Are you consistent? The importance of following procedural precedents

Description

Abstract: A 57-year-old Maintenance and Engineering Manager with a record of positive performance reviews found those reviews deteriorating after he came under a new supervisor. He was eventually fired and replaced by a 34-year-old who received positive reviews despite sanitation incidents on her watch. In addition, a series of hirings and firings favored younger employees. This article explains why the company’s failure to follow precedents and policy led the court to decide that the plaintiff should be allowed a trial on his claim of age discrimination. Hernán Acevedo-Parrilla v. Novartis Ex-Lax, Inc., No. 10-2276, October 10, 2012 (1st Cir.)