Kohler Co. v. Industrial Commission
Court: Wisconsin Supreme Court; March 6, 1956; Wisconsin; State Supreme Court
The appeals involve two primary contentions from the plaintiff: first, that the commission's decisions were based on legal errors rather than factual findings; second, that there is insufficient credible evidence to support the commission's determination that the discharged employees were genuinely sick. The trial court concluded that this case hinged on factual determinations, finding sufficient evidence that the employees were sick and ruling that no legal misconduct occurred on their part. The appeals court agrees with the trial court's assessment, noting that the central issue was whether the employees were genuinely ill at the time of their departure from work or were feigning sickness as alleged by the employer. The court examined the evidence, which included employee complaints of illness, medical examinations conducted by company doctors, and prescribed medication for the majority of the employees. Notably, no medical evidence was presented indicating that the employees were not ill. The court referenced the precedent set in Hills Dry Goods Co. v. Industrial Comm., emphasizing that the determination of the weight of evidence and witness credibility is within the commission's purview. Although the employer presented various circumstances to question the employees' claims, the court reiterated that it cannot reassess the credibility of witnesses but must accept the commission's findings if supported by sufficient evidence. Consequently, since the commission found that the employees were sick, their departure from work did not constitute misconduct, leading to the affirmation of the trial court's judgments.