Opinion ID: 2215884
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 14

Heading: Alleged Written Contract

Text: First, Walpus contends that pursuant to the termination of employment language found in the sales manual, METCO expressly limited its ability to discharge district managers to situations where good cause for termination existed. Our decision in Johnston v. Panhandle Co-op Assn., 225 Neb. 732, 408 N.W.2d 261 (1987), is dispositive. In Johnston, the employee claimed that provisions in his employee handbook regarding a probationary period and dismissals for cause restricted the company's right to terminate him. This court rejected the employee's claim, stating: [T]he language in the handbook is not definite enough to constitute an offer of a unilateral contract on job termination. The handbook does nothing more than set out six examples of dismissals for cause. Nowhere does the handbook limit the reasons for dismissal to these six provisions or state that there are any restrictions on the employer's right to discharge. Id. at 741, 408 N.W.2d at 267-68. Nothing in METCO's sales manual limited the company's ability to discharge its employees. Rather, the sales manual simply listed six grounds upon which district managers could be discharged. Walpus' supervisor, Jenkins, testified that the items listed in the sales manual constituted grounds for immediate dismissal, but that the list was not exclusive. Walpus failed to offer any evidence to refute Jenkins' testimony and failed to point to anything in the record that would distinguish the instant case from Johnston. We hold as a matter of law that the termination of employment language in METCO's sales manual was insufficient to create a factual dispute as to whether METCO contractually limited its ability to discharge district managers without cause. Therefore, the district court correctly sustained METCO's motion for summary judgment as to the written contract claim.