Dolphins fire scout for working from home to care for terminally ill wife

[Matt39]

White people making jokes about black people? I'm offended.

 

Me too.

[jgb]

The facts have to come out, but if this part is true:

 

Then the Dolphins are going to have to pay.

 

what you believe lawyers now?

 

this guy is representing his client as he ought to--but until i hear the dolphins' response i'm withholding judgment. i've got enough reasons to hate the dolphins already.

[Klecko73isGod]

Matt39 is a corporatist stooge.

[Matt39]

Matt39 is a corporatist stooge.

 

lol. not in the slightest. It's just easy to see through attorneys BS. You seem to be easily influenced.

[Maxman]

what you believe lawyers now?

 

this guy is representing his client as he ought to--but until i hear the dolphins' response i'm withholding judgment. i've got enough reasons to hate the dolphins already.

 

Well the one thing that seems clear is they stopped covering one type of drug. What is known is that employers can see why their rates for insurance increased. When they look at a group policy if there is one thing that made the rates go up, and they got rid of that one thing...then fired the employee...they are going to have a problem.

 

As far as firing him goes, he has no case.  It is bad P.R. that is all because of his personal situation.  But if the insurance stuff proves to be true, he is going to walk away with a settlement.  The Dolphins will need to make it go away.

[Jetsfan80]

Dolphins org definitely deserves the benefit of the doubt on this one.  They've proven to be classy on every level of the organization.

[Klecko73isGod]

lol. not in the slightest. It's just easy to see through attorneys BS. You seem to be easily influenced.

 

No, I just hate the Dolphins. 

 

At least you understood that I was joking. 

[Jet Enforcer]

1st the Finz are having an issue with racial discrimination and a dysfunctional team.. Then 2nd they had a player talk smack about Michael Sam & his sexual preference on TV.. Now 3rd this.. I know the draft is over but this firing could have been handled in a more proper business sense of job relocation, not totally termination or at least not right away to build on what the Finz have already experienced this year.. Oh well!! A CIRCUS there is better than in NY!!! I hope that never happens AGAIN! 

 

Dolphin Circus!!           

[Smashmouth]

He does. And Florida is a right to work state and Sullivan was an at will employee. 

 

Hickey and the Dolphins ****ed up royally by telling him that his situation didn't work for Hickey and that's why he was being fired. Legally they don't need to give him a reason but they did and he can use it against them. They should have just told him they were moving in another direction and Hickey was hiring scouts he was familiar with. 

 

That is why they are a circus.

I would not classify that as Circus.

I would classify that as total scumbags

[Klecko73isGod]

I would not classify that as Circus.

I would classify that as total scumbags

 

You say tomato...

[RutgersJetFan]

The intent-to-initiate-litigation letter also states the Dolphins began excluding cystic fibrosis medications from their health care when revamping their insurance offerings in April. Harr told FOX Sports 1 that the cost of one prescription skyrocketed from $10 to $3,000 per pill under the new policy.

 

"It is our understanding that Cystic Fibrosis was the only terminal medical condition singled out," the letter states.

 

Jesus.

[RutgersJetFan]

Well the one thing that seems clear is they stopped covering one type of drug. What is known is that employers can see why their rates for insurance increased. When they look at a group policy if there is one thing that made the rates go up, and they got rid of that one thing...then fired the employee...they are going to have a problem.

 

As far as firing him goes, he has no case.  It is bad P.R. that is all because of his personal situation.  But if the insurance stuff proves to be true, he is going to walk away with a settlement.  The Dolphins will need to make it go away.

 

I always wonder about the people making that call. Is there really no one in the room that says, "hey guys, we're pretty profitable and this is kind of a horrible thing to do, maybe we should let this one go." And yet this type of stuff has been happening on a daily basis for decades.

[bitonti]

I always wonder about the people making that call. Is there really no one in the room that says, "hey guys, we're pretty profitable and this is kind of a horrible thing to do, maybe we should let this one go." And yet this type of stuff has been happening on a daily basis for decades.

 

When you get to that point, money is just way to keep score. And how much is enough? The answer is there's never enough. 

[Larz]

god bless the dolphins

[Maxman]

I always wonder about the people making that call. Is there really no one in the room that says, "hey guys, we're pretty profitable and this is kind of a horrible thing to do, maybe we should let this one go." And yet this type of stuff has been happening on a daily basis for decades.

