BLAW 3301: Hypotheticals 20.1 Study
Guide Exam with Actual Answers
2025-2026 Updated.
Erin works for a dry-cleaning company that has a contract with the U.S. government. To save on
cleaning fluid, her boss orders her to wash some clothes that are supposed to be dry-cleaned in
a washing machine. When the courier hired to pick up the cleaned garments arrives, Erin tells
him about her boss' actions. Erin tells no one else about what is going on and is later fired. Erin:
a. is protected by the whistleblower statute in her state because she spoke up about her
employer's actions.
b. will be reinstated to her former job, because when she told the courier of the problem she
was merely exercising her First Amendment right to free speech.
c. is not protected by the state whistleblower statute. It is inapplicable because the contract was
with the federal government.
d. is not protected by the whistleblower statute because she failed to inform the proper party of
the contract violation. - Answer d. is not protected by the whistleblower statute because she
failed to inform the proper party of the contract violation.
To get the protection of the whistleblower statute, Erin must tell a government official, an
upper-management authority or the press, of the employer's illegal activity. Erin's mention of
her employer's practice to the courier did not fulfill the statute.
Abigail works for a large pharmaceutical company as a scientist. While testing a potential new
drug, she learns that company managers are illegally falsifying results that are being sent to the
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in order to streamline drug approvals. Abigail reports this
practice to federal law enforcement. Company managers learn about Abigail's disclosures and
fire her. Abigail:
a. is protected from wrongful discharge by the exception based on tort theory.
b. is protected from wrongful discharge by the exception based on contract theory.
, d. is protected from wrongful discharge by the exception based on public policy. - Answer d.
is protected from wrongful discharge by the exception based on public policy.
Abigail is a whistleblower. Firing Abigail for telling government authorities about unsafe or illegal
activity violates a clear public policy.
John works at San Marino Food Store as an assistant store manager. John's boss, Michael, does
not approve of John's interest in football. Michael believes that baseball is the better sport. As a
result, Michael fires John. Assuming no other contractual relationship exists between John and
his employer, John:
a. is protected from wrongful discharge by the exception based on tort theory.
b. is not protected from discharge because he is an employee at will.
c. is protected from wrongful discharge by the exception based on contract theory.
d. is protected from wrongful discharge by the exception based on public policy. - Answer b.
is not protected from discharge because he is an employee at will.
John is an employee at will. Under this doctrine, either party may terminate the employment
relationship at any time and for any reason, unless doing so violates an employee's statutory or
contractual rights.
The Scooter Store notified its employees at 5:00 P.M. on Friday that it was laying off two-thirds
of its workforce as of that day and told them not to come in on Monday. It failed to provide
advance notice to anyone and in doing so likely violated:
a. the Worker Retention Act.
b. the Worker Notification Act.
c. the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act.
d. the Worker Readjustment Act. - Answer c. the Worker Adjustment and Retraining
Notification Act.
The company likely violated the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, which
Guide Exam with Actual Answers
2025-2026 Updated.
Erin works for a dry-cleaning company that has a contract with the U.S. government. To save on
cleaning fluid, her boss orders her to wash some clothes that are supposed to be dry-cleaned in
a washing machine. When the courier hired to pick up the cleaned garments arrives, Erin tells
him about her boss' actions. Erin tells no one else about what is going on and is later fired. Erin:
a. is protected by the whistleblower statute in her state because she spoke up about her
employer's actions.
b. will be reinstated to her former job, because when she told the courier of the problem she
was merely exercising her First Amendment right to free speech.
c. is not protected by the state whistleblower statute. It is inapplicable because the contract was
with the federal government.
d. is not protected by the whistleblower statute because she failed to inform the proper party of
the contract violation. - Answer d. is not protected by the whistleblower statute because she
failed to inform the proper party of the contract violation.
To get the protection of the whistleblower statute, Erin must tell a government official, an
upper-management authority or the press, of the employer's illegal activity. Erin's mention of
her employer's practice to the courier did not fulfill the statute.
Abigail works for a large pharmaceutical company as a scientist. While testing a potential new
drug, she learns that company managers are illegally falsifying results that are being sent to the
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in order to streamline drug approvals. Abigail reports this
practice to federal law enforcement. Company managers learn about Abigail's disclosures and
fire her. Abigail:
a. is protected from wrongful discharge by the exception based on tort theory.
b. is protected from wrongful discharge by the exception based on contract theory.
, d. is protected from wrongful discharge by the exception based on public policy. - Answer d.
is protected from wrongful discharge by the exception based on public policy.
Abigail is a whistleblower. Firing Abigail for telling government authorities about unsafe or illegal
activity violates a clear public policy.
John works at San Marino Food Store as an assistant store manager. John's boss, Michael, does
not approve of John's interest in football. Michael believes that baseball is the better sport. As a
result, Michael fires John. Assuming no other contractual relationship exists between John and
his employer, John:
a. is protected from wrongful discharge by the exception based on tort theory.
b. is not protected from discharge because he is an employee at will.
c. is protected from wrongful discharge by the exception based on contract theory.
d. is protected from wrongful discharge by the exception based on public policy. - Answer b.
is not protected from discharge because he is an employee at will.
John is an employee at will. Under this doctrine, either party may terminate the employment
relationship at any time and for any reason, unless doing so violates an employee's statutory or
contractual rights.
The Scooter Store notified its employees at 5:00 P.M. on Friday that it was laying off two-thirds
of its workforce as of that day and told them not to come in on Monday. It failed to provide
advance notice to anyone and in doing so likely violated:
a. the Worker Retention Act.
b. the Worker Notification Act.
c. the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act.
d. the Worker Readjustment Act. - Answer c. the Worker Adjustment and Retraining
Notification Act.
The company likely violated the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, which
