eliminated because the software industry was unprofitable and SCB intended to expand its efforts to the medical/pharmaceutical industry. Defendants claim that after elimination of plaintiffs position, SCB neither sought nor hired anyone to recruit in the software industry. Stockard Affidavit ¶7. On September 28, 1997, SCB advertised for an Account Executive. Plaintiff Affidavit ¶5.

E. The Commission Issue

After plaintiffs departure from SCB, SSII received two checks from Media One, one dated July 30, 1997 for $19,323.00, and one dated August 26, 1997 for $3,750.00. Plaintiff was not paid any commission on these amounts.

On August 15, 1997, SCB issued plaintiff a partial commission check for a placement plaintiff made with a company called S2 Systems, Inc. (“S2”). On or about August 20, 1997, plaintiff filed a complaint for nonpayment of wages with the Office of the Attorney General under G.L.c. 149, §148. On or about September 2, 1997, SCB stopped payment on the S2 check. SCB claims that payment was stopped because Stockard learned that there had been a fall off. Stockard Dep. at 90, 94. This fact is disputed. An affidavit of Denise Ward, a human resources manager at S2, states that the candidate in question was hired on June 30, 1997 and employed with S2 as of August 30, 1999.

In addition to claiming he was not paid commissions for the Media One and S2 accounts, plaintiff contends that he is owed commissions for two placements he made with a company known as “RoweCom.” Plaintiff Affidavit ¶38. SCB contends that it “has no records indicating that a company known as RoweCom was ever a client or ever made any payment to SCB.” Stockard Affidavit ¶10.

F. MCAD Filings

On or about December 23, 1997, plaintiff filed a charge of discrimination with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (“MCAD”). On August 6, 1998, plaintiff filed this action.

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13 Mass. L. Rptr. 164, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/locke-v-sales-consultants-of-boston-inc-masssuperct-2001.