Bouwens v. Centrilift

GOLDEN, Justice.

Betty Bouwens, who was orally hired for no definite duration of employment as a field secretary by Centrilift, which specializes in the design, manufacture, and servicing of electric submersible pumps used in the oil industry, was laid off from that employment after more than eight years of service because of Centrilift’s legitimate economic problems. Pointing to a layoff provision in Centrilift’s employee handbook, which she received and read approximately three years after she was hired, Bouwens asserted that Centrilift broke its promise to her in that layoff provision that…