Opinion ID: 621802
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Turner’s Resignation from Interim Employment

Text: Turner was employed as a radiology technologist at Gram Resources from October 2001 until July 2002, when she resigned. Jackson Hospital argues as an affirmative defense to its back pay liability that Turner’s resignation amounts to a “willful loss of earnings” that should result in tolling its back pay liability. Jackson Hospital is correct that where an employee suffers a “willful loss of earnings,” the employer’s back pay liability is tolled. NLRB v. Ryder Sys., Inc., 983 F.2d 705, 712 (6th Cir. 1993) (citing Phelps Dodge Corp. v. NLRB, 313 U.S. 177, 199-200 (1941)). However, a willful loss of earnings will be found only where “the employee’s misconduct was ‘gross’ or ‘egregious.’” Id. at 713. The administrative law judge found that Turner resigned from Gram because her work hours increased to the point where they became incompatible with the demands of caring for her child, and that this resignation did not affect subsequent back pay owed her. The Board adopted the administrative law judge’s findings. Jackson Hospital No. 10-2101 NLRB v. Jackson Hospital Corporation Page 6 argues that Turner resigned to preempt her being fired, but the administrative law judge found otherwise. Our review of the facts indicates that there is “substantial evidence to support the Board’s findings,” Westin Hotel, 758 F.2d at 1130, including evidence that Turner’s increased working hours made providing child care burdensome. Jackson Hospital cites conflicting testimony by Ken Holbrook, a Gram administrator, to support its argument that Turner anticipated an impending termination and resigned preemptively. The Board concluded that “the [administrative law judge] implicitly discredited Holbrook’s testimony by finding that Turner quit because of childcare issues and did not know at the time that Holbrook intended to fire her.” Jackson Hosp. Corp., 354 N.L.R.B. No. 42, at . “[T]his Court will not normally substitute its judgment for that of the Board or administrative law judge who has observed the demeanor of the witnesses.” NLRB v. Lakepark Indus., Inc., 919 F.2d 42, 44 (6th Cir. 1990) (citation omitted). We decline to substitute our judgment here. Resigning from a position incompatible with child care duties is not the sort of gross or egregious conduct necessary to find a willful loss of earnings. We conclude that the Board did not abuse its discretion in its findings and conclusions on this point. Substantial evidence supports the Board’s conclusion with respect to Jackson Hospital’s failure to meet its burden in negating back pay liability based on Turner’s resignation from her interim job.