Opinion ID: 1143765
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Excessive Work Requirements

Text: The court also held that the work the Gibsons were required to perform was greatly in excess of anything told them in advance. The court acknowledged that they had ample opportunity before signing the agreement to become aware that much work would be required of them. However, it found that it was not until they... had taken up residence at the Inn that the nature and extent of their `management' duties became clear. The Gibsons moved into the Klondike in June, 1977 and did not sign the written employment agreement until July 28, 1977. During one month, they had ample opportunity to become aware of the hours necessary. Pat Gibson noted that in June, they each put in no less than 12 to 14 hours per day. By then, the operation was open 23 hours a day, the legal maximum. During those first few months, Pat Gibson testified, they stocked beer, cleaned the kitchen, cleaned the bar, ... rented rooms, did laundry, pulled shift[s]. However, the Gibsons were managers with substantial autonomy. They hired cooks, bartenders and waitresses. They could largely set their own hours. They took vacations to Fairbanks, Hawaii and Idaho; Pat took fishing trips and taught as a substitute at a local school. Nothing in the record indicates Beaux demanded ever-increasing work from the Gibsons. There is no allegation of a threat to fire them if they didn't work harder. In short, the record is devoid of any indication that Beaux's purpose in expecting that the Gibsons put in long hours and hard work was anything but the reasonable business purpose, evident from the beginning of their relationship, that the Gibsons put forth the necessary effort to make the Klondike succeed. We conclude that the long hours and hard work required did not breach the duty of good faith and fair dealing.