Reference no: EM131006773

A woman applied for a part-time position in human resources. At the time she applied, she was working part-time for a benefits consulting company and received the same benefits as full- time employees. During interviews and negotia- tions with the prospective employer, the woman was repeatedly told that she would receive the same benefits as the company's full-time employ- ees. The letter of offer listed specific benefits, in- cluding life insurance, disability, and accidental death and dismemberment, to which she would be entitled after a thirty-day waiting period. The let- ter also stated that she should "review the Em- ployee Handbook for further information" and that the company retained the "right to change benefit programs at any time. . . ." Immediately upon taking the job and receiving a copy of the employee handbook, the woman was dismayed to find that she would not be entitled to the full range of benefits received by full-time employees. Specifically, she would not receive life, AD&D, or long-term disability insurance. The woman com- plained to the director of human resources about having been mislead regarding her benefits and was terminated three days after starting on the job. The HR director claimed that she was being terminated due to a confrontational personality and lack of a good fit with the culture of the company. She sued. What should the court de- cide? Why? (Timpe v. WATG Holdings, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 45562 (D. Haw.))