Opinion ID: 2691139
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Exception to Employment-at-Will Doctrine

Text: {¶ 7} The traditional rule in Ohio is that at-will employment may be terminated by the employer at any time for good cause, bad cause, or no cause at all, and therefore, discharge of an employee does not give rise to an action for damages. Phung v. Waste Mgt., Inc. (1986), 23 Ohio St.3d 100, 23 OBR 260, 491 N.E.2d 1114. This is commonly known as the employment-at-will doctrine, which was judicially created and thus may be judicially abolished. Kulch v. Structural Fibers, Inc. (1997), 78 Ohio St.3d 134, 161, 677 N.E.2d 308. {¶ 8} In 1990, this court recognized an exception to the employment-atwill doctrine that applies when an at-will employee is discharged or disciplined for reasons that contravene clear public policy expressed by the legislature in its statutes. Greeley v. Miami Valley Maintenance Contrs., Inc. (1990), 49 Ohio St.3d 228, 551 N.E.2d 981, paragraph one of the syllabus; Painter v. Graley (1994), 70 Ohio St.3d 377, 639 N.E.2d 51, paragraph three of the syllabus (“Clear public policy” sufficient to justify an exception to the employment-at-will doctrine may be found in statutory enactments, the Constitutions of Ohio and the United States, administrative rules and regulations, and the common law). The basis of this exception is that when the General Assembly enacts laws that are constitutional, the courts may not contravene the legislature’s expression of public policy. Painter at 385. It is our responsibility to determine when public-policy exceptions must be recognized and to set the boundaries of such exceptions. Kulch at 161. In this case, the dissent mischaracterizes our opinion as 4 January Term, 2011 establishing public policy in Ohio. To the contrary, we simply recognize that the judicial doctrine of employment at will must yield when it contravenes the public policy as established by the General Assembly in R.C. 4123.90. {¶ 9} A cause of action for wrongful discharge in violation of public policy sounds in tort. Greeley at paragraph three of the syllabus. A plaintiff must prove the following elements to prevail on such a claim: (1) a clear public policy exists and is manifested in a state or federal constitution, in statute or administrative regulation, or in the common law (the clarity element), (2) dismissing employees under circumstances like those involved in the plaintiff’s dismissal would jeopardize the public policy (the jeopardy element), (3) the plaintiff’s dismissal was motivated by conduct related to the public policy (the causation element), and (4) the employer lacked an overriding legitimate business justification for the dismissal (the overriding-justification element). Collins v. Rizkana (1995), 73 Ohio St.3d 65, 69-70, 652 N.E.2d 653. The clarity and jeopardy elements involve questions of law; the causation and overridingjustification elements involve questions of fact. Id. at 70. We will now address these elements as they apply to Sutton’s claim. 1. Causation and Overriding-Justification Elements Are Not Before Us {¶ 10} This case is before us on an appeal from a judgment on the pleadings, which is a mechanism that is used to resolve questions of law. State ex rel. Midwest Pride IV, Inc. v. Pontious (1996), 75 Ohio St.3d 565, 570, 664 N.E.2d 931. Consequently, the factual elements, i.e. causation and overriding justification, are not before us. Rather, in order to prevail on his claim, Sutton must prove them on remand. To establish the causation element, Sutton must prove that his discharge was retaliatory. Because a discharge could be for reasons other than those related to workers’ compensation, such as a reasonable suspicion that the injury was not job related, a disregard by the employee for the employer’s safety rules, or an immediate need for a replacement employee, no presumption of 5 SUPREME COURT OF OHIO retaliation arises from the fact that an employee is discharged soon after an injury. Rather, the retaliatory nature of the discharge and its nexus with workers’ compensation must be established by a preponderance of the evidence. To establish the overriding-justification element, Sutton must prove that Tomco lacked an overriding business justification for firing him. Accordingly, we consider only the clarity and jeopardy elements. 