Opinion ID: 792800
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Tobin's Performance

Text: 4 Although Tobin had accumulated a large book of business over the years and the annual premiums generated from this book of business earned significant profits, Tobin's yearly new business sales were considered deficient beginning in 1992. For example, for the twelve-month period ending September 1993, Tobin had sold only 270 new policies — a significant shortfall given that the quota for new policy sales was set at 339. In his Sales Representative Appraisal for that year, on a scale from 1-6, with 1 being the highest, Tobin received a 6 in the Sales Rating category. His overall evaluation was a 5. In 1994-1996 and 1998, Tobin's appraisals reflect similar negative ratings and comments for sales, prospecting, performance, and overall performance, and positive ratings and comments for quality, loss ratio, and retention. 1 5 In April 1996, Tobin's supervisor, Mike Robin, gave Tobin a written warning stating that failure to meet the sales requirements for a thirty-day period would lead to a sixty-day probation followed by possible termination. Although Tobin did not meet the requirements for the thirty-day period, Liberty Mutual waived the probation because Tobin's wife was ill. On November 21, 1997, Robin placed Tobin on a nine-week warning period, emphasizing that new business sales were critical, as were participation in sales initiatives and refraining from inappropriate and insubordinate behavior in the office, including the use of profane language. Robin made clear that Tobin would face probation unless he brought his performance up to an acceptable level by demonstrating increased sales results and participating in sales initiatives. 6 Tobin then took two short-term disability leaves of absence. The first lasted from December 1997 until June 1998, and the second from September 1998 until January 1999. In both instances, Tobin's doctor, Dr. William Kantar, indicated that he had diagnosed Tobin as bipolar and that Tobin was significantly restricted as to interpersonal relations, as well as to occupational and social activities. Each time Tobin returned to work, Tobin's new supervisor, Manina Schwitters, gave Tobin a reduced work schedule for his first four weeks after he returned from leave. Each time, upon resumption of his full-time duties, Tobin's warning period was reinstated. 7 When Tobin returned to work the second time, in January 1999, Liberty Mutual hired a nurse, Cathy Harding, to assist him in resuming his position as a sales representative. After working reduced hours for four weeks, Tobin resumed his full-time duties on February 1, 1999. Tobin's supervisor extended the two weeks remaining from the November 1997 warning period to run for four weeks, from February 1 to February 26. Tobin failed to sell twenty-four new policies during the four-week warning period to avoid beginning a four-week probation period. However, during a meeting with several supervisors, Tobin produced several additional policies, which were accepted in order to meet the quota set for the warning period. 8 In a letter dated March 8, 1999, Schwitters indicated that she would monitor Tobin's sales results in four-week increments for the rest of the year beginning on March 1. At the end of the first increment, Schwitters notified Tobin he was being placed on probation for failing to meet the minimum sales requirements. The quota for the period had been twenty-four, and Tobin sold only ten. Tobin then successfully completed the five-week probationary period by selling the required thirty policies. Tobin's sales performance, however, deteriorated over the next several months, and he was again placed on probation on November 27, 2000. Tobin failed to sell the required thirty policies during this second probationary period and was terminated on January 10, 2001.