In some professions, written employment contracts are the norm. Prior to an Ohio company offering employment, a contract is drawn up and presented to the potential employee. Upon review of the contract, the employee signs the contract if accepting the job. The purpose of this practice is to minimize the potential for employment contract disputes.
Even if the contract is not written, employers and employees typically have an implied contract. In its most basic form, the employer agrees to pay the individual and the employee agrees to perform a specific job. When one or both parties to the agreement fail to perform, problems can arise.
In 2010, a college professor filed suit against the college he taught for claiming breach of contract. The college later countersued and the matter went to mediation. During the mediation proceedings, the two parties entered into a contract, which is the source of a more recent dispute between the parties.
The judge in this matter reviewed the various claims and found that while both sides were in breach of contract, the college was the first to breach the contract. As a result, the judge ruled in favor of the professor, finding that the college still owed him a sum of approximately $480,000. The college has indicated that it plans to appeal this decision.
Employment contract disputes often arise when there is a communication breakdown or some other disagreement between the parties. For this reason, Ohio companies want to be prudent in their initial hiring decisions and legal compliance throughout their interactions with employees. Experienced legal counsel can be helpful in preventing employment contract disputes and then addressing them if they do arise.
Source: caller.com, “Judge says Del Mar owes former employee $484K over contract dispute“, Beatriz Alvarado, Jan. 22, 2018
