Court Opinion

ID: 9704580
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 00:40:34.142794+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:22:03.428974
License: Public Domain

Danhof, C. J.
(dissenting). The common law of Michigan is stated by the court in Carry v Consumers Power Co, 64 Mich App 292, 296; 235 NW2d 765 (1975):
"An employer, in the absence of a contract, can discharge an employee at will and without cause. Dunn v Goebel Brewing Co, 357 Mich 693; 99 NW2d 380 (1959).” [Footnote omitted.]
Absent express provision otherwise by the Legislature or the Supreme Court, this rule applies to all discharges where the employment is at will.
The Michigan workmen’s compensation law is statutory, except for the judicial interpretations present in the case law. There is no provision that precludes an employer from discharging an employee at will after that employee has been compensated.
In the instant case, the plaintiff was discharged by her employer after she was fully compensated. *653The discharge did not prevent the plaintiff from being compensated for her injury under the workmen’s compensation law. There is no allegation that the defendant attempted to hinder her recovery. There has been absolutely no showing that the defendant has had a practice of discharging employees after they had recovered under the workmen’s compensation law. The employment relationship was an employment at will. Thus, under the applicable common law rule, the employer could lawfully discharge the plaintiff unless he was precluded from doing so by an express provision otherwise. Carry v Consumers Power Co, supra. No such provision applies here.
The majority has in effect engaged in judicial legislation. While it may evoke some generalized sympathy, the "trail of broken bodies” argument has no relevance to the present case. As emphasized above, the plaintiff has been made whole. Changing the law under the present facts is grievous error. The decision of the majority is contrary to the rule followed by the Supreme Court as set forth in Carry v Consumers Power Co, supra. Under the guise of "public policy” they have gone beyond judicial interpretation to create a new cause of action without express legislative authority.
For these reasons, I would affirm the decision of the trial court.