Tyler
Tyler v. Workers' Compensation Appeals Board
Opinion
Opinion
Hastings, J.
Facts
Bernard Tyler (applicant) was employed by Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (employer) in April 1988 in its Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania office. He remained at that office until March 1991, when he was transferred to the Orange County, California office. His duties remained the same. While in the Pittsburgh office he received good reviews and was employed without incident.
After his transfer to the Orange County office his problems began. He had difficulties at work with one of the supervisors, Mary DePriest, causing stress, and he “flipped out,” resulting in psychiatric hospitalization in November 1991. Applicant testified that prior to his employment in Orange he had never had any psychiatric disorders and had never been hospitalized for any psychiatric illness. After the hospitalization applicant continued to have problems with Ms. DePriest. Personnel memos reflect that applicant read his Bible out loud at his desk, that he felt persecuted when his seating position was rearranged so he would be in front of Ms. DePriest, and that he became very angry on several occasions over disagreements at work.