[Wrongful Discharge] Monique Worked as an Administrative Assistant for B&B

question 86

Multiple Choice

[Wrongful Discharge] Monique worked as an administrative assistant for B&B Corporation. According to paragraph 16 of B&B's employee handbook's progressive discipline policy, an employee whose performance is unsatisfactory may be discharged if no improvement is shown within thirty days after receiving a written warning. Monique was having difficulty learning the software program required for her job. On July 1, she met with her supervisor, who told her that her performance needed improvement and gave her a written warning which referenced paragraph 16 of the employee handbook. Monique stayed up late each night trying to learn the new program. She was away from her job for one week for jury duty. On her return to work from jury duty on July 20, Monique was terminated for poor performance. Monique called B&B's Human Resources Department, but was told she has no case for wrongful discharge because she was an employee-at-will and can be terminated at any time for any reason.
-Anali sent e-mails to her friends during work to solicit customers to purchase pirated movies. After Anali was fired based on these e-mails, she sued alleging the employer violated her privacy rights by going through her personal e-mail. Will Anali's suit likely be successful?

• A) No, regardless of whose e-mail system was used.
• B) No, if the emails were sent using the employer's e-mail system.
• C) Yes, although employees do not have an absolute right to privacy at work, they have a reasonable expectation that the employer will not invade their privacy by reading employee e-mails.
• D) Yes, as long as she can prove that her e-mails were sent during nonworking hours.
• E) Yes, because employees have a right to privacy at work.

---

Definitions:

Reinforcement

A consequence that follows an action and increases the likelihood of that action being repeated in the future.

Conditioned Responses

Behavioral reactions that have been learned through repeated associations with a specific stimulus.

Respondent Behaviors

Reactions that are automatic responses to a specific stimulus, as opposed to behaviors learned through consequence, such as in operant conditioning.

Desensitization

The process of reducing sensitivity towards a stimulus, often used in therapy to help individuals cope with phobias or anxiety.