Opinion ID: 2637606
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: employment contracts

Text: ¶ 4 This Court has held: When the existence of the employer-employee relationship is an issue before the Workers' Compensation Court, a jurisdictional question is presented and the Supreme Court on review will not accept findings of the court as conclusive, but will weigh evidence contained in the record and independently evaluate law and facts to determine the existence or absence of the relationship. Cherokee Lines, Inc. v. Bailey, 1993 OK 111, ¶ 1, 859 P.2d 1106, Beall v. Altus Public School Dist., 1981 OK 93, ¶ 3, 632 P.2d 400, 401. See also Osmus v. City of Oklahoma City, 1977 OK 88, 568 P.2d 1259, and Brewer v. Bama Pie, Inc., 1964 OK 58, 390 P.2d 500. ¶ 5 Although the Workers' Compensation Act is to be construed liberally in favor of workers it is intended to benefit, Moreno must be held to strict proof that he was an employee of Macsuga's in order to be covered by the provisions of the Act. Cherokee Lines, Inc., v. Bailey, 1993 OK 111, ¶ 13, 859 P.2d 1106, Beall v. Altus Public School Dist., 1981 OK 93, ¶ 11, 632 P.2d at 403. An employer-employee relationship is created by contract, either express or implied, or by the unequivocal acts of the parties recognizing the relationship. Beall, ¶ 8 (quoting Landrum v. Ownby, 290 P.2d 400 (Okla. 1955)). ¶ 6 This is a matter where a jurisdictional question is presented. If there exists a valid employer-employee relationship, the Workers' Compensation Court has jurisdiction. This Court, in such matters, does not accept findings of the Workers' Compensation Court as conclusive, but we weigh the evidence contained in the record and independently evaluate law and facts to determine the existence or absence of the relationship. In doing this de novo review, we give no deference to the finding below. We have held: Under this standardrather than accept the fact findings of the Workers' Compensation Court as conclusivewe review the entire record, weigh the evidence, and make independent fact findings without deference to the fact findings or to the legal rulings made by the compensation court. The question of whether an employer-employee relationship exists has long been recognized as a jurisdictional fact question subject to independent review. Garrison v. Bechtel Corp. 1995 OK 2, ¶ 8, 889 P.2d at 277.  In the present matter, we find that the Workers' Compensation Court did in fact have jurisdiction as Moreno has proven that there was an employer-employee relationship.