Opinion ID: 430492
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Post-Injury Employment

Text: 4 Petitioner's post-injury employment record consists of various jobs interspersed with periods of unemployment. Approximately one year after his surgery, petitioner sought to return to his air balancing position with Comfort Control, but was refused employment. He filed a grievance through the mechanisms provided in the collective bargaining agreement. Record at 32 (February 19, 1980). While the grievance was being processed petitioner, unable to find a job in the Washington, D.C. area, went to Detroit to work on the annual remodeling of the automobile plants. Id. at 32-33; ALJ Decision at 2, App. 20. Petitioner worked in Detroit for two months with substantial overtime. Record at 35 (February 19, 1980). According to petitioner's unrefuted testimony, the sheet metal work he performed in Detroit is distinguished from normal sheet metal work by two factors: (1) the work was a time and materials job, 2 with less pressure to work rapidly, and (2) petitioner testified that his co-workers, knowing of his injury, helped him with the lifting and carrying. Id. at 33-34. Petitioner claims that his injury would have prevented his working in Detroit were it not for these distinguishing factors. 5 Upon his return from Detroit petitioner was reinstated in his old position with Comfort Control as a result of the grievance he filed. Three months later he was let go in a general lay-off. All of the employees, except petitioner, were gradually rehired. Record at 60-61 (March 3, 1980). After his termination by Comfort Control, petitioner was unemployed for three months until he found a job in Front Royal, Virginia. That job lasted six weeks. Record at 45-46 (February 19, 1980). Petitioner testified that the job was a time and materials job, and that the foreman knew of his injury and, therefore, required him to do very little physical work. Id. at 46. 6 Immediately upon termination of his employment in Front Royal, petitioner was hired by his present employer, Enterprises Sheet Metal (Enterprises). Petitioner's duties with Enterprises consist of 15 percent air balancing, 65 percent troughing, 3 and the remaining 20 percent regular sheet metal work. ALJ Decision at 3, App. 21. When petitioner performs regular sheet metal work his co-workers do the lifting, and, even when he is air balancing, an apprentice hired by Enterprises does the lifting for him. Id.; Record at 47-48 (February 19, 1980). Petitioner testified that his employer knows of his back injury and, consequently, assigns him to the lightest work the company has. Id. at 47. 4 According to the ALJ's opinion, Mr. Randall's current employer intends to retire within the year and is uncertain as to whether he will dissolve the business.    In light of Mr. Randall's back problems, this may create difficulty in finding employment. ALJ Decision at 3, App. 21. 7 In each of his jobs since the injury petitioner, as a member of the union, has earned wages on the same union wage scale as before the accident. These wages are currently higher than those earned by petitioner at the time of his injury. Record at 54 (February 19, 1980). In rejecting petitioner's claim for permanent partial disability, the ALJ relied primarily on petitioner's continuing ability to obtain work at wage levels higher than he earned at the time of the injury. In this petition we are asked to find that the ALJ's decision is not supported by substantial evidence.