Mick v. Dir., Ohio Dept. of Job & Family Servs.

2022 Ohio 3047
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedSeptember 1, 2022
Docket22 CAE 03 0025
StatusPublished

This text of 2022 Ohio 3047 (Mick v. Dir., Ohio Dept. of Job & Family Servs.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Mick v. Dir., Ohio Dept. of Job & Family Servs., 2022 Ohio 3047 (Ohio Ct. App. 2022).

Opinion

[Cite as Mick v. Dir., Ohio Dept. of Job & Family Servs., 2022-Ohio-3047.]

COURT OF APPEALS DELAWARE COUNTY, OHIO FIFTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

JUDGES: STEVEN MICK : Hon. W. Scott Gwin, P.J. : Hon. William B. Hoffman, J. Appellant : Hon. John W. Wise, J. : -vs- : : Case No. 22 CAE 03 0025 DIRECTOR, OHIO DEPARTMENT : OF JOB & FAMILY SERVICES : : OPINION Appellee

CHARACTER OF PROCEEDING: Civil appeal from the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas, Case No. 21 CV F 09 0423

JUDGMENT: Affirmed

DATE OF JUDGMENT ENTRY: September 1, 2022

APPEARANCES:

For Appellant For Appellee

DAVID YOST KEVIN R. KELLEHER Ohio Attorney General 4635 Trueman Blvd., Ste. 100 BY: DAVID E. LEFTON Hillard, OH 43026 Principal Assistant Attorney General Unemployment Compensation Unit 30 East Broad Street, 26th Floor Columbus, OH 43215 Delaware County, Case No. 22 CAE 03 0025 2

Gwin, P.J.

{¶1} Appellant Steven Mick appeals the February 28, 2022 decision of the

Delaware County Court of Common Pleas affirming the decision of the Unemployment

Compensation Review Commission. Appellee is the Director of the Ohio Department of

Job and Family Services (“ODJFS”).

Facts & Procedural History

{¶2} Appellant applied for unemployment compensation benefits. On March 24,

2020, ODJFS issued an initial determination awarding appellant unemployment

compensation benefits due to COVID-19 separation in the amount of $160.00 per week

($4,160 total) for the benefit year beginning March 15, 2020. Appellant also received

compensation via the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation Program.

{¶3} The record is not clear what appellant’s occupation was, but the initial

approval of unemployment compensation benefits lists “employer names” from the

qualifying weeks of October 1, 2018 to September 30, 2019 as “Solar Saloon LLC” and

“ICG of Ohio LLC.”

{¶4} Appellant had a liver transplant on November 3, 2020. He was released

from the hospital on December 19, 2020. Appellant applied for unemployment benefits

again, first requesting benefits for the week of December 20, 2020 through December 26,

2020. Appellant received $160 in benefits for that week. He subsequently filed additional

applications and received benefits for each week between December 27, 2020 and

February 20, 2021, totaling $3,680.

{¶5} On February 25, 2021, ODJFS issued a determination informing appellant

he was overpaid benefits to which he was not entitled from December 27, 2020 to Delaware County, Case No. 22 CAE 03 0025 3

February 20, 2021 ($460 per week for a total of $3,680) because appellant was not able

to work, and thus failed to meet the requirement of R.C. 4141.29(A)(4)(a)(i). In the

determination it states, “claimant is ineligible from 12/27/2020 until this agency is provided

evidence that this issue no longer exists and claimant is otherwise eligible.”

{¶6} ODJFS issued another determination on March 3, 2021. ODJFS found

appellant was overpaid benefits to which he was not entitled for the week of December

26, 2020 ($160) because appellant was not able to work.

{¶7} Appellant appealed both the February 25 and March 3 determinations. On

March 16, 2021, ODJFS issued redeterminations affirming both of the initial

determinations. Appellant appealed the redeterminations on April 14, 2021. Jurisdiction

was transferred to the Unemployment Compensation Review Commission (“Review

Commission”).

{¶8} Hearing Officer Hanysh conducted a telephone hearing on June 24, 2021,

limited only to the issue of the timeliness of appellant’s appeal. Appellant explained why

his appeal was late. The hearing officer also informed appellant as follows: “generally

hearing officers do look for some type of notification from a medical professional that you

were cleared to work in the timeframe in question. And it doesn’t mean that you had to

be able to do your complete job that you did prior. It’s just that you were able to work full

time within the restrictions the doctor placed you under.” Appellant asked, “would your

advice to me be to get a hold of that doctor and ask him to write me something,” and

questioned why his hospital discharge papers would not be sufficient. Hearing Officer

Hanysh advised appellant to get a letter from his doctor saying he was able to work on

December 19, 2020. The hearing officer advised appellant to fax the letter pursuant to Delaware County, Case No. 22 CAE 03 0025 4

the instructions in the notice of hearing. In an order dated June 25, 2021, the hearing

officer found appellant’s appeal of the redeterminations was timely. The order stated the

appeal would be scheduled for a hearing on the merits.

{¶9} Appellant submitted one document via fax before the merit hearing: the

discharge paperwork that released him from the hospital after his liver transplant. The

discharge paperwork lists appellant’s medications, upcoming appointments, clinical notes

from his doctors, and guidelines on what activities he could safely do. Under the

“discharge orders” portion of the paperwork, it states, “walker for discharge,” “bathroom

aids for discharge,” and “AMB referral to home health – inpatient discharge COC.”

Upcoming appointments listed on the forms were for rehabilitation (December 21 and

December 22), his primary care doctor (December 23), his transplant surgeons

(December 28 and January 5), and lab draws twice a week for three months. The “activity

guidelines” advised appellant not to engage in contact sports, to guard his abdomen, not

to lift objects weighing more than 5-10 pounds, not to vacuum for three months, no heavy

lifting, not to mow or garden for three months, and no driving for two weeks after

transplant, or while taking narcotics.

{¶10} On July 12, 2021, Hearing Officer Colton held a telephone hearing on the

merits of appellant’s appeal.

{¶11} Upon questioning by the hearing officer, appellant testified he was

immediately able to work upon his release from the hospital, as he was discharged with

no work restrictions. Appellant stated his doctor never gave him work restrictions, so he

did not have a letter stating the dates he was unable to work and the date he was cleared Delaware County, Case No. 22 CAE 03 0025 5

to return to work. Appellant pointed to the discharge summary he submitted as evidence

that he did not have any work restrictions.

{¶12} When the hearing officer told appellant he needed something from his

doctor stating specifically what days he was unable to work and when he was released

to return to work, appellant stated that document did not exist. The hearing officer

instructed appellant to contact his doctor and inform the doctor that, for unemployment

purposes, he needs something specifically saying when he was released to work.

Appellant again stated that since he was never restricted from work, he could not get that

document. The hearing officer continued, “sir, you had a liver transplant so you cannot

work for a period after you had that. So, therefore, the fact that you had a liver transplant

means that you were unable to work for that period. So we need something from the

physician that states when you were able to return to work. Not your discharge papers

from the hospital, because just because you were discharged from the hospital does not

mean you were able to work.” Appellant stated he believed the hearing officer’s

“argument” was wrong.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2022 Ohio 3047, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mick-v-dir-ohio-dept-of-job-family-servs-ohioctapp-2022.