Dunn v. Northeast Helicopters Flight Services, LLC

Summary

The court held that the statutory prohibition on an employer demanding a sum of money as a condition of employment applies to money that is not derived from the employment relationship, including future examination fees. It further held that the required representation or understanding may be implicit, unilateral, or manifested through termination closely connected to the employee’s refusal to comply. Because the record permitted a reasonable jury to find the required statutory connection, summary judgment for the employer was improper. Justice Mullins, dissenting and joined by Chief Justice Robinson, would have affirmed because the fee-sharing proposal concerned a separate prospective business venture rather than an employment-related financial exaction.