2. The Clarity Element {¶ 11} Under the clarity analysis, we must determine whether there exists in Ohio a public policy against retaliatory employment actions like the one alleged by Sutton. “Clear public policy” sufficient to justify an exception to the employment-at-will doctrine may be expressed by the General Assembly in statutory enactments, as well as in other sources, such as the Ohio and United States constitutions, administrative rules and regulations, and the common law. Painter, 70 Ohio St.3d 377, 639 N.E.2d 51, paragraph three of the syllabus. In this case, Sutton identifies R.C. 4123.90 as the source of the public policy; therefore, the focus of our analysis is R.C. 4123.90 and the General Assembly’s intention in enacting it. {¶ 12} In determining legislative intent, we must first look to the statutory language and the purpose to be accomplished. See Rice v. CertainTeed Corp. (1999), 84 Ohio St.3d 417, 419, 704 N.E.2d 1217, citing State ex rel. Richard v. Bd. of Trustees of Police & Firemen’s Disability & Pension Fund (1994), 69 Ohio St.3d 409, 411, 632 N.E.2d 1292. {¶ 13} R.C. 4123.90 provides: “No employer shall discharge, demote, reassign, or take any punitive action against any employee because the employee filed a claim or instituted, pursued or testified in any proceedings under the workers’ compensation act for an injury or occupational disease which occurred in the course of and arising out of his employment with that employer.” 6 January Term, 2011 {¶ 14} R.C. 4123.90 does not expressly prohibit retaliation against injured employees who have not yet filed, instituted, or pursued a workers’ compensation claim. But it does expressly prohibit retaliation against injured workers who have filed, instituted, or pursued a workers’ compensation claim. Essentially, a gap exists in the language of the statute for conduct that occurs between the time immediately following injury and the time in which a claim is filed, instituted, or pursued. Sutton’s firing occurred in that gap. The parties disagree as to whether the public policy underlying R.C. 4123.90 justifies the creation of an exception to the employment-at-will doctrine to protect such employees. {¶ 15} Although we have never before directly addressed whether the public policy underlying R.C. 4123.90 protects such employees, we have addressed whether the statute itself protects a similarly situated employee. In Bryant v. Dayton Casket Co. (1982), 69 Ohio St.2d 367, 23 O.O.3d 341, 433 N.E.2d 142, we addressed whether an employee’s expression of an intent to pursue a workers’ compensation claim was sufficient to satisfy R.C. 4123.90’s requirement that an employee “institute” or “pursue” a proceeding and whether the employee was therefore protected by the statute against retaliation. Id. at 370. The relevant facts are that the employee, Bryant, cut his finger with a saw during his second day of employment with Dayton Casket Company, informed someone within the company of the injury, and was thereafter fired. Id. at 368. At the time of his dismissal, no workers’ compensation proceedings had actually been pursued or instituted. Id. at 369. The employee sued and alleged that his firing was in retaliation for his pursuit of a workers’ compensation claim. Id. at 368. He argued that his informing someone within the company of the injury was sufficient to satisfy the R.C. 4123.90 requirement that he pursue a claim. Id. at 370. We held that a mere expression of an intention to pursue a claim is not “pursuit” of a claim and, therefore, Bryant was not protected from retaliatory firing under the statute. Id. at 371. 7 SUPREME COURT OF OHIO {¶ 16} The concurring opinion cautioned that the court was not interpreting the statute to mean that the actual filing of a claim was the only means by which a workers’ compensation proceeding could be instituted or pursued. Id. at 372, 23 O.O.3d 341, 433 N.E.2d 142 (W. Brown, J., concurring). “If such a requirement was mandated, an employer could [preemptively] fire the claimant and thus avoid the consequences of R.C. 4123.90.” Id. The concurrence admonished employers not to read the majority opinion as endorsing “a footrace, the winner being determined by what event occurs first—the firing of the employee or the filing of the claim with the bureau.” Id. at 372-373. Such a