 

I have been in a few rooms like that.  And I was shocked each time at how people can just sell their souls for a dollar.  If someone needs to be let go, so be it.  Let them go. But I have been in rooms where people have made mistakes and to cover for those mistakes they wanted to just fire other people. By improving the short term bottom line, they can cover up their screw ups.

 

I won't die a rich man, and I am alright with that.  There are plenty of good people that are rich.  But there is this other element that lives and dies by the dollar.  And that one scares the hell out of me because I have seen it up close.

[Maxman]

I think about this a lot, as my wife is undergoing weekly treatments that are over $10,000 each.  I am not saying that is the case with the Dolphins.  But people have been fired over impacting group rates.  That thought just makes me sick.

[Larz]

Well the one thing that seems clear is they stopped covering one type of drug. What is known is that employers can see why their rates for insurance increased. When they look at a group policy if there is one thing that made the rates go up, and they got rid of that one thing...then fired the employee...they are going to have a problem.

 

As far as firing him goes, he has no case.  It is bad P.R. that is all because of his personal situation.  But if the insurance stuff proves to be true, he is going to walk away with a settlement.  The Dolphins will need to make it go away.

 

 

I always wonder about the people making that call. Is there really no one in the room that says, "hey guys, we're pretty profitable and this is kind of a horrible thing to do, maybe we should let this one go." And yet this type of stuff has been happening on a daily basis for decades.

 

I used to do large group renewals with bxbs.  I would go over the claims with the groups HR wanker and decision maker and broker.  I handled some pretty large groups, I'm sure much larger than the dolphins.  I have no idea how florida works, and I got out of the business 7 years ago, but I have never heard of a group being allowed to exclude a single drug or even a class of drug.  it's so profoundly stupid, you are walking into a huge lawsuit

 

with that said, Rx is an expensive part of any plan, but I'm sure what they pay just to feed the team on the road dwarfs any premium component her prescription was driving

 

if she pays $3,000 at CVS, the carrier pays about $1,200.  that's a under appreciated benefit of group plans, buying power

[Maxman]

I used to do large group renewals with bxbs.  I would go over the claims with the groups HR wanker and decision maker and broker.  I handled some pretty large groups, I'm sure much larger than the dolphins.  I have no idea how florida works, and I got out of the business 7 years ago, but I have never heard of a group being allowed to exclude a single drug or even a class of drug.  it's so profoundly stupid, you are walking into a huge lawsuit

 

with that said, Rx is an expensive part of any plan, but I'm sure what they pay just to feed the team on the road dwarfs any premium component her prescription was driving

 

if she pays $3,000 at CVS, the carrier pays about $1,200.  that's a under appreciated benefit of group plans, buying power

 

I think the small groups are more at risk here.  The larger groups can spread the cost out.  I am not sure that this happens, but I know of one case on a personal level (I am not involved in it) where I believe this exact thing did happen.

 

A rare chronic illness from one person in the group had a huge impact on the groups total expense.  Hopefully this isn't try but I wouldn't be surprised if it was.

[Villain The Foe]

http://deadspin.com/dolphins-scout-says-he-was-fired-for-staying-home-to-ca-1582909818

 

And the hits just keep on comin'...

 

Say it with me brothers..... CIRCUS!!!

 

I wonder what "Baptist Health South Florida" has to say about this 

[RutgersJetFan]

When you get to that point, money is just way to keep score. And how much is enough? The answer is there's never enough. 

 

I'm pretty sure you're just stealing quotes from Todd from Breaking Bad here.

[Larz]

I think the small groups are more at risk here.  The larger groups can spread the cost out.  I am not sure that this happens, but I know of one case on a personal level (I am not involved in it) where I believe this exact thing did happen.

 

A rare chronic illness from one person in the group had a huge impact on the groups total expense.  Hopefully this isn't try but I wouldn't be surprised if it was.

 

in NY back in the day, groups with 2-49 lives are all rated on demographics, not claims.  If I'm not mistaken, 50-250 is a mix, and 251 and up is all claims.  something like that.  Things may have changed, but that's how they protect small groups from having nutty premuims

 

It's weird tho, I work for a small group in CT now, and we had to give demographics for each  family to get individual, yet group rates

 

back in the day I remember a claims rated group asking me if they could exclude all smokers as a class.  that shows they think about it. 

