Opinion ID: 281097
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: the unlawful discharge finding

Text: 61 Determining the actual motive behind the dismissal of an employee is of course often an extremely difficult task, dependent principally upon circumstantial evidence and informed estimates concerning the springs of human conduct. The responsibility for making such determinations rests primarily with the Board, whose conclusions cannot be judicially overturned so long as they are supported by substantial evidence on the record viewed as a whole. 62 Here, respondent claimed that Yockmen was discharged because he had become a 'security risk.' In working on slot machines, Yockmen had access to coins which had not yet dropped into the machines' locked 'drop boxes.' He also had access to over $10,000 worth of tools and, on occasion, to the coins constituting a machine's 'jack-pot.' Some months before his dismissal, he had gone to respondent's paymistress and had requested advances on his salary; he explained that he had lost approximately $1000 gambling, and was unable as a consequence to pay his non-gambling debts. Despite a sign on her door stating, 'Positively no advances in wages,' the paymistress complied with his request. Yockmen continued to draw such advances (remaining, however, only a week or so ahead of his actual salary schedule) until the time of his dismissal. Phillip Daly, an employee in the slot machine department who in August 1964 assumed supervisory status, knew about the advances in June of that year. According to his testimony, however, he informed Farnow of the continued advances and the reason Yockmen found them necessary only on August 31. Farnow immediately ordered Yockmen dismissed. 63 While recognizing that respondent's position is not without foundation, we conclude that the Board's finding of an impermissible motive underlying Yockmen's discharge is supported by substantial evidence. Harvey's comments of August 6, at least, may be taken as an indication of an anti-union attitude on the part of respondent. And the fact that Daly and Lucretia Rozelle knew about Yockmen's salary advances and their origin-- and evidently did not regard them as cause for particular alarm-- casts at least some doubt on the genuineness of Farnow's purported motive. Yockmen had, the trial examiner found, a good reputation for honesty and integrity among all those who knew him, including his asscciates at the Tropicana. This is not to say, of course, that respondent would not have been justified in discharging Yockmen as a 'security risk.' Indeed, a finding by the Board that that was in fact Farnow's motivation would have found substantial support in the record. We decide only that the Board's contrary finding is not without its own support. 64 The Board's order will be enforced insofar as it relates to the unlawful dismissal of Yockmen and to the impression given by respondent that it was engaging in surveillance of its employees' union activities. With respect to the allegedly unlawful interrogation of Yockmen, enforcement is denied.