California residents might be interested in a case that occurred in March 2010, in which a woman sued her former employer, Regus Group, for wrongful termination, claiming that they fired her because she lodged a complaint about cutbacks in rest and meal breaks. When a jury ruled in favor of the former employee, the company requested a new trial based on a number of factors, including allegations that the jury had not been properly instructed, misconduct and other legal errors.
A federal judge ruled against Regus obtaining a new jury trial and maintained that the company was still required to pay its former employee damages in the amount of $4.6 million. Regus claimed that the instructions to the jury were misleading because they said, in part, “as a result of her termination,” instead of specifying that the termination had to be wrongful. The appeals court did not agree with this argument and ruled against the company.
The judge who presided over the trial stated that the company was shocked at the ruling, which he says may have been difficult for the company to accept. However, he added that even though Regus did not expect that ruling, it does not mean that the court, attorneys or jurors made any errors.
Those who feel that they have been wrongfully terminated from their jobs may benefit from the services of an attorney. A lawyer may be able to subpoena employee records in order to review all possible details of the case, including the events that led up to the employee’s release. A skilled employment attorney in California may be able to help those seeking compensation achieve a favorable resolution.
Source: Courthouse News Service, “Jury’s $4.6M Wrongful Firing Verdict Upheld”, Maria Dinzeo, August 20, 2013