11 We retained this cause to address two issues. The first is whether a political-subdivision employer may be required to provide workers' compensation benefits to an
T2 The answer to the first question is controlled by the plain, clear, unmistakable, unambiguous, mandatory, and unequivocal language of 85 0.8.2011 § 813(G)
RELEVANT FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND
T3 On May 21, 2011d Waldenville was delivering a night deposit to UMB Bank for Cattlemen's when he was ambushed, shot in the head, and robbed of two (2) money bags.
T 4 When shot, Waldenville was being paid for his services by Cattlemen's and was conducting business as the employer's part-time security guard. Nevertheless, with the permission of Oklahoma County, he was wearing his Deputy Sheriffs uniform, carrying his personal sidearm, and was utilizing a County police vehicle as transportation. Walden-ville's regular duties for Cattlemen's involved providing security, ie. protecting vehicles from vandalism in the parking lot, ensuring that transients did not interfere with customers, escorting employees from the place of business to their cars, and making the nightly deposit at the stockyard's bank. On occasion, during the hours of his employment with the employer, Waldenville issued tickets in the area for speeding and considered himself to be an active, on-duty Deputy Sheriff with the Oklahoma County Sheriff's Department at all times.
T5 On June 7, 2011, a form 3 was filed in the Workers' Compensation Court alleging Waldenville suffered an accidental personal injury arising out of his employment with Cattlemen's. When Cattlemen's denied that Waldenville was their employee, the trial court allowed the joinder of the Oklahoma County Sheriff's Department. Initially, Cattlemen's denied that they had workers' compensation insurance coverage on the employee and asserted that he was an independent contractor. On February 13, 2018, the day of trial, Cattlemen's formally acknowledged that premiums were paid to the insurance carrier based on Waldenville's salary
T6 Cattlemen's filed its petition for review on March 11, 2018. The motion to retain was granted on June 26th. The briefing cycle was completed with the filing of the petition-ei's reply. The record was provided to this Court on July 25, 2018.
STANDARD OF REVIEW
17 To the extent that we are called upon to construe the statutory language at issue herein, we are presented with a pure question of law subject to our de novo review without deference to the workers' compensation court
T8 a) The plain, clear, unmistakable, unambiguous, mandatory, and unequivocal language of 85 O.8.2011
19 Cattlemen's contends that it is not liable for payment of workers' compensation to Waldenville because the employee was not an "off-duty" municipal employee for whom it would be liable to pay workers' compensation benefits pursuant to 85 0.S8.2011 § 313(G).
€ 10 The employer relies primarily on two decisions from sister jurisdictions for support of its arguments. The first, City of Higleah v. Weber,
T11 The second case upon which Cattlemen's relies is State v. Wilen,
{12 Neither Weber nor Wilen support Cattlemen's contentions. Wilen did not involve any issue related to the payment of workers' compensation benefits, nor was the Nebraska Court called upon to distinguish between the status of the employee as either "on" or "off" duty. Rather, it recognized that the duties the officer performed for the restaurant were supplemental to her primary duties of law enforcement on behalf of the general public.
113 Weber is of little help. Although its facts are similar enough to appear persuasive on the employment issue, the cause does not indicate that Florida has a statute resembling 85 0.8. § 313(G) providing in pertinent part:
"Where a person who is employed by the 'state, a municipality, a county, or by any political subdivisions thereof, and who, while off-duty from the employment, is employed by a private employer, the private employer alone shall be liable for compensation under the Workers' Compensation Act for any injury or death of the person arising out of and in the course of employment which occurs during the hours of actual employment by the private employer...." [Emphasis provided.]
$14 The primary goal of statutory interpretation is to ascertain and, if possible, give effect to the intention and purpose of the Legislature as expressed by the statutory language.
15 Title 85 0.8.2011 $ 313(G) is the Legislature's pronouncement on Oklahoma's public policy
{ 16 The plain, clear, unmistakable, unambiguous, and unequivocal language of 85 0.8. 2011 § 313(G),
{17 b) Under the facts presented, both the clear weight of the evidence and the overwhelming majority of extant jurisprudence support a determination that the claimant was engaged in the same, or substantially similar, employment to that of his profession as a Major with the Oklahoma County Sheriff's Department when he was injured, warranting the combination of salaries for purposes of determining workers' compensation benefits.
119 Title 85 0.8.2001 § 21 provides in pertinent part:
Except as otherwise provided in this act, the average weekly wages of the injured employee at the time of the injury shall be taken as the basis upon which to compute compensation and shall be determined as follows:
(1) If the injured employee shall have worked in the employment in which he was working at the time of the accident whether for the same employer or not, during substantially the whole of the year immediately preceding his injury, his average annual earnings shall consist of two hundred sixty times the average daily wage or salary which he shall have earned in such employment during the days when so employed.
