Employers Must Have "Just Cause" For Discipline

2. Was the rule or order reasonably related to the efficient and safe operation of the business? Arbitrary rules that offer no advantage to the company, or which make the workplace unsafe, do not provide just cause. For example, a rule banning listening to music while working may be justified as improving efficiency; a rule banning listening to hip-hop but allowing all other types of music is probably arbitrary and not just cause for discipline.

3. Did the employer try to determine whether the employee did, in fact, violate a rule or order of management? For example, if a supervisor merely sees an empty whiskey bottle near someone's work area and makes no attempt to find out who it belongs to or what it is doing there, then he does not have just cause to discipline anyone for drinking on the job.