Wrongful discharge, misconduct.

Officials at the Equitable Life Assurance Society appeal a lower court's ruling in a suit filed by a group of dismissed employees. Equitable terminated the workers for gross insubordination after the group refused several requests to revise work-related expense reports. The workers maintained the expenses were related to their duties and insisted the reports were accurate as submitted. Equitable terminated the workers for refusing to comply with the revision requests. The dismissed workers subsequently filed suit, claiming the company wrongfully terminated their employment and indirectly inflicted mental and emotional distress upon them. The group petitioned for compensatory and punitive damages.

A trial court jury ruled for the dismissed workers and awarded both compensatory and punitive damages. An appeals court reviewed the findings of the lower court and affirmed its rulings concerning the damages. The company now appeals.

A split decision. The Minnesota Supreme Court affirmed the award of compensatory damages to the dismissed workers. However, the court reversed the award of punitive damages.