ST. LUKE’S MEDICAL CENTER, INC. vs SANCHEZ March 11, 2015 | J. Perlas-Bernabe | Illegal Dismissal Digester: Alexis Bea SUMMARY: Maria heresa !anche" #as a n$rse ca$ght lea%ing #ith a &'$ch '( me)ical s$&&lies. !he #r'te a letter in the sec$rit* '+ice a)mitting t' the )ee) an) a&'l'gi"ing. he &ractice '( h'ar)ing is t'lerate) b* the h's&ital. !he #as terminate) (r'm #'r an) le) ('r a case '( illegal )ismissal. DOCTRINE: m&l'*ers ha%e the right t' reg$late all as&ects '( em&l'*ment. Management &rer'gati%e incl$)es )isci&linar* meas$res. /ill($l )is'be)ience $sties terminati'n. terminati'n. FACTS: •
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n J$ne 2, 200,Maria heresa !anche" #as hire) as a !ta+ 3$rse in the Pe)iatric 4nit '( the !t. $e6s Me)ical 7enter, 8$e"'n 7it*. n Ma* 2, 2011, a(ter her shi(t, she &asse) thr'$gh the !M7 7entrali"ati'n ntrance9xit #here she #as s$becte) t' the stan)ar) ins&ecti'n &r'ce)$re. In the c'$rse there'(, !ec$rit* $ar) Jaime Man"ana)e )isc'%ere) in her bag a &'$ch c'ntaining me)ical s$&&lies ;10 s*ringes '( %ari'$s si"es, 1 Micr'&'re, 1 &ac '( c'tt'n balls, 1 &c 3e'<'n, 2 &cs =en'x, an) > &cs gl'%es?. !anche" ase) i( she c'$l) ret$rn the &'$ch insi)e the treatment r''m, b$t the g$ar) re($se) a n) c'nscate) the &'$ch instea). !he #as br'$ght t' the In-@'$se !ec$rit* De&artment ;I@!D? #here she #r'te an inci)ent re&'rt an) s$bmitte) a han)#ritten letter '( a&'l'g*. In her letter, she a)mitte) she intenti'nall* br'$ght '$t the items )es&ite n'#ing it is against !M76s r$les. !M7 #as a&&rise) '( the inci)ent an) an in%estigati'n #as c'n)$cte). Ase) t' ex&lain her si)e, !anche" s$bmitte) an Inci)ent e&'rt A))en)$m, stating that the me)ical s$&&lies #ere the excess st'cs (r'm the me)icati'n )ra#ers '( )ischarge) &atients #hich the sta+ members sa%e as bac$& in case '( emergencies. !he $st (aile) t' ret$rn the &'$ch insi)e the me)icati'n )ra#er 'n the )a* '( the inci)ent.
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!anche" #as &re%enti%el* s$s&en)e) $ntil the c'ncl$si'n '( the in%estigati'n. A case c'n(erence #as hel), an) 'n J$l* , 2011, she #as )ismisse) ('r %i'lating !M76s 7')e '( Disci&line, !ec. 1, $le 1 'n Acts '( Dish'nest* ;i.e. 'bber*, 'bber*, he(t, Pil(erage, an) Misa& &r'&riati'n '( C$n)s?. !anche" le) a case ('r illegal )ismissal, arg$ing 1? she )i) n't inten) t' bring the items '$tsi)e !M7, 2? she cann't be g$ilt* '( &il(erage since the items #ere neither !M7 n't its em&l'*ees6 &r'&ert*, an) ? !M7 )i) n't le criminal charges against her. her. he ab'r Arbiter ;A? hel) that !anche" #as %ali)l* )ismisse). he 37 re%erse) the A, h'l)ing that !M7 illegall* )ismisse) !anche". he 7A a+irme) this )ecisi'n, hence, this &etiti'n b* !M7 assailing the 37 an) 7A )ecisi'n.
RULING: Petiti'n grante). WON Sanch! "as "as #$$%a$$& '#s(#ss' '#s(#ss' )& SLMC
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!anche" #as %ali)l* )ismisse) b* !M7 ('r her #ill($l )isregar) an) )is'be)ience '( the !M7 7')e '( Disci&line. Des&ite her n'#le)ge '( the &r'hibiti'n $n)er this c')e, she n'#ingl* br'$ght '$t the s$&&lies #ith her. !M7 cann't be (a$lte) in c'nstr$ing the taing '( the E$esti'ne) items as an act '( )ish'nest* ;&artic$larl* the(t 'r &il(erage? c'nsi)ering the intent t' gain ma* be reas'nabl* &res$me) (r'm the ($rti%e taing '( $se($l &r'&ert* a&&ertaining t' an'ther. It is immaterial that these s$&&lies #ere excess st'cs beca$se the* sh'$l) ha%e been t$rne) '%er t' the h's&ital as a matter '( &'lic*. m&l'*ers ha%e the right t' reg$late all as&ect '( em&l'*ment. his Fmanagement &rer'gati%e6, incl$)es the right t' &rescribe reas'nable r$les an) reg$lati'ns necessar* 'r &r'&er ('r c'n)$ct '( its b$siness 'r c'ncern, t' &r'%i)e certain )isci&linar* meas$res t' im&lement sai) r$les, an) t' ass$re that the same #'$l) be c'm&lie) #ith. m&l'*ees, in t$rn, ha%e the c'r'llar* )$t* t' 'be* all reas'nable r$les, 'r)ers, an) instr$cti'ns '( the em&l'*erG an) #ill($ll 'r intenti'nal )is'be)ience theret' $sties terminati'n '( the c'ntract '( ser%ice an) )ismissal '( em&l'*ee. @ence, !anche"6 #ill($ll )is'be)ience is $st ca$se ('r her terminati'n.
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It is immaterial that n' criminal case #as le) beca$se criminal an) lab'r cases in%'l%ing an em&l*ee arising (r'm the same in(racti'n are se&arate an) )istinct &r'cee)ings
#hich sh'$l) n't arrest an* $)gment (r'm 'ne t' the 'ther. /hat is a&&arent is that she )eliberatel* )isregar)e) an) )is'be*e) the r$les '( )isci&line that she #as reE$ires t' 'bser%e as a sta+ n$rse an) ste#ar) '( me)ical s$&&lies.
