Opinion ID: 1984383
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Acceptance of the Recall Job

Text: The Commission based its decision, in part, upon Boucher's obligation, according to the recall provision of the Employee Handbook, to accept the offered recall position. The record is unclear as to whether the Commission found that Boucher in fact accepted the last-pulling job with a labor grade of one and thus was not entitled to his former wages. See Smith, 440 A.2d at 1038 (record supports finding that plaintiff accepted temporary position); Edwards v. Unemployment Compensation Board of Review, 35 Pa.Cmwlth. 647, 650, 387 A.2d 510, 511 (1978) (general rule is that when one accepts job, he admits suitability of that job). Assuming for the purposes of this discussion that the Commission did so conclude, that ruling was erroneous. The right to compensation benefits is derived from the unemployment compensation law and not from the agreement between the employer and employee. Johns-Manville Products Corp. v. Board of Review, 122 N.J.Super. 366, 370, 300 A.2d 572, 575 (1973); see Therrien v. Maine Employment Security Commission, 370 A.2d 1385, 1389 (Me.1977) (Commission erred in treating collective bargaining agreement as standard for determining whether claimant should receive unemployment benefits); see also Moore v. Maine Employment Security Commission, 388 A.2d 516, 519 (Me.1978) (Commission erred by ruling that violation of reasonable company rule constitutes per se misconduct). Consequently, the Employee Handbook provision requiring employees to accept recall jobs cannot be used as the basis for a finding that Boucher in fact accepted the recall position. Moreover, it is clear from the record that Boucher never accepted the last-pulling job. The Commission found as a fact that Boucher complained to his foreman immediately upon being assigned the last-pulling job. The record further demonstrates that he continued to complain; he complained to the personnel manager and filed four written complaints. When no one took any action, he left his employment. Under the circumstances, Boucher clearly did not voluntarily accept the recall position. The Commission also based its decision, in part, upon the recall provision of the Employee Handbook which provides that the employer may recall Boucher to open jobs. The record is unclear, however, as to whether the Commission concluded that as a result of that recall provision Boucher was not entitled to his former position or former wage. If the Commission based its ruling on such reasoning, it erred. Before Boucher was laid off, he occupied a leather-cutting position which had the highest labor grade and he earned $10.00 per hour. The Employee Handbook provided that Boucher would be given a last-pulling job, the lowest labor grade, only if there were no positions available in the department in his labor grade and in every succeeding lower labor grade. Under the recall provisions of the Handbook, therefore, Boucher had good reason to believe that upon recall he would receive his former position. When he returned to work, he discovered that he did not receive his former position as leather cutter but rather received the lowest grade job. It was only then that the change in employment conditions occurred. Under the circumstances, Boucher had no reasonable expectation of being relegated to the lowest labor grade at minimum wage. Boucher was not required to continue his employment at that reduced rate as a consequence of the terms of section 1193(1)(A). The Commission erred in concluding that under the provisions in the Employee Handbook Boucher was entitled only to whatever position the employer decided to assign to him. This case is distinguishable from Smith v. Maine Employment Security Commission, 440 A.2d 1037 (Me.1982). In Smith, the plaintiff was a permanent employee until February of 1980 when illness forced her to leave. She returned in October of 1980 as a temporary employee. She left that employment when her foreman told her that as a temporary employee she was not entitled to the fringe benefits received by permanent employees. The Court held that by accepting a temporary position, Smith was neither promised nor entitled to the fringe benefits received by permanent employees. Id. at 1037-39. In this case, Boucher never accepted the last-pulling position. It cannot be said therefore that he accepted the reduction in wages. Moreover, under the applicable provisions of the Employee Handbook, Boucher could have reasonably believed that upon recall he would receive his former position or a comparable one.