Section 29(1)(a)
VOLUNTARY LEAVING, Good cause, Sarcasm
CITE AS: Levesque v Meijer Thrifty Acres, unpublished per curiam Court of Appeals July 24, 1989 (No. 111618).
Appeal pending: No
Claimant: Nancy Levesque
Employer: Meijer Thrifty Acres
Docket No. B87-02390-105594
COURT OF APPEALS HOLDING: Good cause was not established where claimant's leaving was triggered by her personal affront and hurt feelings due to her supervisor's rude and sarcastic comments.
FACTS: Claimant was employed for approximately two years as a secretary to the store's incumbent director. She voluntarily left her employment. She contends her leaving was with good cause because the store director was allegedly rude and sarcastic to her.
DECISION: Claimant is disqualified for voluntary leaving.
RATIONALE: It was found that the store manager's "quick wit" may have been unpleasant for the claimant but was not such that it would have caused an average employee to leave his or her employment. The court reasoned that feeling personally affronted by an action taken by one's supervisor does not constitute good cause, citing Butler v City of Newaygo, 115 Mich App 445 (1982) and, citing cases from other states, observed that hurt feelings engendered by a supervisor's sarcasm have not been found to rise to the level of good cause entitling a person to receive unemployment benefits. Similarly, hurt feelings caused by a supervisor's ignoring an employee also do not amount to good cause.
7/99
3, 11: A