Worthington Tractor Salvage, Inc. v. Miller

346 N.W.2d 168, 1984 Minn. App. LEXIS 3040
CourtCourt of Appeals of Minnesota
DecidedMarch 14, 1984
DocketC7-83-1709
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 346 N.W.2d 168 (Worthington Tractor Salvage, Inc. v. Miller) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Worthington Tractor Salvage, Inc. v. Miller, 346 N.W.2d 168, 1984 Minn. App. LEXIS 3040 (Mich. Ct. App. 1984).

Opinion

OPINION

POPOVICH, Chief Judge.

Certiorari was granted to review the decision of the representative of the Commissioner of Economic Security. The commissioner’s representative granted respondent John Miller unemployment compensation benefits because he was involuntarily discharged from his employment for reasons other than misconduct under Minn.Stat. § 268.09, subd. 1(2). This appeal by the relator, Worthington Tractor Salvage, Inc., seeks to reverse the decision of the commissioner and to remand the case for further findings. We affirm in part and remand.

FACTS

Respondent was employed by Worthing-ton Tractor Salvage, Inc. from August 1, 1979 to April 15, 1983. Although the respondent resided in Hastings, he was hired *170 as a pilot for the relator, which was located in Worthington, Minnesota.

The relator claims he informed the respondent that he would be required to move from his Hastings residence to Worthington. The respondent acknowledges that the relator wanted him to move but denies that it was a condition of his employment.

The relator and respondent also disagree on whether or not time extensions to move to Worthington were granted to the respondent. Respondent insists that he never requested a time extension and that such an extension was not needed.

The relator asserts that Miller requested several time extensions. The first request was made when the respondent began to work for the company. He requested that the relocation date be delayed until the end of the 1980 school year because his wife was teaching school. Upon completion of the 1980-81 school year, respondent did not relocate as anticipated by the relator. Instead, he remained in Hastings. The second request was for a delay until the summer of 1981 so that Miller’s wife could become tenured. Both of these requests were granted by the relator.

During the 1981-82 year nothing occurred. In June of 1982 respondent bought a doughnut shop. He asked his supervisor if he could remain in Hastings until December, 1982 to get his new business going. This extension was granted.

During his three and a half years of employment, respondent continued to live in Hastings and commute to Worthington when a flight was scheduled, taking approximately four hours to drive the 180 miles between the two cities.

Relator contends that because respondent resided in Hastings, the company was inconvenienced and flights were missed. The relator also claims that the respondent’s involvement with his doughnut shop exacerbated the problem because he was difficult to reach by phone.

The relator documented only one missed flight. On March 21, 1983 the respondent was to pilot a plane out of Worthington at 8:00 A.M. He did not report for duty until 3:30 P.M. The relator then insisted the respondent would have to move immediately to Worthington. The respondent did not move after the relator’s request.

On April 8, 1983, the company plane’s engine became irreparable through no fault of the employee. It was approximately at this time that the respondent was terminated due to his failure to move to Worthing-ton. Respondent was paid until April 15, 1983.

Respondent applied for unemployment compensation benefits. The claims deputy for the Department of Economic Security determined that the respondent was entitled to receive benefits. On appeal, a department appeal tribunal affirmed, rejecting relator’s argument that the respondent was discharged for misconduct under Minn. Stat. § 268.09, subd. 1(2).

The relator then appealed to the Commissioner of Economic Security, challenging the appeal tribunal’s ruling on the ground that the findings of fact by the referee were not in accordance with the testimony or the law. The relator requested in the notice of appeal that the commissioner take additional evidence and make additional findings of fact. In the written memorandum submitted in support of the appeal to the commissioner, the relator requested that the case be remanded for the taking of additional evidence. Attached to the notice of appeal was an affidavit of the employee’s supervisor alleging the employee had been fully self-employed from April 15, 1983.

ISSUES

1. Whether the evidence reasonably supports the representative of the commissioner’s decision that the employee was involuntarily unemployed for reasons other than misconduct under Minn.Stat. § 268.09, subd. 1(2)?

2. Whether the case should be remanded for the taking of additional evidence and new findings pursuant to Minn.Stat. § 268.- *171 10, subd. 5 regarding the self-employment of the employee and lack of eligibility for benefits?

ANALYSIS

A reviewing court’s scope of review of the Commissioner of Economic Security’s decisions is limited to consideration of:

[W]hether the department kept within its jurisdiction; whether it proceeded on an erroneous theory of law; whether its action was so arbitrary and unreasonable that it represents its will and not its judgment; or whether the decision of the department is without evidence to support it.

Johnson v. Wilson & Co., 266 Minn. 500, 507, 124 N.W.2d 496, 501 (1964); Lumpkin v. North Central Airlines, Inc., 266 Minn. 456, 460, 209 N.W.2d 397, 400 (1973); King v. Little Italy, 341 N.W.2d 896 (Minn.App.1984). Accordingly, this Court must decide if the evidence supports the representative of the commissioner’s finding that the respondent was not disqualified from unemployment benefits for his failure to move to Worthington.

1. Misconduct

The relator claims that the respondent’s failure to move to Worthington constitutes misconduct disqualifying the respondent from receiving unemployment benefits under Minn.Stat. § 268.09, subd. 1.

Minn.Stat. § 268.09, subd. 1 (1982) in part provides:

An individual separated from employment under Clauses * * * 2 * * * shall be disqualified for waiting week credit and benefits until 4 calendar weeks have elapsed following his separation and he has earned four times his weekly benefit amount in insured work.
* * * * * *
(2) The individual was discharged for misconduct * * * connected with his work or for misconduct which interferes with and adversely affects his employment.

In King v. Little Italy, 341 N.W.2d 896, 898 (Minn.App.1984) this Court adopted the construction of the term “misconduct” that was set forth in Tilseth v. Midwest Lumber Co., 295 Minn. 372, 204 N.W.2d 644, 646 (1973). The Tilseth construction of “misconduct” provides:

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Bluebook (online)
346 N.W.2d 168, 1984 Minn. App. LEXIS 3040, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/worthington-tractor-salvage-inc-v-miller-minnctapp-1984.