Source: https://law.justia.com/cases/new-jersey/appellate-division-published/2019/a3027-17.html
Timestamp: 2019-04-22 01:18:28+00:00

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Justia › US Law › Case Law › New Jersey Case Law › New Jersey Superior Court, Appellate Division - Published Opinions Decisions › 2019 › AMY SKUSE v. PFIZER, INC.
AMY SKUSE v. PFIZER, INC.
Before Judges Sabatino, Haas and Mitterhoff.
Division, Mercer County, Docket No. L-2374-17.
Timothy M. McCarthy, on the brief).
Harrison, LLP, attorneys; John J. Sarno and Mark A.
Saloman, of counsel and on the brief; Jeffrey A.
Jersey (Schall & Barasch, LLC, attorneys; Richard M.
claims and thereby waive their rights to sue the employer and seek a jury trial.
"deemed" to be bound by the arbitration policy.
policy. They were only asked within the box to "acknowledge" it.
Supreme Court's longstanding precedent in Leodori v. CIGNA Corp.,  175 N.J.
prejudice to the company appropriately revising its approach in the future.
"defendants," unless otherwise indicated by the context.
repeat here for purposes of our forum analysis, and which have yet to be proven.
The following summary of plaintiff's complaint will suffice.
days or else be terminated.
her to return. They instead placed her on an indefinite paid leave.
religious conviction." She met with Corbett to discuss that request.
On August 11, 2017, Pfizer terminated plaintiff's employment.
Uniform Arbitration Act,  N.J.S.A. 2A:23B-1 to -32.
The Company's Arbitration "Training Module"
agreement to arbitrate plaintiff's claims.
training module presenting the company's mandatory binding arbitration policy.
assented to, and must be bound by, the arbitration policy.
under the State's anti-discrimination and employment laws.
Agreement and Acknowledgement." (Emphasis added).
4.    Do I have to agree to this?
agreement that binds both you and the Company.
carefully to fully understand its terms and conditions.
claims on an individual basis in arbitration.
asked to acknowledge your receipt of the Agreement.
corner to review the Agreement.
and retain for your records.
window and return to this page.
also gave an employee "the opportunity" to print the agreement.
now or at any time in the future may have against Pfizer and/or any of its . . .
Company . . . will be resolved by arbitration and NOT by a court or jury."
"wrongful discharge, discrimination, and/or harassment."
corners. On the right side of the box is a circled diagonal arrow pointing upward.
Next to the arrow are these four words: "CLICK HERE to acknowledge."
Arbitration and Class Waiver Agreement to ArbitrationProgram@pfizer.com.
Click 'Exit' to exit this course." (Emphasis added).
never agreed to arbitrate any claims of discrimination.
complaint of discrimination decided by a jury.
and completed the module on June 9, 2016.
Class Waiver Agreement and Acknowledgement . . . ." (Emphasis added).
factual question as to whether she even saw the policy is irrelevant."
to get our computer experts to take a look at this to see how this system works."
email and that she saw the screen that said, I acknowledge receipt of this policy."
arbitration, pursuant to the terms of the company's policy.
helpful briefs and contributions to the appellate oral argument.
in situations where that process has been mutually chosen by the parties.
to -32 (our State's Arbitration Act, which is nearly identical to the FAA).
are relevant in a given case." Ibid.
Leland Stanford Jr. Univ.,  489 U.S. 468, 478 (1989)).
and indefinite in several material respects).
Guar. Co. v. Indus. Tr. Co.,  27 N.J. 144, 153 (1958)).
trial to resolve that claim. See  N.J.S.A. 10:5-13.
in Leodori,  175 N.J. 293.
contained in a handbook distributed to all employees, including the plaintiff.
signed the "acknowledgement" form, but he did not sign the "agreement" form.
into a binding arbitration agreement, and this court reversed that ruling. Ibid.
not conveyed his knowing and voluntary agreement to that policy. Id. at 305.
or otherwise explicitly indicate his or her agreement to it." Id. at 306.
in an accompanying handbook or in another document known to the employee."
clear assent to arbitrate. See, e.g., Foulke,  421 N.J. Super. at 425; Rockel v.
Cherry Hill Dodge,  368 N.J. Super. 577, 581 (App. Div. 2004); Kamaratos v.
the importance of the requirement of clear mutual assent to arbitrate) .
emails and did "click" the acknowledgement box at the end of the presentation.
assent to the policy through the use of digital techniques.
weekday checking their personal email. Ibid.
rights that have been bestowed upon him or her by law.
rights under the law. Leodori,  175 N.J. at 303.
contents of the document linked to it.
manifest an "explicit, affirmative agreement" that reflects he "unmistakably"
assented to it. Id. at 303.
important legal documents such as a car loan or a house purchase.
price of a new car without "agreeing" to pay it.
reasonably capable of being misunderstood as something short of an agreement.
what it actually must be: for example, an agreement and a waiver of rights.
appropriately conducted consistent with this opinion.
sufficient to satisfy the requirements of Leodori in this case.
their jobs. Nonetheless, their assent must be procured in a proper manner.
validating the company's "acknowledgement" process is accordingly reversed.
for Pfizer for more than sixty days after receiving the arbitration agreement.
The motion judge relied on Jaworski v. Ernst & Young U.S. LLP,  441 N.J.
Super. 464 (App. Div. 2015), in concluding that Pfizer's sixty-day "deemer"
2016. We respectfully disagree with that analysis.
them bound by those terms. Id. at 473.
days after the notice is provided.
an additional five years until his termination in 2012." Id. at 474.
method for employees to supply their signatures in electronic form.
employee's rights to a jury trial and to litigate discrimination claims in court.
waiver requirements, essentially redundant or meaningless after sixty days.
should be able to do so in the future.
continued service for more than sixty days after receiving the training module.
explicit and unmistakable expressions of mutual assent to arbitrate.
have doubts such a procedure would comport with Leodori.
In light of our ruling, we need not reach other arguments raised by plaintiff.

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