Spring industries. Simply stated Smalls was a less than impressive employee with a record of absences and injuries. Small was discharged after only one written warning although there was a handbook that the company distributed and it had a four step termination process. The employers at Springs orally assured the employees that the provisions in the handbook would be followed. Thus, the definitive support from the staff members that state the handbook is the set rules, was enough for the court to view that the handbook altered the at-will contact that Smalls had with Springs. Having either the oral assurances or binding language is not wholly dispositive of whether the company will be found as having altered the at-will contract. These are just factors that can make a plaintiff’s case stronger by the presence of more than one
Spring industries. Simply stated Smalls was a less than impressive employee with a record of absences and injuries. Small was discharged after only one written warning although there was a handbook that the company distributed and it had a four step termination process. The employers at Springs orally assured the employees that the provisions in the handbook would be followed. Thus, the definitive support from the staff members that state the handbook is the set rules, was enough for the court to view that the handbook altered the at-will contact that Smalls had with Springs. Having either the oral assurances or binding language is not wholly dispositive of whether the company will be found as having altered the at-will contract. These are just factors that can make a plaintiff’s case stronger by the presence of more than one