Court Opinion

ID: 9716069
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 06:25:03.007025+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:23:41.193008
License: Public Domain

MATHIAS, Judge,
concurring in result
As I expressed in Stanrail Corp. v. Review Board, 734 N.E.2d 1102 (Ind.Ct.App. 2000) (Mathias, J., concurring), I remain convinced that, notwithstanding “no fault” attendance policies, “just cause” discharge issues concerning employee attendance rules are to be reviewed exclusively under Indiana Code § 22M-15-l(d)(3). As the statute is written in the disjunctive, such review should be completely separate from discharge issues concerning the alleged knowing violation of a reasonable and uniformly enforced work rule under Indiana Code § 22-4-15-1 (d)(2).
If employers wish to create “no fault” disciplinary systems that establish demerit points for the different types of conduct described in Indiana Code § 22-4-15-l(d)(l)-(8), they are entitled to do so. However, until the General Assembly mod*1207ifies the statute, the conduct described under (d)(3) is entitled to independent consideration from that described under (d)(2), and without regard to the overall discipline system created by the employer.
In the present case, although Stanrail terminated Lemley’s employment under (d)(2), and subsequent review was pursuant to that subsection, Lemley was in fact discharged for (d)(3) conduct. When Lem-ley returned to work from the absence for which he was terminated, he provided Stanrail with medical documentation explaining his absence. Under (d)(3), the “good cause” for Lemley’s absence or lack thereof, should have been the dispositive focus of the intake deputy, the Administrative Law Judge and the Board. Love v. Heritage House Convalescent Center, 463 N.E.2d 478 (Ind.Ct.App.1983). While review of “good cause” under (d)(3) is more cumbersome than “no fault” addition and subtraction, such equitable review is mandated by the statute. Lemley’s discrimination claim was properly the province of the Gary Metropolitan Human Relations Commission.
Nevertheless, because the record in this case supports the majority’s result, I respectfully concur in that result.