Opinion ID: 738222
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Constructive Dismissal

Text: 13 We must consider de novo whether, as a matter of law, Serrano failed to make a prima facie showing of constructive discharge. We have long applied an objective standard in determining whether an employer's actions have forced an employee to resign. See, e.g., Calhoun v. Acme Cleveland Corp., 798 F.2d 559, 561 (1st Cir.1986). For the transfer proposed by DFI to be deemed a constructive discharge,  'the trier of fact must be satisfied that the new working conditions would have been so difficult or unpleasant that a reasonable person in the employee's shoes would have felt compelled to resign.'  Id. (quoting Alicea Rosado v. Garcia Santiago, 562 F.2d 114, 119 (1st Cir.1977)). An employee may not, therefore, be unreasonably sensitive to a change in job responsibilities. 14 It is undisputed that Serrano, when offered the position of retail manager, was promised the same salary and benefits she enjoyed as comptroller. Salary considerations are important in determining whether a job transfer can support a claim of constructive dismissal. See Greenberg, 48 F.3d at 27 (noting no change in salary in course of finding no constructive dismissal) (collecting cases); Stephens v. C.I.T. Group, 955 F.2d 1023, 1027 (5th Cir.1992) (noting reduction of salary in course of finding constructive dismissal); Pena v. Brattleboro Retreat, 702 F.2d 322 (2d Cir.1983) (finding no constructive discharge where job responsibilities were changed without any reduction in pay); cf. Nunez-Soto v. Alvarado, 918 F.2d 1029, 1030-31 (1st Cir.1990) (in political demotion case, demotion without salary cut found insufficient for constructive dismissal). Although important, the fact that salary and benefits have not been decreased has never been held to be a conclusive factor; courts applying the objective standard in ADEA constructive dismissal cases consider a variety of often case-specific factors. See Greenberg, 48 F.3d at 27-29 (discussing salary in addition to assessing new work conditions); Stetson v. NYNEX Serv. Co., 995 F.2d 355, 360-62 (2d Cir.1993) (noting no decrease in salary, but focusing mainly on working conditions); see also Flaherty v. Gas Research Inst., 31 F.3d 451, 457 (7th Cir.1994) ([A]n employer does not insulate itself from liability for discrimination simply by offering a transfer at the same salary and benefits.). Common sense suggests that a job transfer without a reduction in salary and benefits may, under certain circumstances, be unacceptable to a reasonable person who is overqualified and humiliated by an extreme demotion, or underqualified and essentially set up to fail in a new position. With this in mind, we turn to Serrano's situation. 15 In the present case, the fact that after her transfer Serrano would remain the second highest salaried employee in DFI's airport organization takes on great importance, for the simple reason that this is one of few concrete facts we have regarding the position that she was offered. Serrano, by not trying out, or finding out more about, the newly created position, cannot possibly muster proof that, in the course of a trial, could lead a jury to find that the newly created position would compel a reasonable person with her background to refuse the offer and resign. 3 16 The precise contours of the new position, which appears to have been created for Serrano, are unclear. In view of Lozano's characterization of the new position, in his July 21, 1994 letter to Serrano, as one in which Serrano would supervise and be responsible for the retail operation of our San Juan International Airport stores, it is impossible to conclude that the position would compel a reasonable person in Serrano's shoes to quit. Based on Serrano's own sworn statements, she had held general supervisory duties over the stores for Aeroboutiques (DFI's predecessor), and continued to hold supervisory responsibilities while also assuming accounting responsibilities in her position as comptroller for DFI. Serrano considers the move from comptroller to retail manager to be a devastating change in status, but cannot point to specific problems that would arise, other than the fact that she is unqualified to push merchandise. She cannot prove, however, that the newly created position of retail manager would involve a sufficient amount of daily, hands-on sales work to compel a reasonable person in Serrano's position to resign. Serrano's constructive discharge claim, therefore, rests on speculations regarding the new position, as well as on her sworn statements to the effect that supervising retail sales would harm her dignity. Loss of prestige in a job transfer, standing alone, cannot support a finding of constructive discharge. See Alicea Rosado, 562 F.2d at 119-20 ([A] limited blow to one's pride or prestige does not provide reason enough to resign during whatever period may be required to seek judicial relief.). 17 Of course we cannot state with absolute certainty that the position offered to Serrano would not have turned out to be strongly objectionable to a reasonable person, as Serrano suggests. But, in the summary judgment context, we need not do so. The decisive consideration here is that, by not accepting the newly created and ambiguous position, Serrano foreclosed the possibility of presenting concrete evidence, rather than mere assertions, to a jury regarding the nature of her new working conditions. See Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(e); Anderson, 477 U.S. at 257, 106 S.Ct. at 2514-15 (to oppose summary judgment motion, plaintiff cannot rely on assertions in pleadings and must come forward with evidence that a jury could consider). We have long expected that those who seek to initiate ADEA claims will do so while still employed, and the instant case reminds us of the wisdom of this expectation. See, e.g., Cazzola v. Codman & Shurtleff, Inc., 751 F.2d 53, 55 (1st Cir.1984) (Even the victim of unlawful discrimination is expected to seek legal redress while still employed unless actually fired, or constructively discharged due to a 'drastic reduction in the quality of working conditions.'  (quoting Alicea Rosado, 562 F.2d at 119-20)). Here, with no evidence of a drastic reduction in work conditions sufficient to support Serrano's resignation, summary judgment is appropriate. 18 Moreover, other factual circumstances tending to strengthen a case for constructive dismissal were not present here. There was no evidence, for example, of suggestions by the management of DFI that Serrano take an early retirement. 4 Cf. Calhoun, 798 F.2d at 564 (jury's finding of constructive discharge bolstered by evidence of repeated inquiries regarding early retirement). There was also very little in the way of evidence showing animosity toward Serrano on account of her age. 5 Cf. Greenberg, 48 F.3d at 28 (finding of no constructive discharge buttressed by the fact that [the employee] couples his allegation of constructive discharge with virtually no evidence that [the employer's] motives stemmed from an animosity towards age.). All of these considerations lead us to the conclusion that the district court properly found that Serrano failed to establish a prima facie case.