(2) If the injured employee shall not have worked in such employment during substantially the whole of such year, his average annual earnings shall consist of two hundred sixty times the average daily wage or salary which an employee of the same class working substantially the whole of such immediately preceding year in the same or in a similar employment in the same or a neighboring place shall have earned in such employment during the days when so employed.
(3) If either of the foregoing methods of arriving at the annual average earnings of an injured employee cannot reasonably and fairly be applied, such annual earnings shall be such sum as, having regard to the previous earnings of the injured employee and of other employees of the same or most similar class, working in the same or most similar employment in the same or neighboring locality, shall reasonably represent the annual earning capacity of the injured employee in the employment in which he wasworking at the time of the accident.... [Emphasis supplied.]
120 This statute provides the exclusive method for calculating a claimant's compensation rate. It is to be applied in the order designated by the Legislature.
1 21 Considering a statute almost identical to the one at issue here in Geneva-Pearl Oil & Gas Co. v. Hickman,
122 The employee's regular duties while engaged in his part-time employment with Cattlemen's required him to patrol the employer's parking lot to prevent vehicles from being vandalized and to ensure the safety of patrons from transients as they entered and exited the premises. At times, Waldenville was called upon to escort servers to and from their cars when leaving with their tip monies at the end of the evening. He was also expected to make the nightly deposit. On occasion, while on duty as a security guard, the claimant issued tickets or warnings to protect the safety of customers and citizens parking across the street from the restaurant. At all times, Waldenville considered himself to be an active, on-duty Deputy Sheriff with the Oklahoma County Sheriffs Department.
123 Waldenville was attacked while attempting to deliver his employer's property to the night depository. It cannot be denied that the protection of both public and private property falls within the ambit of a
124 The facts of this case are largely undisputed. The overwhelming majority of sister courts faced with similar situations have determined that police officers, acting as security guards, were engaged in the performance of the job of a police officer.
CONCLUSION
125 The language of 85 O0.S8.2011 § 313(G)
126 We stress that Oklahoma police officers have an ever present, statutorily-imposed responsibility to stop crime. However, this opinion should not be read to conclude that an officer, employed as private security, may always be considered to be acting in his official capacity for all purposes. Nevertheless, here, the claimant looked like a police officer and had all an officer's trappings, including a badge, a gun, and a fully equipped cruiser. More importantly, he was engaged in the protection of property as he walked to make Cattlemen's night deposit. Finally, had Waldenville not been ambushed and put out of commission, there is little doubt that his training as a Deputy Sheriff would have surfaced and he would have done his best to stop the robbers and to effect their arrest. Under these unique facts, the duties the claimant was performing were identical or sufficiently similar to his full time profession as a police officer to warrant the combination of his wages for the purpose of determining the amount of compensation to which he is entitled.
WORKERS' COMPENSATION COURTS ORDER IS SUSTAINED.
Notes
. This Court does not issue advisory opinions or answer hypothetical questions. Ball v. Wilshire Ins. Co.,
. Title 85 0.$.2011 § 313(G) providing:
"Where a person who is employed by the state, a municipality, a county, or by any political subdivisions thereof, and who, while off-duty from the employment, is employed by a private employer, the private employer alone shall be liable for compensation under the Workers' Compensation Act for any injury or death of the person arising out of and in the course of employment which occurs during the hours of actual employment by the private employer...."
The current version of the workers' compensation statute, being substantially similar to § 2(b)(G), in effect at the time of Waldenville's injury, is referred to herein. We make no comment on the Administrative Workers' Compensation Act, 85A O.S. Supp.2014 § 1, et seq., scheduled to become effective February 1, 2014.
. Title 85 0.$.2011 § 21, see note 20, infra.
. Initially, Cattlemen's denied all liability for workers' compensation to the employee based on his status as an independent contractor. Although the employer continued to argue Walden-ville's status as an employee versus independent contractor in testimony before the trial court, Cattlemen's attorney stipulated that Cattlemen's paid premiums to the insurance carrier on amounts of money paid to Waldenville and was, therefore, estopped from denying liability. See, 85 0.$.2011 § 357 providing:
"'Every employer and insurance carrier who schedules any employee as a person employed by the employer for the purpose of paying or collecting insurance premiums on a workers' compensation insurance policy or who pays, receives or collects any premiums upon any insurance policy covering the liability of such employer under the workers' compensation law by reason of or upon the basis of employment of any such employee shall be estopped to deny that such employee was employed by the employer."
. W.R. Allison Enterprises, Inc. v. CompSource Oklahoma,
. Under 85 0.S.2011 § 340(D), the Court may modify, reverse, remand for rehearing, or set aside the order or award where: "The order or award is against the clear weight of the evidence."
. Title 85 0.$.2011 § 313(G), see note 2, supra.
