Court Opinion

ID: 9624394
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 07:01:50.705448+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:05:45.953976
License: Public Domain

SCHAUER, J., Dissenting.
I would affirm the judgment. It is fundamental in California that before a trial court’s judgment will be reversed on appeal the appellant must show that there has been error of law resulting in a miscarriage of justice. (Cal. Const., art. VI, § 4½.) I do not find such showing here.
There is no suggestion of fraud or overreaching on the part of either petitioner. Each faithfully discharged the *598duties assigned to him and each during the periods of time involved worked many hours in excess of his regular hours of duty. Thus, during the years 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942, and 1943, Mr. Eedwine worked a total of 370.75 overtime hours and was allowed 38 hours compensating time off, leaving a net balance of 332.75 compensating hours off due him. During 1941, 1942, and 1943, Mr. Martin performed a total of 568.5 hours of overtime work and was allowed 32.5 hours of compensating time off, leaving a balance due him of 536 compensating time off hours.
During the period when the overtime balance was accruing there appears to have been outstanding a “Headquarters General Order” providing either that (Headquarters General Order No. 295) “Employees ordered to work beyond the hours ordinarily required or hours overtime in addition to what is considered their regular full day’s work, may be allowed time off on the day following or at some other convenient time in lieu of the overtime hours worked,” or that (Headquarters General Order No. 394) “Employees ordered to work beyond the hours ordinarily required and considered as a full days work may be allowed compensating time off in lieu of such overtime worked.”1
It thus appears that employes in the position of petitioners here were entitled to compensating time off to balance their overtime, such compensating time off to be allowed at the convenience of the employe’s superior officer. Although (prior to February 6, 1943) there was no statute providing for cash payment in settlement for overtime worked it is quite apparent that the state did expect to balance its accounts with employes for overtime services by allowing an equivalent amount of compensating time off. If the petitioners here had remained in the state service indefinitely and had eventually, at the convenience of their superiors, been allowed the full amount of their overtime as compensating time off I think that neither this litigation nor any based on such allowance would ever have arisen.
*599However, apparently in recognition of the fact that employes who had accumulated substantial amounts of overtime credits might not be able to remain in their employment long enough to work out a balancing of the account on a compensating time off basis and that there might be a serious question as to the right of the employe to assert, or the state to pay in cash, claims for the value of the overtime which might remain uncompensated upon a separation from service, the State Civil Service Act was amended to cover the situation. Effective February 6, 1943, section 150.5 was added. It provides (Stats. 1943, ch. 20, § 2, p. 136; now Gov. Code, § 18005) :
“Upon separation from service without fault on his part, a person is entitled to a lump sum payment as of the time of separation for any unused or accumulated vacation or for any time off to which he is entitled by reason of previous overtime work where compensating time off for overtime work is provided for by the appointing power or by rules of the State Personnel Board.
“Such sum shall be computed by projecting the accumulated time on a calendar basis so that the lump sum will equal the amount which the employee would have been paid had he taken the time off but not separated from the service. Persons separated from service through fault of their own are entitled to a lump sum payment for such compensating time off for overtime work, similarly computed, and in addition, such portion, if any, of unused vacation as the State Personnel Board may determine. ’'
I see no valid objection to applying such section to the petitioners here. Their service extended beyond the effective date of the quoted statute. Up to and at the time of their separation, the trial court was justified in concluding, they had a right to compensating time off. The state could settle that account with them either by permitting them to continue in employment at the prevailing current wage until they had been given compensating time off to fully balance their accumulated overtime or, by virtue of the quoted statute, which we must presume the Legislature found good reason for enacting, it could settle by the “lump sum payment.” That the “lump sum payment” was more desirable to the state than having the employe continue on the payroll, occupying a position but on a time off basis until his accumulated overtime was fully offset, is readily understandable. The state may well have needed to fill the position with a person who would be immediately available for work. Upon separation *600from the service without fault on their part the petitioners, by virtue of the statute, became entitled to the “lump sum payment. ” This is no gift of public money; it does not present petitioners with anything of value which they have not earned; it is merely an alternative method of settling a current account which the state has found to be advantageous to it.
Much that is said in my dissent in Treu v. Kirkwood,* (Cal.) 255 P.2d 409, is equally applicable here.
Since no error of law resulting in miscarriage of justice is shown the judgment should be affirmed.
Respondents’ petition for a rehearing was denied April 30, 1953. Carter, J., and Schauer, J., were of the opinion that the petition should be granted.

Headquarters General Order No. 295 was dated September 28, 1939, by its terms became effective October 1, 1939, and superseded Headquarters General Order No. 243, issued July 23, 1936. Headquarters General Order No. 394 was dated August 5, 1942, and superseded No. 295. The substance of Headquarters General Order No. 243 is not shown here fit does appear in the companion case of Jarvis v. Henderson, post, p. 600 [255 P.2d 426]) but there is no contention that it differed materially from Nos. 295 and 394 in respect to the allowance of compensating time off for overtime worked,

A rehearing was granted by the Supreme Court on May 1, 1953.