EmploymentVLawVforVHumanVResourceVPractice,V7thVEdition
ChapterV1-17
ChapterV1
Solution and Answer Guide V V V
DAVIDV WALSH,VEMPLOYMENTV LAWVFORV HUMANV RESOURCEV PRACTICEV 2024,VEDITION:V7,V9
780357717547;VCHAPTERV 1:VOVERVIEWV OFV EMPLOYMENTV LAW
TABLEVOFVCONTENTS
CaseVQuestions............................................................................................................................................ 2
WarnerVv.VUnitedVNaturalVFoods,VInc. .................................................................................................. 2
OTO,VL.L.C.Vv.VKho ............................................................................................................................... 4
EEOCVv.VAUTOZONE, ........................................................................................................................... 7
JustVTheVFacts............................................................................................................................................ 8
PracticalVConsiderations .......................................................................................................................... 10
ChapterVQuestions .................................................................................................................................... 11
©V2024VCengage.VAllVRightsVReserved.VMayVnotVbeVscanned,VcopiedVorVduplicated,VorVpostedVtoVaVpubl 1
iclyVaccessible
website,VinVwholeVorVinVpart.
,CASEVQUESTIONS
WARNERVV.VUNITEDVNATURALVFOODS,VINC.
513VF.VSuppV3dV477V(M.D.VPa.,VJanuaryV13,V2021)
PlaintiffVwasVanVemployeeVofVUnitedVNaturalVFoods,VInc.V(―UNFI‖),VaVRhodeVIslandVcorporati
onVthatVmaintainsVaVwholesaleVfoodVdistributionVoperationVinVYork,VPA.VOnVDecemberV16,V201
9,VUNFIVhiredVPlaintiffVDennisVWarnerVasVaVloaderVatVthatVYorkVlocation.VNeitherVofVPlaintiff‘
sVtheoriesVofVliabilityVwasVplausiblyVallegedV(HeVwasVwrongfullyVterminatedVbasedVonVhisVcom
plaintVtoVtheVDepartmentVofVHealth;VPlaintiffVclaimsVheVwasVfiredVbecauseVheVstayedVhomeVfro
mVworkVwhileVheVawaitedVtheVresultsVofVhisVCOVID-
19Vtest),VtheVcourtsVgrantedVtheVmotionVandVdismissalVofVthisVcase.
1. WhatVwasVtheVlegalVissueVinVthisVcase?VWhatVdidVtheVcourtVdecide?
Answer:
TheVlegalVissuesVwereVwhetherVtheVPlaintiffVwasVwrongfullyVterminatedVinVretaliati
onVforVhisVcomplaintVtoVtheVDepartmentVofVHealth,VorVbecauseVheVmissedVworkVp
endingVtheVresultVofVhisVCOVID-
19Vtest.VFurthermore,VtheVcaseVquestionsVwhetherVtheVPlaintiffVcanVallegeVtheVterm
inationVviolatesVaV―clearVmandateVofVpublicVpolicy.‖
2. WhatVargumentsVandVevidenceVsupportVtheVplaintiff‘sV(Warner)VclaimVthatVheVwasVwron
gfullyVterminated?
Answer:
TheVPlaintiffVarguesVthatVheVwasVwrongfullyVterminatedVbasedVonVhisVcomplai
ntVtoVtheVDepartmentVofVHealth.VThisVargumentVdoesVnotVholdVasVPlaintiffVwa
sVnotVunderVanyVaffirmativeVorVstatutoryVdutyVtoVreportVallegedVviolationsVofVt
heVexecutiveVbranch‘sVCOVID-19VmitigationVorders.
Plaintiff‘sVsecondVtheoryValsoVfails.VToVreiterate,VPlaintiffVclaimsVheVwasVfiredVbecause
VheVstayedVhomeVfromVworkVwhileVheVawaitedVtheVresultsVofVhisVCOVID-
19Vtest.VHeVaversVthatVbecauseVtheVSecretaryVofVHealth‘sVAprilV15VorderVinstructedVtha
tVsymptomaticVemployees
―shouldVnotifyVtheirVsupervisorVandVstayVhome,‖VheVwasVfollowingVtheVgovernmentVord
ersV(PennsylvaniaVDiseaseVPreventionVandVControlVLaw).
TheVPlaintiffVpleadsVthatVheVquarantinedVwhileVwaitingVforVtestVresultsVatVtheVdirec
tionVofVhisVsupervisors.VItVisVimplausibleVthatVDefendantVinstructedVhimVtoVstayVho
meVfromVworkVwhileVwaitingVforVhisVtestVresults,VandVthenVfiredVhimVbecauseVheV
stayedVhomeVwhileVwaitingVforVhisVtestVresults.
3. WhyVdoesVtheVcourtVruleVforVtheVdefendant-
employerVdespiteVexpressingVsympathyVforVtheVplaintiff?
Answer:
©V2024VCengage.VAllVRightsVReserved.VMayVnotVbeVscanned,VcopiedVorVduplicated,VorVpostedVtoVaVpubl 2
iclyVaccessible
website,VinVwholeVorVinVpart.
