Don't complain to the boss.
"Payroll Accountant gets canned"
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
FOR THE COUNTY OF ORANGE - Case Number 632815
"On January 16, 1990, at TBN's annual board meeting in Santa Ana, California, Ruth Ward told co-defendant Paul Crouch
and others present that regularly scheduled employees must be put on payroll." (Pl. Sep. Stmt. of Facts p.2, 1. 10).
"Paul Crouch stated as follows after a discussion: " "Here's the way I want to handle it. If they're regularly
scheduled to come in every day of the year with the exception of one week, I want them to be on outside contract labor and
not on payroll" " (Pl. Sep. Stmt. of Facts p. 2, 1. 15)."
She got fired. So did her husband and son, both working for TBN in other departments.
In this lawsuit, the TBN accounting firm Goodrich, Goodyear & Hinds asserts that their 1989 & 1990 audits
reveal that: workers at TBN were properly classified, whether as employees or independent contractors, that housing allowances
(manse) were in compliance with the requirements of IRS and that TBN's procedures properly accounted for contributions
and that when money was expended, it was expended for the purpose for which it was donated.even undesignated general
funds. Further that all checks mailed to TBN were properly negotiated and endorsed. (Def. Sep. Stmt of Facts pgs. 12
& 13).
Judgment in favor of the Defendants was granted by the court. The court ruled she could not rely on "whistleblower" rules
in regard to labor law, because she failed to complain or report in the proper manner. TBN was also awarded recovery of costs
from plaintiff in the amount of $6,927.85.