Schweitzer v. Job Service North Dakota

2009 ND 139, 770 N.W.2d 238, 2009 N.D. LEXIS 144, 2009 WL 2152261
CourtNorth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 21, 2009
Docket20080341
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 2009 ND 139 (Schweitzer v. Job Service North Dakota) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering North Dakota Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Schweitzer v. Job Service North Dakota, 2009 ND 139, 770 N.W.2d 238, 2009 N.D. LEXIS 144, 2009 WL 2152261 (N.D. 2009).

Opinions

CROTHERS, Justice.

[¶ 1] Crystal Schweitzer appeals from a district court judgment affirming a Job Service decision concluding LM Glasfíber terminated Schweitzer’s employment for reasons that constitute disqualifying misconduct and denying her claim for unemployment benefits. We affirm, concluding Job Service’s findings of fact are supported by a preponderance of the evidence and its conclusion that Schweitzer engaged in disqualifying misconduct is supported by its findings.

I

[¶ 2] Schweitzer began working full time for LM Glasfiber in February 2005, and later began working as a facilities associate doing janitorial work for the company. LM Glasfíber maintained its own staff of permanent workers, but also relied on temporary workers hired through Express Personnel Services, a staffing agency. The LM Glasfiber human resources department was responsible for hiring all employees including those hired through the staffing agency.

[¶ 3] In September 2007, Pam Hune, the production manager working during Schweitzer’s shift, requested that Schweitzer provide some direction for the temporary janitorial workers, including directing where the workers were to clean and when they were to take breaks. Schweitzer testified she believed she was an unofficial lead worker without the pay increase that normally accompanied the position.

[¶ 4] On December 14, 2007, Schweitzer contacted Alysa Haugen, a representative of Express Personnel, to inquire about the possibility of hiring Schweitzer’s brother for a position in Schweitzer’s department. Schweitzer testified she told Hau-gen she was a lead without pay within the janitorial staff at LM Glasfiber and she wanted to recommend her brother for a position she believed was open in the janitorial department.

[¶ 5] On December 17, 2007, Haugen sent an email about Schweitzer’s phone call to Rick Sandwick, a LM Glasfiber human resources department employee. Haugen’s email said:

“Crystal Schweitzer contacted me on Friday, December 14 2007, stating that she was a shift supervisor at LM Glass-fiber [sic] and that there was an opening in the maintenance (cleaning) weekend shift. She also stated that she wanted me to get her brother (Jodi Schweitzer) through our process and have him start. “I informed her that I was unaware that there was an opening and that I am only contacted by Rick.
“She also informed me that Thomas Cogsdell was no longer an Express Employee and that he was LM’s.”

Sandwick testified he spoke to Haugen about this email on at least three occasions to verify the accuracy of her account of the phone call. Sandwick also received from Haugen a signed copy of the email attesting to the conversation.

[¶ 6] The LM Glasfiber human resources manager contacted Schweitzer to set up a meeting to discuss Haugen’s email. The first meeting was cancelled, and the human resources manager attempted to reschedule it, but Schweitzer refused to attend the meeting unless the plant supervisor would be present. After an internal review of Schweitzer’s phone call to Haugen, on January 18, 2008, the [241]*241human resources manager sent Schweitzer a letter informing her LM Glasfiber was terminating her employment.

[¶ 7] Schweitzer filed a claim for unemployment benefits with Job Service of North Dakota. Job Service determined she was discharged for misconduct and denied her claim. Schweitzer appealed the decision and a hearing was held on March 4, 2008. During the hearing, Schweitzer attempted to submit audio tapes, but the appeals referee denied her request. The appeals referee found:

“The claimant denied representing herself as the shift supervisor. In the absence of direct testimony from the staffing service representative, it is not clear whether this individual misunderstood the claimant’s title or, in the interest of ensuring that her brother have [sic] a chance at being hired, the claimant actually portrayed herself as someone in authority. The human resource director; however, spoke to the staffing service representative on at least three occasions to verify that her account of the matter was accurate. His testimony on that issue is deemed to be credible. “What is clear is that the claimant telephoned the staffing service when she had no authority to do so. There was no indication by the employer that the vacancy within the maintenance department was going to be advertised or filled; thus, the claimant’s statement to the staffing service representative was not true. The matter is further compounded by the claimant’s directive to ‘begin the process’ of getting her brother hired so he could start his employment. There is simply no reason for the staffing representative to fabricate this matter.
“Having considered this issue, I find that the claimant did misrepresent her authority and entered an arena she had no business entering. She had no authority to discuss the hiring practice with the staffing representative; had no authority to direct this person’s actions; had no authority to act outside the scope of her position; and was not classified as a lead worker. It is determined that the claimant’s actions rise to the level of misconduct so as to be discharged. In this case, the employer has established that they had grounds to discharge the claimant and that they did so for a reason that constitutes misconduct. Accordingly, benefits are denied.”

The appeals referee affirmed the decision denying Schweitzer’s claim.

[¶ 8] Schweitzer attempted to appeal the referee’s decision and submitted additional evidence supporting her position, but the Appeals Bureau declined to review the referee’s decision and stated the referee’s decision was the decision of the agency. Schweitzer petitioned for judicial review, and the district court affirmed Job Service’s decision.

II

[¶ 9] Schweitzer argues Job Service erred in denying her claim for unemployment benefits. She claims the phone call to Haugen was not disqualifying misconduct because it was a single, isolated instance of bad judgment that did not harm LM Glasfiber’s interests or violate an explicit policy.

[¶ 10] We will affirm the agency’s decision unless: (1) the order is not in accordance with the law; (2) the order violates the appellant’s constitutional rights; (3) the provisions of N.D.C.C. ch. 28-32 have not been complied with in the proceedings before the agency; (4) the agency’s rules or procedures have not afforded the appellant a fair hearing; (5) the agency’s findings of fact are not supported by a preponderance of the evidence; (6) the agency’s [242]*242conclusions of law are not supported by its findings of fact; (7) the findings of fact do not sufficiently address the evidence the appellant presented; or (8) the agency’s conclusions of law and order do not sufficiently explain the agency’s rationale for not adopting a hearing officer’s or administrative law judge’s contrary recommendation. Spectrum Care LLC v. Stevick, 2006 ND 155, ¶ 8, 718 N.W.2d 593; N.D.C.C. §§ 28-32-46 and 28-32-49.

[¶ 11] A person may not receive unemployment benefits under N.D.C.C. § 52-06-02(2) if the person was discharged from employment for misconduct. Schmidt v. Job Service, 2008 ND 188, ¶ 16, 756 N.W.2d 794. “Misconduct” is:

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Schweitzer v. Job Service North Dakota
2009 ND 139 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 2009)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2009 ND 139, 770 N.W.2d 238, 2009 N.D. LEXIS 144, 2009 WL 2152261, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/schweitzer-v-job-service-north-dakota-nd-2009.