Opinion ID: 1197436
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Past Relevant Work as Cashier

Text: Wright-Hines claims her work as a cashier lasted only two to three months, which is too short to qualify as past relevant work. Wright-Hines does not cite any supporting legal authority, but she may be relying on the unsuccessful work attempt provision of the regulations, which provides that some jobs of short duration will not be considered past relevant work. 20 C.F.R. § 404.1574(c); see also Carreno v. Comm'r of Soc. Sec., 99 Fed.Appx. 594, 596 (6th Cir.2004) (applying the unsuccessful work attempt regulation). Generally, past relevant work is defined as work that you have done within the past 15 years, that was substantial gainful activity, and that lasted long enough for you to learn to do it. 20 C.F.R. § 404.1560(b)(1). Substantial gainful activity is in turn defined as work that involves significant physical or mental activities done for pay or profit. 20 C.F.R. § 404.1572(a)-(b). We conclude the ALJ's determination that Wright-Hines had past relevant work as a cashier was supported by substantial evidence. Two independent sources in the written record support such a finding: the Social Security Administration's Explanation of Decision, which states You performed the job of cashier for 3 month(s). Based on your description of this job, we concluded that you are able to perform it (AR 32); and a Vocational Assessment from the Tennessee Department of Human Services, which lists cashier as a past relevant occupation (AR 50). In addition, a medical consultation report notes that Wright-Hines had worked as a cashier, though it does not indicate the length of her employment (AR 108). Those sources were part of the record prior to the hearing before the ALJ; one of those sources was the Social Security Administration's explanation of the very decision Wright-Hines asked the ALJ to review. Thus, Wright-Hines (who was represented by counsel at the ALJ hearing) should have been fully aware of the record's indication of her past relevant work as a cashier, and it was her burden to rebut that conclusion in order to prevail before the ALJ. Yet she never introduced any evidence that her work as a cashier lasted less than three months. Indeed, the first time she mentioned this point was in her Objection below to the Magistrate's R & R, and then only in passing. [1] The ALJ therefore was presented with uncontradicted evidence that Wright-Hines had past relevant work as a cashier. We agree with the dissent that the ALJ has an inquisitorial duty to seek clarification on material facts, and that the ALJ would have been well-advised to confirm Wright-Hines' past work as a cashier at the hearing. But we cannot excuse Wright-Hines' failure to provide us with the factual record we need to find in her favor. To do so would be to treat Wright-Hines differently than other Social Security claimants for no other reason than that she proceeded pro se in the district court and on appeal. However, the focus of our inquiry is what occurred in the administrative proceedings, when she was represented by counsel. On this record, we cannot say that the ALJ utilized an incorrect legal standard or that substantial evidence did not support the ALJ's conclusions.