| A man who was fired for refusing to let his boss inspect the contents of his briefcase is not entitled to unemployment benefits, a Florida appeals court has ruled.
The incident that led to the employee’s termination was a dispute between him and another employee. The employer suspended both of them for one day to resolve the dispute.
Before allowing the employee to leave, the boss asked him to open his briefcase to prove he was not taking any company property. The employee refused to allow the search, saying he had personal items mixed in with company property.
The boss asked several times to see the contents of the briefcase; the employee refused each time, and then left.
The employer has a policy that states that the company “maintains the right to inspect certain personal belongings” as well as all company equipment. An employee’s refusal to allow a search “will be considered a violation of your terms of hire and direct insubordination.”
The employer fired the employee two days after the search incident for violation of the employer’s policy. | 