Opinion ID: 874358
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 11

Heading: The District Court Properly Granted PMC's Motion for Summary Judgment on Van's Breach of the Covenant of Good Faith and Fair Dealing Claim

Text: Van argues that the district court erred by failing to address his breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing claim. He insists PMC did not act in good faith toward him because its employees responded to his complaints with disdain and treated him differently than they treated the pilots. PMC argues that the district court properly dismissed Van's breach of covenant claim because Van provided no evidence to support the claim. A covenant of good faith and fair dealing is implied in all employment agreements  including at-will employment relationships. Jenkins, 141 Idaho at 242-43, 108 P.3d at 389-90. The covenant requires the parties to perform, in good faith, the obligations contained in their agreement, and a violation occurs when either party violates, qualifies, or significantly impairs any benefit or right of the other party under the contract  whether express or implied. Id. at 243, 108 P.3d at 390. However, the covenant does not create a duty for the employer to terminate the at-will employee only for good cause. Id. The covenant only arises in connection with the terms agreed to by the parties, and does not create new duties that are not inherent in the employment agreement. Jones v. Micron Tech., Inc., 129 Idaho 241, 247, 923 P.2d 486, 492 (Ct.App.1996). In this case, the only alleged wrongful conduct was Van's termination. Because Van's employment contract was at-will and no agreement was made regarding termination only for cause, Van has failed to allege facts sufficient to create an issue of material fact. To the extent Van argues that PMC's employees treated him with disdain, or ignored his complaints of alleged violations  such conduct does not involve any term of his employment agreement with PMC. PMC did not agree to provide an atmosphere where no employee ever treated Van in a less than ideal manner. Therefore, the district court properly granted PMC summary judgment on the issue of breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing.