From Casetext: Smarter Legal Research

National Freight, Inc. v. Commonwealth

Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania
Mar 6, 1978
382 A.2d 1288 (Pa. Cmmw. Ct. 1978)

Summary

holding that employee had cause of a necessitous and compelling nature to quit where employer increased percentage of employee's gross receipts it kept from 27% to 35%, which reduced Claimant's weekly earnings to $90

Summary of this case from Cyphert v. Unemployment Comp. Bd. of Review

Opinion

Argued February 2, 1978

March 6, 1978.

Unemployment compensation — Voluntary termination — Cause of a necessitous and compelling nature — Unemployment Compensation Law, Act 1936, December 5, P.L. (1937) 2897 — Dissatisfaction with wages — Change in wages or working conditions — Independent contractor — Burden of proof.

1. An employe voluntarily terminating employment without cause of a necessitous and compelling nature is ineligible for benefits under the Unemployment Compensation Law, Act 1936, December 5, P.L. (1937) 2897. [162]

2. Mere dissatisfaction with wages is not a cause of a necessitous and compelling nature for the voluntary termination of employment permitting such employe to draw unemployment compensation benefits, but an employe who terminates employment because the percentage he retains from hauling fees he earns is reduced is eligible for such benefits when the change represents a modification of his wages and working conditions since his initial employment. [163]

3. An employe whose earning schedule is reduced after being initially employed does not lose his eligibility for unemployment compensation benefits because he remains on the job for one week after the reduction to determine the effect of the reduction. [164]

4. Evidence produced by an employer that a truck driver paid his own toll and fuel costs, was free to drive as many trips as he wished and received his salary without deduction for taxes is insufficient for the establishment of an independent contractor status under the Unemployment Compensation Law, Act 1936, December 5, P.L. (1937) 2897. [164-5]

Argued February 2, 1978, before Judges CRUMLISH, JR., WILKINSON, JR. and MENCER, sitting as a panel of three.

Appeal, No. 2233 C.D. 1976, from the Order of the Unemployment Compensation Board of Review in case of In Re: Claim of Terry A. Rose, No. B-137052.

Application to Bureau of Employment Security for unemployment compensation benefits. Application denied. Applicant appealed. Benefits awarded by referee. Employer appealed to the Unemployment Compensation Board of Review. Award affirmed. Employer filed petition for review with the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania. Held: Affirmed.

Leon H. Kline, for appellant.

Charles G. Hasson, Assistant Attorney General, with him Robert P. Kane, Attorney General, for appellee.


The petitioner has appealed to this Court a decision of the Unemployment Compensation Board of Review (Board) awarding benefits to Terry A. Rose (claimant), who drove a tractor-trailer for the petitioner. The Bureau of Employment Security (Bureau) denied benefits to the claimant on the basis of Section 402(b)(1) of the Unemployment Compensation Law (Law), Act of December 5, 1936, P.L. (1937) 2897, as amended, 43 P. S. § 802(b)(1). On appeal, the referee reversed the Bureau and allowed benefits. After a remand from the Board, the referee reaffirmed his prior decision and was subsequently affirmed by the Board. The petitioner then instituted the present appeal.

Prior to the time of his employment by petitioner claimant had taken a five week training course required by and paid for by the petitioner. Claimant was employed in a security position with the Elliot Company at the time he began the training course. He testified that he left that job on the basis of a newspaper advertisement placed by the petitioner, and a personal interview with one of petitioner's representatives. The claimant was told that 27% of his gross receipts would be retained by petitioner for the use of the tractor. The claimant was to receive the other 73% out of which he would pay all other costs, such as fuel and tolls.

Upon completion of the five week training period, claimant was informed the petitioner was increasing its percentage to 35%. In spite of this change in the terms of hire, the claimant agreed to try this new arrangement, but remained on the job for just one week. During that week the claimant drove four trips totaling 830 miles and received $446.53. After paying the expenses claimant's net was about $90.00, out of which he had to pay Federal and state taxes, as well as social security. The claimant then terminated his employment. Both the referee and the Board found that the claimant quit because of a unilateral change in the agreement of hire, and because it would have been unwise for him to continue in his job in light of the remuneration he was receiving. In opposition to these findings the petitioner relies on the testimony it offered that a normal work week would involve driving 2000 miles, as opposed to the 830 miles claimant drove, and that claimant's fuel costs were excessive, indicating that he used the tractor for purposes other than driving for petitioner. However, these matters do not go to the question of whether a change from 27% to 35% in retainage is a substantial unilateral change in the employment agreement.

