Michael P. Maurice v. Wa State Employment Security

CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedJanuary 28, 2020
Docket52795-2
StatusUnpublished

This text of Michael P. Maurice v. Wa State Employment Security (Michael P. Maurice v. Wa State Employment Security) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Washington primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Michael P. Maurice v. Wa State Employment Security, (Wash. Ct. App. 2020).

Opinion

Filed Washington State Court of Appeals Division Two

January 28, 2020

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON

DIVISION II MICHAEL MAURICE, No. 52795-2-II

Appellant,

v.

STATE OF WASHINGTON EMPLOYMENT UNPUBLISHED OPINION SECURITY DEPARTMENT,

Respondent.

SUTTON, J. — Michael Maurice appeals from the superior court’s order affirming the

decision of the commissioner of the Employment Security Department (Department) denying him

his unemployment benefits. Maurice argues that the commissioner erred by finding him ineligible

to receive unemployment benefits because (1) he did not willfully disregard the employer’s interest

in a drug-free workplace, (2) he did not violate the standards of behavior that his employer had a

right to expect its employees to follow, and (3) he was not insubordinate to his employer’s

reasonable instruction to obtain a drug test. We disagree and affirm.

FACTS

I. BACKGROUND

Maurice began working for the employer, Kaiser Permanente, beginning on March 1, 2009,

through August 24, 2017. Maurice worked as a pharmacist. No. 52795-2-II

II. THE EMPLOYER’S POLICIES

The employer maintains standards of employee conduct. The standards of employee

conduct states that

[v]iolation of [the employer’s] standards of employee conduct may, in the discretion of [the employer], result in disciplinary or corrective action, up to and including termination of employment. A wide variety of conduct may violate [the employer’s] standards of employee conduct, including but not limited to the following: Lack of cooperation or refusal to follow instructions.

Administrative Record (AR) at 77 (emphasis omitted).

Additionally, the employer maintains a drug and alcohol testing policy. The policy states

that “[w]hen reasonable suspicion has been established to indicate an employee is under the

influence of alcohol or drugs, the employee, at the sole discretion of management, will be asked

to provide breath, blood, and/or urine specimens for testing by a third party laboratory.” AR at 79

(emphasis added).

III. MAURICE’S REFUSAL TO SUBMIT TO A DRUG TEST

On August 4, 2017, a customer complained that Maurice seemed incoherent when

disbursing the customer’s prescription. Maurice’s pharmacy manager, Pinar Altayar, asked two

nurse managers to observe him. When the nurse managers confirmed the customer’s concern,

Altayar spoke with Maurice.

Altayar observed Maurice to be disorganized and speaking in a slurred and incoherent

manner. She observed him talking extremely fast, speaking in a manner that did not make sense,

and exhibiting fast movements as he moved from one station to the next. Based on her

observations and the reports from the customer and the nurse managers, Altayar pulled Maurice

from the floor and directed him to submit to a drug test.

2 No. 52795-2-II

Altayar intended to bring Maurice into a private meeting room and then direct him to

submit to a drug test offsite. Before entering the meeting room, Maurice asked Altayar what was

happening. Altayar explained that she was sending him to take a drug test and that a cab was

waiting for him outside. Maurice responded that he was refusing the drug test and invoking his

Weingarten1 rights.

Maurice claimed that he was invoking his Weingarten rights because he wished to have

union representation before submitting to a drug test.2 AR at 118. He claimed that he also believed

that the conversation with Altayar gave him the right to union representation. When Altayar

confronted Maurice, she did not ask him any questions, but simply directed him to go submit to a

drug test.

One of the nurse managers provided Maurice with the employer’s policy regarding drug

and alcohol testing. Maurice responded, “I will pull my Weingarten rights. I need union

representation.” AR at 119. Maurice told Altayar, “You’re a sweetheart. Regardless if I take a

drug test, or do not go, they will fire me.” AR at 119. He made additional peculiar statements to

Altayar.

Maurice was asked to leave the building and was advised that human resources would be

in contact with him. Maurice turned in his badge. He took the lab order for the drug test with him.

1 NLRB v. J. Weingarten, Inc., 420 U.S. 251, 95 S. Ct. 959, 43 L. Ed. 2d 171 (1975). “Weingarten rights” refers to a union member’s right to union representation at an investigatory meeting (a meeting that may result in disciplinary action) with the member’s employer. See Weingarten, 420 U.S. at 260-61. 2 The parties do not dispute that Maurice was entitled to union representation.

3 No. 52795-2-II

Kayci Parker, a human resources representative, notified the union that Maurice was being

directed to submit to a drug test. After leaving the building, Maurice made contact with his union,

but he did not submit to a drug test. The lab order expired 48 hours after being issued. Maurice

did not report to the testing facility for a drug test before the lab order expired. The lab order was

time sensitive due to the employer’s concern that Maurice was working under the influence of

drugs. The incident occurred on a Friday which made the request for a drug test even more time

sensitive.

On August 4, 2017, Maurice was placed on administrative leave, pending an investigation.

On August 11, Maurice attended an investigatory meeting at which he had union representation.

IV. MAURICE’S DISCHARGE

On August 24, Maurice was discharged from his employment with the employer. Maurice

was discharged for a violation of the standards of employee conduct, specifically for lack of

cooperation or refusal to follow instructions.

After his discharge from employment, Maurice filed for unemployment benefits with the

Department. On October 12, the Department granted benefits because, although his employer

reported that he was fired, the Department found that his actions did not constitute work-related

misconduct.

V. ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW

On October 31, the employer appealed the Department’s grant of benefits. On January 17,

2018, a hearing was held in front of an administrative law judge (ALJ). The ALJ reversed the

Department’s determination and found that misconduct had been established.

4 No. 52795-2-II

On February 8, 2018, Maurice petitioned for a commissioner of the Department to review

the ALJ’s decision reversing the Department’s determination. The commissioner expressly

adopted the ALJ’s findings of fact and conclusions of law and affirmed the ALJ’s decision. The

commissioner entered the following relevant conclusions of law:

9. Applying the foregoing to the case at hand, the undersigned concludes the employer has proven by a preponderance of the evidence that [Maurice’s] actions were in willful disregard of the employer’s interest and in disregard of standards of behavior the employer has the right to expect of its employees. An employer has the right to expect its employees to follow reasonable instructions that are in accordance with the employer’s policy.

10. In addition, [Maurice’s] conduct amounted to insubordination. [Maurice] repeatedly indicated that he would not take a drug test without the presence of a union representative.

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Michael P. Maurice v. Wa State Employment Security, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/michael-p-maurice-v-wa-state-employment-security-washctapp-2020.