In: Operations Management
An employee is fired for writing a letter to the newspaper complaining about the employer’s merchandise return policies and general treatment of customers.
a. Legal or illegal?
b. Why?
An employee is fired for telephoning the health department about the employer’s food storage and preparation practices.
a. Legal or illegal?
b. Why?
An employee is fired for writing a letter to the newspaper complaining about the employer’s merchandise return policies and general treatment of customers.
a. Correct Answer is: it is illegal.
b. Why? Because the employer’s merchandise return policies are public policies. There is no confidentiality and privacy agreement held upon any public policy. Therefore, informing or writing to a newspaper complaining about employer’s policies and treatment to customers doesn’t violate any corporate law and hence it is illegal to fire an employee on such basis.
An employee is fired for telephoning the health department about the employer’s food storage and preparation practices.
a. Correct Answer is: it is legal.
b. Why? Because food storage and preparation practices can be exclusive rights of preparation practices, authentic recipes, storage methods and other trade secrets. Breach of trade secrets and privacy agreements can be a basis of firing an employee. Such offences can even be charged as a criminal offence in the court.