As employers and employee advocates eagerly await the California Supreme Court’s decision in Brinkley and Brinker regarding the lengths to which employers must ensure employees are afforded the opportunity to take meal breaks, some companies have decided to go so far as to discipline employees who voluntarily work “off the clock.” I have to admit that when a manager asks me, “what do I do if an employee insists on working through lunch,” I have offhandedly commented that the only choice may be to discipline the employee for refusing to follow the employer’s reasonable directions. Well, it turns out that may not be the best advice.
A recent Chicago Tribune article reports a victory for Sharon Smiley after she was fired for working during her lunch hour. In Illinois, like California, employees are entitled to a lunch break in the middle of the day. After 10 years of employment, Sharon Smiley decided to work through a lunch break to finish some work. Her manager became upset because Sharon was apparently in violation of company policies so he sent her to HR. HR had a short discussion with her and then fired her for misconduct (violating company policies) and insubordination (refusing to follow the employer’s instructions). Sharon was devastated.
To add insult to injury, the company opposed her unemployment insurance claim. She went to several different attorneys, all of which told her she had no chance of winning. Undaunted, and really with no other choice, Sharon represented herself. She appealed the initial unemployment insurance benefits denial, and the superior court judge overturned the decision. Last week an appellate court upheld the lower court’s decision allowing Sharon to obtain unemployment insurance benefits.
To my knowledge there are no plans to file a wrongful discharge claim.
The article is particularly interesting here in California as the Supreme Court decides whether employers must force employees to take lunch breaks or merely ensure employees have a realistic opportunity to take the required breaks. I guess I’ll have to add a few more caveats to my advice.
You can read the original Chicago Tribune article here.
Phillip J. Griego & Associates 95 South Market Street, Suite 520 San Jose, CA 95113 South Bay: 408-293-6341 East Bay: 925-364-4655Original article by Robert E. Nuddleman of Phillip J. Griego & Associates
Feel free to suggest topics for the blog. We are happy to consider topics pertaining to general points of Labor and Employment Law, but we cannot answer questions about specific situations or provide legal advice. If you desire legal advice, you should contact an attorney.
Confidential or time-sensitive information should not be posted in this blog and Phillip J. Griego & Associates cannot guarantee the confidentiality of anything posted to this blog.
Your use of this blog does not create an attorney-client relationship between you and Phillip J. Griego & Associates. The use of the Internet or this blog for communication with the firm or any individual member of the firm does not establish an attorney-client relationship.
I’d be willing to bet there were other reasons behind her dismissal. Most reasonable employers, even those perched on the employment at will doctrine, would take steps to warn an employee against behavior that could lead to their termination. A ten year employee with an otherwise “clean record” would surely be more valuable to an employer than to warrant dismissal for her exhibiting her dedication to the company by this single event….don’t you think!? I’d be surprised if she doesn’t pursue legal alternatives beyond UI.
In my experience there are always two sides to the story. In this particular instance, the issue was limited to the employee’s entitlement to unemployment insurance, which usually is a much narrower issue than what would be involved in a typical wrongful termination suit. I suspect you are correct that there was more going on than is revealed by the news article. I don’t know what the statutes of limitation are in her venue, but at this point I would not expect further litigation. Then again, who knows?