[RutgersJetFan]

I have been in a few rooms like that.  And I was shocked each time at how people can just sell their souls for a dollar.  If someone needs to be let go, so be it.  Let them go. But I have been in rooms where people have made mistakes and to cover for those mistakes they wanted to just fire other people. By improving the short term bottom line, they can cover up their screw ups.

 

Ditto. My mother has been ill the past few years. She worked in NJ public schools for a very long time, and shortly before the end of her career a new principal was hired who really clashed with my mom because the new principal was making mistake after mistake and my mom wasn't a good soldier about it; to the point where she tried to have her fired about 3 months short of my mother hitting her pension, despite the fact that everyone knew she was retiring as soon as she hit pension due to her physical state. It got to the point where my father and I had to ask the principal to lunch and explain how heavily my family was counting on her retirement benefits. And more importantly that despite her personal animosity, the woman that she was attempting to screw over was a wife and a mom, an actual person. Only thing that eventually stopped it was an attorney.

[SayNoToDMC]

I won't die a rich man, and I am alright with that. There are plenty of good people that are rich. But there is this other element that lives and dies by the dollar. And that one scares the hell out of me because I have seen it up close.

Those are the same people really running the world and I, for for one, welcome our new overlords.

[Matt39]

I have been in a few rooms like that. And I was shocked each time at how people can just sell their souls for a dollar. If someone needs to be let go, so be it. Let them go. But I have been in rooms where people have made mistakes and to cover for those mistakes they wanted to just fire other people. By improving the short term bottom line, they can cover up their screw ups.

I won't die a rich man, and I am alright with that. There are plenty of good people that are rich. But there is this other element that lives and dies by the dollar. And that one scares the hell out of me because I have seen it up close.

More competition...less jobs...rich get richer. Pass down to their kids. I see it every day, we're screwed.

[jgb]

Well the one thing that seems clear is they stopped covering one type of drug. What is known is that employers can see why their rates for insurance increased. When they look at a group policy if there is one thing that made the rates go up, and they got rid of that one thing...then fired the employee...they are going to have a problem.

 

As far as firing him goes, he has no case.  It is bad P.R. that is all because of his personal situation.  But if the insurance stuff proves to be true, he is going to walk away with a settlement.  The Dolphins will need to make it go away.

 

definitely agree. one would have to assume the lawyer gave them a chance to "make it go away" before it went public. either his version of the facts isn't 100% accurate and the potential for a suit doesn't worry them that much, or he was asking an absurd amount of money because you are right any employer would pay a reasonable amount to bury this if true.

[New York Mick]

Jet fans desperately hoping and praying a rival will take over as the biggest joke in the NFL.

Who gives a ****? If this happened to another team we wouldn't be talking about it and if it happened to the Jets, Klecko would be defending it and Tom would be blaming it on Rex.

[Maxman]

Jet fans desperately hoping and praying a rival will take over as the biggest joke in the NFL.

Who gives a fuck? If this happened to another team we wouldn't be talking about it and if it happened to the Jets, Klecko would be defending it and Tom would be blaming it on Rex.

 

This is awesome!

[Maxman]

in NY back in the day, groups with 2-49 lives are all rated on demographics, not claims.  If I'm not mistaken, 50-250 is a mix, and 251 and up is all claims.  something like that.  Things may have changed, but that's how they protect small groups from having nutty premuims

 

It's weird tho, I work for a small group in CT now, and we had to give demographics for each  family to get individual, yet group rates

 

back in the day I remember a claims rated group asking me if they could exclude all smokers as a class.  that shows they think about it. 

 

That is interesting.  I don't know if that has changed, but we got hit hard a few years ago (not in NY) but it was for a much smaller company and it was because of actual dollars spent.  Now maybe the number of claims was high as well, so that might be how it was justified.

 

All I know is I am paying $1,400 a month for my family plan (it is a good plan) but I don't feel bad when we have high claims.  They have been making a mint off of me for years.  I wish that was still the case but I am just glad the insurance is there now that we need it.