Petitioner relies on those cases wherein we held that mere dissatisfaction with wages is not a necessitous and compelling reason for voluntarily terminating employment. McGuire v. Unemployment Compensation Board of Review, 25 Pa. Commw. 588, 360 A.2d 315 (1976). Petitioner asserts that because claimant knew the wages he would receive before undertaking to drive the tractor, he may not now complain. Basically, petitioner is contending that by accepting the new agreement at the 35% retainage, the claimant admitted the suitability of the job.

As the Board correctly points out, however, this case falls more closely within the rule which provides that an employee may terminate his employment and remain eligible for benefits when his wages and working conditions have changed since his initial employment, or when the employee was originally deceived as to the conditions complained of. McGuire v. Unemployment Compensation Board of Review, supra; Mosley v. Unemployment Compensation Board of Review, 15 Pa. Commw. 447, 327 A.2d 199 (1974). Here, it is clear that at the time claimant left his job at the Elliot Company to begin the five week training period it was the understanding that the petitioner would retain only 27% of his gross receipts for the use of the tractor. After quitting his job and devoting five weeks to training, required and paid for by petitioner, the claimant was informed by petitioner that the rental rate would be 35%. Surely it is not surprising that at that point the claimant remained with petitioner as he felt he had no choice but "to try it for a week." We, therefore, affirm the decision and order of the Board that claimant is eligible for benefits.

Petitioner has raised a second argument not directly dealt with by the Board, indeed, it was not stated in the reason for the decision in the petition for appeal from the referee to the Board. Petitioner argues that claimant was an independent contractor and not an employee, and that this case should be remanded to the Board for further hearing and finding in this regard. We do not agree.

Petitioner points to the testimony it produced at the second hearing before the Board hearing officer. This testimony demonstrated, for example, that no withholding taxes were deducted from claimant's salary, that claimant paid his own tolls and fuel costs, and that claimant was free to take as many trips as he desired. This, as well as the other testimony, fails to satisfy Section 4(1)(2)(B) of the Law, 43 P. S. § 753(1)(2)(B) which sets forth the requirements an employer must meet to prove that an individual is an independent contractor rather than employee. See, Jochynek v. Unemployment Compensation Board of Review, 32 Pa. Commw. 86, 378 A.2d 490 (1977). Petitioner was permitted to set forth any additional testimony at the second hearing with respect to this issue, but failed to do so. We see no reason why petitioner should be given another hearing in this respect, especially when petitioner did not appear at the referee's hearing and was given a second hearing before a Board hearing officer.

Accordingly, we will enter the following

ORDER

AND NOW, March 6, 1978, the decision of the Unemployment Compensation Board of Review, Decision No. B-137052, dated November 19, 1976, is affirmed.


Summaries of

National Freight, Inc. v. Commonwealth

Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania
Mar 6, 1978
382 A.2d 1288 (Pa. Cmmw. Ct. 1978)

holding that employee had cause of a necessitous and compelling nature to quit where employer increased percentage of employee's gross receipts it kept from 27% to 35%, which reduced Claimant's weekly earnings to $90

Summary of this case from Cyphert v. Unemployment Comp. Bd. of Review

In National Freight, Inc. v. Unemployment Compensation Board of Review, 34 Pa. Commw. 161, 382 A.2d 1288 (1978), this Court stated that an employee may terminate employment and remain eligible for benefits where wages and working conditions have changed since the initial employment or an employee was originally deceived as to the complained-of conditions.

Summary of this case from Quinn, Gent, Buseck & Leemhuis, Inc. v. Unemployment Compensation Board of Review
Case details for

National Freight, Inc. v. Commonwealth

Case Details

Full title:National Freight, Inc., Petitioner v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania…

Court:Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania

Date published: Mar 6, 1978

Citations

382 A.2d 1288 (Pa. Cmmw. Ct. 1978)
382 A.2d 1288

Citing Cases

Steinberg Vision v. Unemp. Comp. Bd.

Rather, each case must be examined under its own attendant circumstances, Griffith Chevrolet-Olds, Inc. v.…

Spinelli v. Commonwealth

Nevertheless, a claimant can rebut the presumption of job suitability by proving either that "a substantial…