Assignment:
Take a Frolic, and You're on Your Own
In this assignment, you will justify a corporate policy to mitigate liability for an employee's tortious act. Specifically you will create a policy statement that will be distributed to employees distinguishing a frolic from a detour and, thereby, limiting corporate liability.
When weighing whether to assign liability to an employer for an employee's tortious act, the law makes a distinction between a "detour" and a "frolic." The employee AND the employer are held responsible for injuries to a third party when the employee caused harm while on a mere detour. Only the employee is liable when the injury was caused during a frolic. Unfortunately, there is no legal "bright line" to denote when a detour is transformed into a frolic.
From the vantage point of an employer tasked with educating employees on the difference between a detour and a frolic, what would you say?
Based on your readings, discussions, and From the Experts (FTEs), write a 2 to 3 pages policy statement, using APA style for citations, to be distributed to employees, distinguishing a frolic from a detour.
• Explain the purpose of the policy.
• Define "frolic" and "detour." Give specific examples to clarify the definitions.
• Inform employees of the consequences of a "frolic" and of a "detour."