. White v. Lim,
. Keating v. Edmondson,
. Haney v. State,
. Minie v. Hudson,
. Oklahoma Ass'n for Equitable Taxation v. City of Oklahoma City,
. Haggard v. Haggard,
. State ex rel. Dept. of Human Serv. v. Colclazier,
. White v. Lim, see note 8, supra; Rout v. Crescent Public Works Auth.,
. The Legislature defines Oklahoma's public policy through its statutory enactments. See, State ex rel. Henricksen v. State ex rel. Corp. Comm'n,
. Generally, the use of "shall" signifies a command. City of Midwest City v. House of Realty, Inc.,
. Considering definitions from two different dictionaries, sister courts have determined the usage of the term "alone" to be singular and synonymous with "solely," "without any other," or "exclusively." See, Rico v. Judson Lofts, Ltd.,
. Title 85 0.S.2011 § 313(G), see note 2, supra.
. Title 85 0.5.2001 § 21 providing in pertinent part:
an (1)If the injured employee shall have worked in the employment in which he was working at the time of the accident whether for the same employer or not, during substantially the whole of the year immediately preceding his injury, his average annual earnings shall consist of two hundred sixty times the average daily wage or salary which he shall have earned in such employment during the days when so employed.
(2) If the injured employee shall not have worked in such employment during substantially the whole of such year, his average annual earnings shall consist of two hundred sixty times the average daily wage or salary which an employee of the same class working substantially the whole of such immediately preceding year in the same or in a similar employment in the same or a neighboring place shall have earned in such employment during the days when so employed.
(3) If either of the foregoing methods of arriving at the annual average earnings of an injured employee cannot reasonably and fairly be applied, such annual earnings shall be such sum as, having regard to the previous earnings of the injured employee and of other employees of the same or most similar class, working in the same or most similar employment in the same or neighboring locality, shall reasonably represent the annual earning capacity of the injured employee in the employment in which he was working at the time of the accident...."
Title 85 O.$.2011 § 331, which replaced § 21, this note supra, retained the "same or similar" designation, providing in pertinent part:
"Except as otherwise provided in this act, the average weekly wages of the injured employee at the time of the injury shall be taken as the basis upon which to compute compensation and shall be determined as follows:
... 3, If either of the foregoing methods of arriving at the annual average earnings of an injured employee cannot reasonably and fairly be applied, the Workers' Compensation Court may consider average wages in the same or similar employment in the same area of the state where the injury occurred ..."
Again, we do not comment on the Administrative Workers' Compensation Act, see note 2, supra.
. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Switch,
. Id.
. Winrock Farms v. Eldred,
. The Court in Winrock Farms v. Eldred, see note 23, supra, quoting from Safeway Stores v. Mauk,
. Eagle Picher Mining & Smelting Corp. v. Lamkin, see note 21, supra.
. Transcript of Proceedings, February 13, 2013, John David Waldenville testifying in pertinent part at pp. 15-16:
"... Q. What were your duties at Cattlemen's? A. Duties at Cattlemen's would be to watch the parking lot to make sure vehicles were not vandalized, to make sure that transients did not interfere with the customers coming and going and also coming within Cattlemen's itself, and to make the nightly deposit which would go over to the stockyard's bank which is one block to the north.
Q. During the time that you worked for Cattlemen's, had you ever given out any tickets or warning tickets to anybody in the area?
A. Yes, sir. Most generally seems like most of them were warnings. There would be individuals that would be driving excessive rate, either coming down Exchange or Agnew, I guess, were the streets there to the north or to the east just for the safety of the citizens that were parking across the street.
Q. When you were at Cattlemen's doing this security work, did you consider yourself to be an active, on-duty deputy sheriff of the Oklahoma County Sheriff's Department?
A. Yes, sir...."
. The following definition appears in
" 'Officer' means any duly appointed and sworn full-time officer of the regular police department of a municipality whose duties are to preserve the public peace, protect life and property, prevent crime, serve warrants, enforce all laws and municipal ordinances of this state, and any political subdivision thereof, and who is authorized to bear arms in the execution of such duties."
. Title 11 0.S.2011 § 34-101 providing in pertinent part:
"A. A municipal police officer shall at all times have the power to make or order an arrest for any offense against the laws of this state or the ordinances of the municipality. The officer shall have such other powers, duties and functions as may be prescribed by law or ordinance...."
See also, 22 0.$.2011 § 37.1 providing:
"An 'off-duty' law enforcement officer in official uniform in attendance at a public function, event or assemblage of people shall have the same powers and obligations as when he is 'on-duty'. Nothing herein shall impose liability upon the governmental entity, by whom the law enforcement officer is employed, for actions of the said officer in the course of his employment by a nongovernmental entity."
. Groseclose v. City of Tulsa,
. State v. Phillips,
. See, Friendship Farmer's Co-Operative Gin v. Allred, 1945 OK. 350, ¶ 0,
. Title 85 0.$.2011 § 313(G), see note 2, supra.
