Osborne Associates, Inc. v. Unemployment Compensation Board of Review

3 A.3d 722, 2010 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 450, 2010 WL 3190633
CourtCommonwealth Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedAugust 13, 2010
Docket2084 C.D. 2009
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 3 A.3d 722 (Osborne Associates, Inc. v. Unemployment Compensation Board of Review) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Osborne Associates, Inc. v. Unemployment Compensation Board of Review, 3 A.3d 722, 2010 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 450, 2010 WL 3190633 (Pa. Ct. App. 2010).

Opinion

OPINION BY

Judge COHN JUBELIRER.

Osborne Associates, Inc., d/b/a Generations Salon Services (Generations), petitions for review of the order of the Unemployment Compensation Board of Review (Board), which affirmed on other grounds the Unemployment Compensation Referee’s (Referee) decision and order concluding that Barbara P. Levicke (Claimant) was not disqualified from receiving benefits under Section 402(h) of the Unemployment Compensation Law (Law). 1 Before this Court, Generations argues that the Board erred by interpreting the Act commonly referred to as the Cosmetology Law 2 to prohibit all independent contrac *724 tor relationships within the cosmetology field and by relying on such interpretation to conclude that Claimant is not disqualified from receiving benefits under Section 402(h). Generations contends that the Board should have instead applied the independent contractor test factors and determined that Claimant was engaged in self-employment when she provided cosmetology services on behalf of Generations. For the reasons that follow, we vacate and remand.

I. Facts and Procedural Posture

Claimant worked as a licensed cosmetologist for LA Hair. (Referee Hr’g Tr. at 6, 11, 13-15, February 19, 2009, R.R. at 32a, 37a, 39a-41a; Referee Hr’g Tr. at 30, July 20, 2009, R.R. at 157a.) Claimant applied for unemployment compensation benefits in November 2007, after LA Hair reduced her hours. (Referee Hr’g Tr. at 14-15, February 19, 2009, R.R. at 40a-41a.) While continuing to work part-time for LA Hair, Claimant also provided services on behalf of Generations on eight occasions between July 2008 and November 2008. 3 - 4 (Referee Hr’g Tr. at 5-6, 15-16, February 19, 2009, R.R. at 31a-32a, 41a-42a.) Generations supplies senior living facilities with licensed cosmetologists who provide hair care services to the residents of those facilities. (Referee Hr’g Tr. at 10, July 20, 2009, R.R. at 137a.) On the occasions that Claimant provided services for Generations, Claimant filled in for other cosmetologists employed by Generations when they were sick or on vacation. (Referee Hr’g Tr. at 7, February 19, 2009, R.R. at 33a; Referee Hr’g Tr. at 10, July 20, 2009, R.R. at 137a.) Claimant reported earnings from both LA Hair and Generations to the unemployment compensation authorities for the compensable weeks ending: September 27, 2008; October 4, 2008; October 11, 2008; October 18, 2008; October 25, 2008; November 1, 2008; November 8, 2008; November 15, 2008; and November 22, 2008. (Claim Record at 1, R.R. at la.)

On December 18, 2008, the Unemployment Compensation Service Center (Service Center) issued a determination concluding that, because Claimant was an employee of Generations, and not a self-employed, independent contractor, she was not disqualified from receiving benefits under Section 402(h) of the Law for any of the compensable weeks listed above. Generations appealed the Service Center’s determination, contending that Claimant was not an employee of Generations but, rather, provided services on its behalf as a self-employed, independent contractor.

An evidentiary hearing was held before the Referee at which only Claimant appeared and testified. During the hearing, the Claimant provided testimony in response to the Referee’s questions, which were based on the factors of the independent contractor test. Following the hearing, the Referee issued a decision and order affirming the Service Center’s determination. The Referee, after *725 applying the factors of the independent contractor test, concluded that an employer/employee relationship existed between Claimant and Generations and, therefore, that Claimant was not disqualified from receiving benefits under Section 402(h).

Generations appealed the Referee’s decision and order to the Board. The Board remanded the matter back to the Referee, who, acting as a hearing officer for the Board, conducted another hearing regarding Generations’ nonappearance at the first hearing and the merits of Generations’ appeal. Claimant and Generations’ president, Marvin Weinstein, appeared and testified at the remand hearing. 5 During the remand hearing, Generations attempted to establish that Claimant was an independent contractor, and not an employee, based on the independent contractor test factors. Claimant, appearing pro se, asserted that she had contacted the State Board of Cosmetology (Cosmetology Board), which advised her that the Cosmetology Law prohibits cosmetologists from working as independent contractors. Following the remand hearing, the Board issued its decision and order in which it made the following findings of fact:

1. The claimant was last employed as a hairdresser by Generation[s] ... from August 10, 2008, and her last day of work was November 13, 2008.
2. Generation[s] ... provides hair care services for retirement facilities.
3. On September 23, [1]997, the claimant had entered into an independent contractor agreement with the employer to provide services at the Immaculate Mary Nursing Home.
4. The employer no longer does business with the Immaculate Mary Nursing Home.
5. The claimant was hired by the employer to provide hairdressing services for the employer when one of its hairdressers was unavailable.
6. When the claimant would fill in her pay depended on the agreement between the employer and the client.
7. The employer set the prices that the customers were charged.
8. Most of the supplies and tools the claimant used were provided for her.
9. The claimant was free to work for other salons.
10. The claimant could refuse assignments or alter her hours.
11. The claimant was presented with a 1099 tax form for her services rendered in the year of 2008.

(Board Decision, Findings of Fact (FOF) ¶¶ 1-11, R.R. at 166a-67a.) After setting forth Section 402(h) of the Law and the independent contractor test of Section 4(i)(2)(B) of the Law, 43 P.S. § 753(i )(2)(B), the Board acknowledged that “[t]he Pennsylvania courts have set out various factors to be considered in determining if a claimant is an indepen *726 dent contractor” and that “[t]he Referee considered these factors.” (Board Decision at 8, R.R. at 168a (emphasis added).) However, the Board explained that the courts "have also held that where an individual is prohibited from acting independently, such as a Dental Hygienist, the claimant cannot be considered an independent contractor.” (Board Decision at 3, R.R. at 168a.) The Board explained:

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3 A.3d 722, 2010 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 450, 2010 WL 3190633, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/osborne-associates-inc-v-unemployment-compensation-board-of-review-pacommwct-2010.