, AsVmentionedVinVquestionV2,VtheVcourtVsaidVthatVitVcouldVnotVsustainVaVclaimVpled
VinVthisVmanner.VBecauseVneitherVofVPlaintiff‘sVtheoriesVofVliabilityVisVplausiblyVall
eged,VtheVcourtVthusVgrantedVtheVdismissalVofVthisVcase.
TheVPublicVPolicyVexceptionVcouldVbeVusedVifVlegislationVwasVdisobeyed,VbutVthatVi
sVnotVtheVcaseVhere.VWhatVconstitutesV―publicVpolicy‖VinVtheVCommonwealthVisVd
eterminedVbyVreferenceVtoVjudicialVdecisionsVofVPennsylvaniaVcourts,VtheVPennsylva
niaVconstitution,VandVstatutesVpromulgatedVbyVtheVPennsylvaniaVlegislature.VTheVcou
rtVisVsympatheticVtoVPlaintiff‘sVargumentVthatVDefendant‘sVconductVpotentiallyVunde
rminedVtheVCommonwealth‘sVabilityVtoVmitigateVtheVspreadVofVCOVID-
19.VItVisValsoVtrueVthatVtheVGovernor‘sVandVSecretaryVofVHealth‘sVpowersVtoVmand
ateVcertainVpandemicVmitigationVstandardsVdoVderiveVfromVstatute,VnamelyVtheVEme
rgencyVCode.VTheVcourtVisVhesitantVtoVpronounceVthatVanVemploymentVdecisionVpot
entiallyVinconsistentVwithVanVexecutiveVbranch‘sVCOVID-
19VmitigationVeffortVclearlyVviolatesVpublicVpolicyVwhereVthereVisVnoVaffirmativeVin
dicationVthatVtheVlegislatureVwouldVagree.
Furthermore,VPennsylvaniaVcourtsVhaveVrecognizedVtheVpublicVpolicyVexceptionVwhe
reVtheVemployer:V(1)VcompelsVtheVemployeeVtoVengageVinVcriminalVactivity;V(2)Vpre
ventsVtheVemployeeVfromVcomplyingVwithVaVdutyVimposedVbyVstatute;VorV(3)Vdischa
rgesVtheVemployeeVwhenVaVstatuteVexpresslyVprohibitsVsuchVtermination.VTheVcourtV
saidVthatVitVwasVskepticalVaboutVPlaintiff‘sVargumentVthatVthereVwasVanVarticulableV
andVrecognizableVpublicVpolicy,VwhichVwouldVbeVaVpremiseVforVaVwrongfulVtermina
tionVclaimVunderVeitherVtheory.
4. DoVyouVagreeVwithVtheVdecisionVinVthisVcase?VWhyVorVwhyVnot?
Answer:
Students‘VanswersVwillVdiffer,VbutVmostVmayVconcludeVthatVtheVPublicVPolicyVexem
ptionVdoesVnotVapplyVhere.VTheVwrongfulVterminationVevidenceValsoVdoesVnotVhold
,VasVEmploymentVinVPennsylvaniaVisVtypicallyVat-
will.V―[T]heVpresumptionVofVallVnon-
VcontractualVemploymentVrelationsVisVthatVitVisVat-
willVandV…VthisVpresumptionVisVanVextremelyVstrongVone.‖
5. What,VifVany,VimplicationsVdoesVthisVdecisionVholdVforVtheVeffortsVofVpublicVhealthVofficialsV
toVdealVwithVtheVCOVID-19Vpandemic?
Answer:
TheVspreadVofVCOVID-
19VwasVcontainedVwithVdifferentVexecutiveVorders,VwhichVwereVeffectiveVinVpublicV
healthVobjectives.VTheVgovernorVprohibitedVallVnon-life-
sustainingVbusinessesVfromVoperatingVonVMarchV19,V2020.VAprilV15,V2020,VtheVSec
retaryVofVHealthVorderedVessentialVbusinessesVtoVimplementVcertainVsocialVdistancin
g,Vmitigation,VandVcleaningVprotocolsVtoVhelpVcontainVtheVspreadVofVCOVID-
19.VTheVSecretaryVofVHealthValsoVinstructedVthatVemployeesVofVessentialVbusinesses
VwhoVdevelopVCOVID-19Vsymptoms
©V2024VCengage.VAllVRightsVReserved.VMayVnotVbeVscanned,VcopiedVorVduplicated,VorVpostedVtoVaVpubl 3
iclyVaccessible
website,VinVwholeVorVinVpart.
, ―shouldVnotifyVtheirVsuperiorVandVstayVhome.‖VSoonVafter,VtheVDepartmentVofV
HealthVcreatedVanVonlineVCOVID-
19VcomplaintVformVforVbusinessVpatronsVandVemployeesVtoVreportVanyVrelevantVi
ssuesVorVconcerns.
©V2024VCengage.VAllVRightsVReserved.VMayVnotVbeVscanned,VcopiedVorVduplicated,VorVpostedVtoVaVpubl 4
iclyVaccessible
website,VinVwholeVorVinVpart.