[Maxman]

Ditto. My mother has been ill the past few years. She worked in NJ public schools for a very long time, and shortly before the end of her career a new principal was hired who really clashed with my mom because the new principal was making mistake after mistake and my mom wasn't a good soldier about it; to the point where she tried to have her fired about 3 months short of my mother hitting her pension, despite the fact that everyone knew she was retiring as soon as she hit pension due to her physical state. It got to the point where my father and I had to ask the principal to lunch and explain how heavily my family was counting on her retirement benefits. And more importantly that despite her personal animosity, the woman that she was attempting to screw over was a wife and a mom, an actual person. Only thing that eventually stopped it was an attorney.

 

I know you a long time, if that wasn't the case I wouldn't believe that story.  Now I know you are telling the truth. But it is still hard for me to believe that someone like that exists.  You Mom was three months away, how the principal could make a change then, I just don't get it.  That is crazy.  Even talking to her didn't work, what the hell is wrong with people?

[RutgersJetFan]

I know you a long time, if that wasn't the case I wouldn't believe that story.  Now I know you are telling the truth. But it is still hard for me to believe that someone like that exists.  You Mom was three months away, how the principal could make a change then, I just don't get it.  That is crazy.  Even talking to her didn't work, what the hell is wrong with people?

 

I've met some truly awful people in my life, (one or two on Jets sites even), but that lady by far takes the cake.

 

One thing I will say, while some of the current criticisms of the NJEA are perfectly valid, her working for an extraordinarily powerful union made solving the whole thing a breeze. As soon as the matter was brought to their attention and legal got involved she backed off immediately.

[Maxman]

I've met some truly awful people in my life, (one or two on Jets sites even), but that lady by far takes the cake.

 

One thing I will say, while some of the current criticisms of the NJEA are perfectly valid, her working for an extraordinarily powerful union made solving the whole thing a breeze. As soon as the matter was brought to their attention and legal got involved she backed off immediately.

 

That definitely worked in her favor, no doubt.  Unfortunately that works in the other direction a lot but that is a topic for another thread.  

 

I hope your Mom is okay!

[joebabyny]

I'm happy that they're a circus. But they didn't really do anything wrong here. Having a terminally ill wife is terrible, and it seems the Dolphins catered to that for a while. But Hickey also has a job to do. If I were to guess this scout stuck around working from home because the organization was scared of litigation. Hickey just decided to go with it I guess.

 

If you want to fire the guy, then fire the guy, but it is despicable to go and monkey around with the health insurance plan to single out one particular affliction to get someone to quit. There are quite a few medical conditions that have high priced treatments, it is damning that they only singled out that one that his wife has. Keep in mind, this is a company that has employees making tens of millions of dollars a year. You mean to tell me with all of the money being spent by the organization, deciding to play with the insurance plan and cut out coverage for one particular disease is a reasonable and prudent substantial cost cutting move? The change in premium cost to them is probably less than they spend in gatorade for the year, lol.

 

They knew that by playing this game to get some guy to quit, they were playing with someone's life. I am as against Obamacare as anyone and it has  hit me and my small business insurance and forced me to pay more for less coverage, but this is despicable.

[joebabyny]

Was working for a smaller consulting firm last year and they dumped ours completely.

 

Dumping a plan or coverage completely is way different than just singling out one drug or one disease an employee has that you want to get to quit.

[joebabyny]

That one will be tough to prove because they are working with an insurance company and we all know how our benefits have been cut back over recent years.  The bottom line is that anyone can sue over anything, but winning is another story.  If I was arguing the case for the scout, I would ask for documentation of his performance and proof that his accomodation had caused him to perform poorly in the job.  Then I would ask if they had tried to accomodate him with another position within the organization based on his years of service with the team.  In these cases, the big bad corporate organization can't help, but look bad.  That is why there are so many settlements.

 

Big companies can write their own group plans and exclude particular treatments, which it seems they did here. Now, what in the world would you have as an excuse for excluding a rare genetic disease?

[Klecko73isGod]

Jet fans desperately hoping and praying a rival will take over as the biggest joke in the NFL.

Who gives a ****? If this happened to another team we wouldn't be talking about it and if it happened to the Jets, Klecko would be defending it and Tom would be blaming it on Rex.

That's a load of crap. If the Jets were stupid enough to do this I just wouldn't post in the thread.