One of the first employment lawsuits related to COVID-19 was filed in Iowa last week. A former Dallas County Jail employee alleges he was fired because he called a Department of Corrections “hotline” to report concerns about working with a colleague infected with the virus. Jail employees were informed one of their co-employees tested positive
wrongful discharge
Iowa Supreme Court Stems the Tide of Public Policy Wrongful Discharge Claims (At Least for Now)
By Patrick Smith on
Posted in Iowa Appellate Courts, Litigation and Trials
Almost twenty-five years ago, the Iowa Supreme Court recognized a new cause of action for the benefit of terminated employees: wrongful discharge in violation of public policy. (See Springer v. Weeks & Leo Co.). What it means is that an employee cannot be terminated if the employer is motivated by reasons that would …