The following legal encounters involve NewCorp, your employer. You are required to provide a brief answer to questions asked at the end of each encounter. Your supervisor expects a substantive answer, not a recommendation to refer matters to an attorney. Your supervisor does not want to spend money on legal advice until after you provide an assessment.

NewCorp hired Pat as manager of real property in Vermont. This position is responsible for activities related to maintaining leased office space. Pat supervised 51 employees and lower-level supervisors, and he dealt with tenants who leased commercial space. Pat relocated from another city 300 miles away, moved his family, and sold and bought a home. His wife quit her job to seek employment in Vermont.

After Pat worked for three months with NewCorp, his supervisor explained that things were not working out and that Pat would be discharged with 30 days of severance pay. Pat was surprised because his employer gave no previous indication of any problem. NewCorp's personnel manual, which had been provided to Pat upon his acceptance of employment, outlined the process for dealing with unsatisfactory employee.