Compliance February 22, 2007

Employer Fined for Firing an Employee Absent Because of Jury Duty

February 22, 2007 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - A Florida state court has ruled that a Pasco County printing company fired an employee for missing work to serve on jury duty, according to the St. Petersburg Times.
Reported by

David Davidson, an employee of All-Pro Printing, had first been called for jury duty in October 2006, but was sent home because he was not dressed properly. He told the owner of the company, Sean Hylton, he would have to return for duty at a later date; however, when he was called on November 27, 2006 and missed work, he was fired the following day.

“I no longer have need for your services,” Davidson said the owner told him, the newspaper reported. “Goodbye.”

Hylton said he fired Davidson because of his “habitual tardiness and absenteeism,” but Circuit Judge W. Lowell Bray Jr. found the printing company owner in contempt of court and fined him $500.

Bray said that while Hylton might not have learned about the jury summons before firing Davidson, he learned of it soon after and took no corrective action.

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