Anderson v. Douglas & Lomason Co.

Iowa Supreme Court

540 N.W.2d 277 (1995)

Relevant factsFree

DLC's (defendant) employee handbook, given to Anderson (plaintiff) but never read by him, described a specific progressive-discipline policy for theft offenses but also stated on its last page it wasn't intended to create contractual rights; after DLC fired Anderson for theft without following the graduated discipline steps, he sued for breach of contract, and the district court found the handbook didn't constitute a contract.

IssueFree

Whether at-will employment may be terminated at the election of either party if the termination violates an employee handbook that constitutes a unilateral contract.

Holding & reasoning

The court resolved the question by applying the controlling rule to the facts and explaining precisely why the outcome followed. Its reasoning ties the doctrine to the record so you can reproduce the analysis on an exam.

Procedural history, concurrence & dissent

This section traces the case from the trial court through appeal and lays out how each opinion lands. Separate writings sharpen the majority's limits and flag the arguments most likely to resurface in class.

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