Opinion ID: 1702773
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Disqualifying Misconduct in Mississippi

Text: ¶ 26. Miss.Code Ann. § 71-5-513 A(1)(b) (Supp.2002) provides that an employee shall be disqualified from receiving benefits: For the week, or fraction thereof, which immediately follows the day on which he was discharged for misconduct connected with his work, if so found by the commission, and for each week thereafter until he has earned remuneration for personal services performed for an employer, as in this chapter defined, equal to not less than eight (8) times his weekly benefit amount, as determined in each case. (emphasis added). We defined misconduct in Wheeler v. Arriola, 408 So.2d 1381 (Miss.1982). Relying on Boynton Cab Co. v. Neubeck, 237 Wis. 249, 296 N.W. 636 (1941), we noted: The [ Boynton ] Court held that the meaning of the term misconduct, as used in the unemployment compensation statute, was conduct evincing such willful and wanton disregard of the employer's interest as is found in deliberate violations or disregards of standards of behavior which the employer has the right to expect from his employee. Also, carelessness and negligence of such degree, or recurrence thereof, as to manifest culpability, wrongful intent or evil design, and showing an intentional or substantial disregard of the employer's interest or of the employee's duties and obligations to his employer, came within the term. Mere inefficiency, unsatisfactory conduct, failure in good performance as the result of inability or incapacity, or inadvertences and ordinary negligence in isolated incidents, and good faith errors in judgment or discretion were not considered misconduct within the meaning of the statute. Wheeler, 408 So.2d at 1383. This definition has been applied by this Court and the Court of Appeals since 1982 in cases finding sufficient evidence of misconduct. [4] See Halbert v. City of Columbus, 722 So.2d 522 (Miss.1998) (holding that employee's failure to submit to random drug test within required three-hour time frame of being notified constituted misconduct). See also Young v. Miss. Employment Sec. Comm'n, 754 So.2d 464 (Miss.1999) (affirming denial of benefits and finding that employee's failure to relinquish identification badge upon suspension constituted misconduct); Captain v. Miss. Employment Sec. Comm'n, 817 So.2d 634 (Miss.Ct.App.2002) (affirming denial of unemployment compensation to employee terminated for violating company e-mail policy); Reeves v. Miss. Employment Sec. Comm'n, 806 So.2d 1178 (Miss.Ct.App.2002) (affirming denial of benefits to employee terminated for failing to clean parts as instructed); Miss. Employment Sec. Comm'n v. Berry, 811 So.2d 298 (Miss.Ct.App.2001) (reversing circuit court reversal of Board of Review denial of benefits to employees of catfish processing plant who went on strike in violation of collective bargaining agreement); Miss. Employment Sec. Comm'n v. Douglas, 758 So.2d 1059 (Miss. Ct.App.2000) (reversing circuit court reversal of Board of Review denial of benefits to employee terminated for manufacturing fake identification cards away from work when some of the counterfeit cards were found in personnel files of other employees). Also, we and the Court of Appeals have affirmed awards of benefits or reversed denials of benefits for lack of substantial evidence of misconduct. See Coahoma County v. Miss. Employment Sec. Comm'n, 761 So.2d 846 (Miss.2000) (affirming award of benefits to employee found not to be engaged in misconduct when failing to report coworker for covering up surveillance cameras at Coahoma County jail); Huckabee v. Miss. Employment Sec. Comm'n, 735 So.2d 390 (Miss. 1999) (on motion for rehearing) (reversing denial of benefits because there was lack of substantial evidence that employee voluntarily quit job as cashier without good cause); Trading Post, Inc. v. Nunnery, 731 So.2d 1198 (Miss.1999) (affirming award of benefits to employee on basis that absence from work did not constitute misconduct); Brandon v. Miss. Employment Sec. Comm'n, 768 So.2d 341 (Miss. Ct.App.2000) (finding insufficient evidence to justify denial of benefits to employee nurse accused of violating hospital policy by obtaining application for absentee ballot for patient); Miss. Employment Sec. Comm'n v. Jones, 755 So.2d 1259 (Miss.Ct. App.2000) (affirming circuit court reversal of denial of benefits to employee terminated for shortage in cash drawer on three occasions on basis that such violations not misconduct); Little v. Miss. Employment Sec. Comm'n, 754 So.2d 1258 (Miss.Ct. App.1999) (finding no substantial evidence to justify circuit court's affirming of Board of Review denial of benefits to employee accused of wrongfully taking desserts from refrigerator of employer Kentucky Fried Chicken); Routt v. Miss. Employment Sec. Comm'n, 753 So.2d 486 (Miss.Ct.App. 1999) (finding employee maid's refusal to scrub floors because of physical ailment did not amount to misconduct). The burden of proving this disqualifying misconduct by clear and convincing evidence rests with the employer. Gore v. Miss. Employment Sec. Comm'n, 592 So.2d 1008, 1010 (Miss.1992).